FCPS World II SOL Standards: WHII 11

Totalitarianism and the

Rise of the Dictators (1920s–1930s)
You Mean Dictators Have Multiple Ways to Control People?
Totalitarianism
A totalitarian ruler leads a government that maintains complete control over every
part of public and private life of the citizens in that country. The economic problems
that resulted from World War I and the Depression led people to question
whether democratic government could improve their lives. Totalitarian
governments appeared to provide a sense of security and offered a
strong direction for the future.
Both Communism and Fascism used aspects of totalitarianism
as part of their governments. In general, both used dictators, only
allowed one political party, and denied many individual rights.
Police terror was used for control and to get rid of any opposition.
Controlling media sources (newspapers, television, radio etc.)
with propaganda and limiting what was reported helped influence
what people thought. However, Fascism believed in an extreme form
of nationalism and pride in the country, while Communism focused on
the spread of their beliefs worldwide. Communism did not allow private
property and eliminated social classes. Fascism believed that each class
had a role to play in society and supported private property. During the 1920s
and 1930s, four major totalitarian governments developed – one was Communist, Characteristics of Fascism
the other three were Fascist. Source: https://splashmans.wikispaces.com/Unit+6+-+The+Interwar+Period

The Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin

After Vladimir Lenin’s death, Joseph Stalin took power. He wanted to strengthen his power and the Communist state. He used
his secret police to stop any riots and arrest or kill anyone who spoke out against him. In 1933, he began the Great Purge to
eliminate his political rivals in the Communist Party and the government. He knew that in order to
compete with other modern countries, the U.S.S.R. (Soviet Union) needed to fix its economy. He
began a series of Five Year Plans to improve the Soviet Union’s industries. Production of steel,
coal, and oil increased dramatically, but Stalin set impossibly high production rates. Stalin took
control of all privately owned farms and began a program of collectivization. Hundreds of families
worked the collective farms to produce food for the country. Many landowners and peasants
resisted by destroying fields and killing their cattle and sheep. Millions died as a result of famine
from the damages and also attacks by the secret police to stop the rebellions. By the mid-1930s
Stalin changed the Soviet Union into a totalitarian state and made it into an industrial power.

Italy under Benito Mussolini

Soviet Propaganda Poster In the early 1920s, Italy was struggling economically and politically. Benito Mussolini’s Fascist
Source: http://christiewaf.weebly.com/
propaganda.html Party fought with the Communists for political power and won. Mussolini promised to restore the
power and glory of the Roman Empire. One way to do this was to expand Italy’s empire. In 1935, Mussolini invaded Ethiopia in
East Africa. Italy continued to expand by invading Albania in 1939. These invasions elevated Mussolini’s popularity and control.

Japan under Emperor Hirohito and Hideki Tojo

When the Great Depression hit Japan, many Japanese blamed the government for the economic problems. Military leaders
gained public support and won control of the government. Because the military kept Emperor Hirohito as the symbolic leader,
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Totalitarianism and Rise of the Dictators (cont.) WHII 11

the public supported military government and military leaders such as Hideki Tojo who ruled in the name
of the emperor. Japan had been industrializing very quickly. It needed more raw materials than the islands
could supply so Japan looked to other areas to conquer. Manchuria, the northeast region of China, had
iron and coal. Japan successfully invaded in 1931 and began to extract those resources. They continued
to expand into southern China during the rest of the decade prior to the start of World War II.
Japanese Expansion in the 1930s.
Source: http://www.jeron.je/anglia/learn/sec/history/wwar2c/japan.htm

Germany under Adolf Hitler

Germany was devastated after World War I. The Treaty of Versailles forced Germany to reduce its military, give up land and colonies,
and pay reparations or damages for the war. Accepting this war guilt left Germans angry and insulted. Their economy was also in
trouble as a result of the reparations, inflation, and the Great Depression. Adolf Hitler joined a Fascist group called the National
Socialist German Worker’s Party or the Nazis. Hitler and the Nazis gained popularity and power through propaganda and close
relations with government officials. Eventually Hitler was given the position of Chancellor. Hitler ended democracy and took
absolute power. He outlawed Communism and all other political parties. He also gave the Germans someone to blame for many of
the problems: the Jews. He encouraged feelings of anti-Semitism, discrimination against the Jews. Hitler refused to follow the Treaty
of Versailles and began to rebuild the military. He ignored the League of Nations as he began to expand Germany’s borders into
Austria and Czechoslovakia. These actions gave Germans a sense of extreme nationalism and confidence. In 1939, Hitler’s
invasion of Poland prompted Great Britain and France to declare war on Germany.

Key Vocabulary Fascism: a political belief that focuses on Five-Year Plans: plan by Stalin to improve
Totalitarianism: a government where the extreme nationalism and a dictatorship of one industrialization in the Soviet Union
state has complete control over every part of leader with only one party
Collectivization: large government controlled
public and private life Propaganda: information or material that is farms made up of smaller farms, usually found
Communism: a society with no classes or spread to make people feel a certain way in a Communist society
private property and all businesses are run Great Purge: time period in the Soviet Union Reparations: the compensation for war
by the government when Stalin tried to get rid of all opposition to damage paid by a defeated state
Anti-Semitism: prejudice against Jews his leadership

Quick Review
1. Which statement is the best definition of a totalitarian state? 2. Which characteristic should replace the question mark?
A. There is a democratic government A. Classless society
B. Many political parties compete for power B. One-party rule
C. Free speech, press and religion are encouraged C. Extreme nationalism
D. Government controls all aspects of people’s lives D. No private property

3. What event best completes the graphic? Japan needed

4. Compare and Contrast two totalitarian leaders using the graphic
A. Japan attacked the Soviet Union more raw
materials to
organizer below.
keep up with
for oil reserves industrialization

B. Japan opened up trade with China and Korea

C. Japan invaded Manchuria for iron and coal
D. Japan asked for help from the
United States
?

Connection to Today Resources

Can you think of any other leaders in the world today that are ABC-CLIO
totalitarian dictators? Explain your answer. ● Totalitarianism:
http://worldhistory.abc-clio.com/Search/Display/311210?terms=totalitarian
● Fascism
http://worldhistory.abc-clio.com/Search/Display/310453?terms=fascist

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