Class Set – DO NOT KEEP Rise of Totalitarianism Jigsaw

In the aftermath of World War I, many observers believed that a new age of democratic government
had dawned. All of the new states of Central and Eastern Europe became democracies. Even Germany,
a former bastion of authoritarian rule, had adopted a democratic government. In East Asia, Japan also
appeared to be making the transition to democracy. But during the 1920’s the democratic flame began
to flicker, and in the 1930’s it threatened to die out almost completely. Instead of an age of
democracy, the interwar years, to a large extent, became an era of dictatorship.
– Michael J. Lyons, World War II: A Short History

Directions: The purpose of this assignment is to study the post-World War I rise of totalitarianism in
one of the following nations -- Russia, Germany, Japan, or Italy -- and to teach your classmates about
your totalitarian regime.

Step 1: Once you have received your assigned reading, review the reading silently.

Step 2: Reread the assigned reading out loud as a group. Be sure that every group member reads at
least one paragraph aloud.

Step 3: On a Separate piece of paper, answer the following questions below when you have finished
reading:

• Who is the leader of the totalitarian regime?

• What is the name of the party?

• What are the party’s/leader’s major beliefs?

• Why did citizens support these regimes?

• What tactics did they use to gain power?

• What tactics did they use to maintain power?

The Rise of Russian Totalitarianism Class Set – DO NOT KEEP
During WWI the Russian Monarchy was overthrown and a communist government was installed. After a civil
war, the Vladimir Illyich Lenin and his Bolsheviks (Russian Communists) reorganized Russia as a federation of
republics – the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics or USSR. The Bolsheviks then established an elaborate
government hierarchy where power rested with the Communist Party. It was the only political party, and it was
viewed as an elite group. An important party organization was the secret police. Its duty was to hunt down and
eliminate enemies of the party and the state.

After Lenin’s death in 1924, a power struggle erupted between Communist leaders. The two principal figures
were Leon Trotsky and Josef Stalin. Trotsky believed that communism should spread from Russia to other parts
of the world, and to help facilitate this goal, he created Communist International (Commintern). Stalin was
much less dedicated to the world wide revolution; he felt that the Communists had enough to do in Russia itself.
Stalin managed to emerge victorious because of his ability to outmaneuver his political rivals and his positions
within the party that allowed him to control the party machinery. By 1928 Stalin had succeeded in purging all of
his rivals and had emerged as the undisputed leader of the party and country.
Stalin wanted to transform the USSR from an agricultural state into a first rate industrial power. He brought the
entire economy under state control and abolished all private ownership of land in favor of a system of
collectivization. To accomplish this, he set up a system of five-year plans which set increased production goals
for industry and agriculture.

To protest these new reforms, many people revolted. Stalin responded ruthlessly by using the secret police to
kill large numbers of protesters and shipping many more off to gulags (prison camps) in frozen Siberia. Many of
his reforms led to famine and the deaths of approximately 10 million people.

Stalin also consolidated his own personal power and his ruthless tactics increased opposition within his own
party, as well as the army. In the 1930’s, he had many of his enemies arrested on trumped up or false charges
and claimed that they were enemies of the state. Some fled, including Trotsky, who was eventually murdered
with an ice axe in Mexico by Stalin’s agents. Other lesser leaders were shot or imprisoned in Siberian prison
camps. In all, perhaps 800,000 party members died in the purges which decimated large parts of the army. He
replaced the purged officials with people he trusted.

Despite Stalin’s ruthless policies and the dictatorial nature of his system, by the late 1930s a new generation had
grown up under the Communist regime. Its members had no ties to the pre-Communist era of Russia and they
were proud of the achievements of the Soviet Union. The third of Stalin’s “five year plans” began to show
results for industrialization. Wages and the standard of living remained low, but many people found jobs in
industry and were better off than they were before. Many women also secured employment and they were able
to supplement their family’s income. Others had received technical, administrative, or scientific training and had
found attractive jobs in industry, the government, the party, and other professions. This new intellectual elite
felt a great loyalty to the Soviet system.

The dictatorship of Communist Party under Stalin’s iron leadership had become permanent. Using ruthless
tactics to eliminate any opposition or challenges to his power, Stalin had transformed the Soviet Union into the
industrial giant he had envisioned.
Class Set – DO NOT KEEP Rise of Totalitarianism Jigsaw

In the aftermath of World War I, many observers believed that a new age of democratic government
had dawned. All of the new states of Central and Eastern Europe became democracies. Even Germany,
a former bastion of authoritarian rule, had adopted a democratic government. In East Asia, Japan also
appeared to be making the transition to democracy. But during the 1920’s the democratic flame began
to flicker, and in the 1930’s it threatened to die out almost completely. Instead of an age of
democracy, the interwar years, to a large extent, became an era of dictatorship.
– Michael J. Lyons, World War II: A Short History

Directions: The purpose of this assignment is to study the post-World War I rise of totalitarianism in
one of the following nations -- Russia, Germany, Japan, or Italy -- and to teach your classmates about
your totalitarian regime.

Step 1: Once you have received your assigned reading, review the reading silently.

Step 2: Reread the assigned reading out loud as a group. Be sure that every group member reads at
least one paragraph aloud.

Step 3: On a Separate piece of paper, answer the following questions below when you have finished
reading:

• Who is the leader of the totalitarian regime?

• What is the name of the party?

• What are the party’s/leader’s major beliefs?

• Why did citizens support these regimes?

• What tactics did they use to gain power?

• What tactics did they use to maintain power?

__________________________________________________________________________________
The Rise of Italian Totalitarianism

The speed at which Italian fascism triumphed in Italy was astounding. The fascist movement began in 1919
without a cohesive organization or ideology. In 1921 it became a formal political party. By October of 1922,
Benito Mussolini, the Fascist leader, had become premier of Italy and within a few years he had created a
totalitarian state. A multitude of problems that affected Italy in the immediate postwar period contributed
greatly to this remarkable success story.

In the aftermath of World War I, Italy had gained little save for 500,000 dead and a growing sense of
dissatisfaction with the democratic government. Not only did the government fail to gain promised territory
during peace negotiations, they provided no solutions to persistent economic problems, and failed to adopt
land reforms that would have helped the country’s peasants. As a result of these failed reforms, many peasants
took matters into their own hands and seized land from large landlords. Unfulfilled promises of reforms for the
working classes led to strikes in cities.
The peasant revolts coupled with a series of strikes, inspired by the Socialist Party, convinced many property
owning Italians that the government was going to fall to Socialism. It was against this chaotic background that
Benito Mussolini rose to power. Mussolini was a former Socialist who was thrown out of the party during WWI
because he supported Italian entry into the war. He joined the army and was wounded during the war after
being hit with grenade fragments.

After returning home, Mussolini organized groups of disgruntled veterans and Italian nationalists who were
disillusioned with the government for failing to gain anything from post-war negotiations. These people formed
the core of the Fascist Party. Mussolini took his party’s name from the fasces, a symbol of authority during the
Roman Empire, consisting of a bundle of rods surrounding an ax. These groups were eventually organized into
the Black Shirts, a paramilitary force that was used to intimidate opponents.

Initially the Fascist Party was only adept at fighting Socialists and not winning elections; capturing no
parliamentary seats in 1919 and only 35 in 1921. As they became more ambitious, they became bolder. The
Black Shirts, using violence, forced many Socialists out of local governments. Although illegal, the Italian
government refused to take action because they saw Fascists as a bulwark against a socialist takeover.
Considerable support for the Fascists also existed in both the army and in the court of King Victor Emmanuel III.
The lack of government response and outside support convinced Mussolini to send his Black Shirts to march on
Rome in October 1922. The government resigned and the king asked Mussolini to become premier to avoid a
civil war and because Mussolini said he would support the continuation of the monarchy.

Technically, Mussolini came to power constitutionally, but the threat of force paved the way for his
appointment. Once in power, he slowly and cautiously turned Italy into a totalitarian state. He agreed to preside
over a coalition government of various political parties in exchange for full government powers for a year.
During this year he appointed Fascists to key local and national administrative positions and turned the Black
Shirts into a national militia. He used this national militia to intimidate voters in the 1924 elections and all the
candidates backed by Mussolini won 65 percent of the vote.

Now armed with a massive two-thirds majority, the Fascists applied pressure to other political parties and the
press. After murdering an outspoken critic of Fascism, many members of the parliament walked out in protest.
They hoped their action might force the king to dismiss Mussolini, but he took no action. This protest actually
benefited Mussolini because now he faced no opposition in government.

1925 and 1926, he forced non-Fascists out of government, dissolved all other parties, and imposed tight
censorship on the press. He banned trade unions and secured his total control over local governments. To
enforce his one party dictatorship, he created a secret police to remove any enemies of the state. To ensure his
power, he rigged elections and used intimidation and violence to inspire fear. He also took to calling himself “il
Duce,” or the Leader. The Italian people were constantly bombarded with slogans glorifying Mussolini. On the
surface, little had changed about the Italian government; the parliament was still functional and the King
Emmanuel was technically superior to Mussolini, but in reality they followed Mussolini’s orders.

The Fascist Party philosophy remained unchanged throughout its tenure. They denounced democracy as
inefficient and pacifism as a cowardly doctrine. They emphasized discipline, sacrifice, nationalism, militarism,
and a return to the former glory of the Roman Empire.

By the 1930’s, Mussolini’s government gained general acceptance. The emphasis on order and discipline was a
welcome relief from the previous government’s instability. Despite being a new dictatorship, much of the old
order was preserved. The monarchy, Catholic Church, and large landowners enjoyed certain measures of
independence.
 Class Set – DO NOT KEEP Rise of Totalitarianism Jigsaw

In the aftermath of World War I, many observers believed that a new age of democratic government
had dawned. All of the new states of Central and Eastern Europe became democracies. Even Germany,
a former bastion of authoritarian rule, had adopted a democratic government. In East Asia, Japan also
appeared to be making the transition to democracy. But during the 1920’s the democratic flame began
to flicker, and in the 1930’s it threatened to die out almost completely. Instead of an age of
democracy, the interwar years, to a large extent, became an era of dictatorship.
– Michael J. Lyons, World War II: A Short History

Directions: The purpose of this assignment is to study the post-World War I rise of totalitarianism in
one of the following nations -- Russia, Germany, Japan, or Italy -- and to teach your classmates about
your totalitarian regime.

Step 1: Once you have received your assigned reading, review the reading silently.

Step 2: Reread the assigned reading out loud as a group. Be sure that every group member reads at
least one paragraph aloud.

Step 3: On a Separate piece of paper, answer the following questions below when you have finished
reading:

• Who is the leader of the totalitarian regime?

• What is the name of the party?

• What are the party’s/leader’s major beliefs?

• Why did citizens support these regimes?

• What tactics did they use to gain power?

• What tactics did they use to maintain power?

___________________________________________________________________________________________
The Rise of German Totalitarianism Class Set – DO NOT KEEP
Adolf Hitler rose from modest origins in Braunau, Austria. A poor student, he dreamed of becoming an artist. After being
rejected from art school, he wandered the streets of Vienna, Austria and Munich Germany without a purpose. The
outbreak of World War I instilled a sense of purpose in him and he joined the German army. In the army Hitler flourished
earning five decorations, including an Iron Cross; a rare award for common soldiers.

While in the hospital recovering from a poison gas attack, Hitler learned of Germany’s surrender. He was filled with a deep
sense of shame and felt that Germany had been “stabbed-in-the-back” by internal enemies. After leaving the hospital, he
joined the German Workers’ Party, one of the many small extremist political groups that hatched in the aftermath of
Germany’s defeat.

He quickly proved himself a gifted organizer and mesmerizing speaker and in 1921 became leader of the newly named
National Socialist German Workers’ Party (Nazi Party). This Nazi party was made up of manual laborers, former soldiers,
adventurers, and misfits. They were characterized by their violent nationalism, anti-Semitism, and opposition to democratic
government. They organized a paramilitary force called the SA to help intimidate those who they saw as enemies.
At this point, the Nazi’s main enemy was Germany’s democratic government, the Weimar Republic. From the beginning,
the Weimar government was plagued with problems. Internally, the multitude of parties made it difficult for the
government to agree on anything. Externally, communists wanted a Soviet style government and ultraconservatives
wanted a return to a monarchy. Many Germans blamed the Weimar Government for signing the Treaty of Versailles. The
treaty unfairly forced Germany to accept guilt for starting WWI and imposed harsh military and economic restrictions upon
Germany. During the first few years, many groups tried to overthrow the Weimar Government; the Nazi’s being one of
them.

In 1923, Hitler and the Nazis attempted to take over the government by kidnapping government officials in a Munich Beer
Hall and then marching on Berlin. This attempt, which became known as the Beer Hall Putsch, failed miserably. Hitler and
other Nazis were arrested and tried for treason. Hitler used his trial to gain attention to his cause and many German’s were
sympathetic to his strong nationalist message. He only served nine months in jail.

While in prison, Hitler wrote his infamous book, Mein Kampf (My Struggle). In this poorly written, bizarre and self-serving
book Hitler expressed most of his view which included the superiority of the German Aryan race, his hatred of all things
Jewish, his disgust for democracy, the need for lebensraum (living room) for the German people, and a call to return to the
greatness of the old German Empire. It was also during this time that Hitler realized the Nazis must come to power legally
through elections. To do this, he realized that the Nazis must appeal to the entire German nation through nationwide
organization and skillful use of propaganda to attack the Weimar Republic and offer an alternative.

Propaganda was an important part of the Nazi rise to power. Under the leadership of Joseph Goebbels, the Nazi
propaganda machine was one of the most effective in all of history. Both Hitler and Goebbels shared a low regard for the
intellect of the masses and believed that most people would respond to emotional appeals, particularly to their hatreds.
Despite their effective use of propaganda, the Nazis were only able to gain a small number of seats in parliament in the
1928 elections. Hitler remained patient throughout these trying years, confident that his chance would come.

The start of the Great Depression in 1929, proved to be the chance Hitler was looking for. All the slow economic recovery
Germany made throughout the 1920’s was wiped away by the Depression. German production declined sharply, businesses
failed, and unemployment rose alarmingly. It was under these conditions that the Nazis rose to prominence. In the election
of 1930, the Nazis gained 107 seats in the parliament making them the second largest party in the government. While Hitler
focused on traditional campaigning, the paramilitary SA, engaged in a struggle for “control of the streets.” They battled
Communists and other political opponents and resorted to acts of terrorism.

After a series of political power plays, Hitler was finally appointed chancellor of Germany in January of 1933. Ironically, he
was appointed because his rivals felt that he could be easily controlled. Once in power, Hitler took steps to limit the
freedom of the press. Although no one is sure who committed arson, the burning of the Reichstag (parliament building) in
February of 1933, provided the pretext for Hitler to persecute Communist enemies and to limit civil rights as a way to keep
Germans safe from their enemies. He used the SA to intimidate members of parliament into voting for a bill that would
allow him to rule by decree, effectively making him a dictator.

Once the bill was passed, Hitler set about consolidating his power. He eliminated all opposing political parties, removed all
“unacceptable” members of government, and merged labor unions into a Nazi directed labor front that was unable to
strike. The parliament remained, but it was only to give the appearance of democracy. Soon after coming to power, the
Nazis took control of the schools and allowed only Nazi approved ideas to be taught. They also absorbed all of the youth
organizations into one; Hitler Youth. This youth movement fostered a love of Hitler, obedience to party and state, and the
cheering of warlike virtues.

As soon as they gained power, the Nazi began to move against the Jews and political opponents. They purged Jews from
civil service and universities and subjected them to discrimination and violence. As Hitler became more powerful, these
attacks became more systematic and restrictive in nature. A secret police organization, the Gestapo, was created and used
to hunt down enemies of the state. In 1933, the first of many concentration camps were created to warehouse these
accused enemies.

By 1934, Hitler had almost completed his takeover of Germany. Only two sources of opposition remained – the army and
the SA. Military leaders were pleased with Hitler’s ideas about expanding and modernizing the army, but they feared that
the SA would become too powerful and replace the official army. Hitler shared the army’s views and felt that SA leaders
might try to seize power for themselves, so in June of 1934 Hitler purged leaders of the SA and had them executed without
trials. This “Knight of Long Knives,” as it came to be called, convinced the army’s leaders that they should throw their full
support behind Hitler and his Nazi government. Now as the unquestioned Führer, or leader, of Germany, Hitler could set
about achieving the goals he laid out in Mein Kampf.
 Class Set – DO NOT KEEP Rise of Totalitarianism Jigsaw

In the aftermath of World War I, many observers believed that a new age of democratic government
had dawned. All of the new states of Central and Eastern Europe became democracies. Even Germany,
a former bastion of authoritarian rule, had adopted a democratic government. In East Asia, Japan also
appeared to be making the transition to democracy. But during the 1920’s the democratic flame began
to flicker, and in the 1930’s it threatened to die out almost completely. Instead of an age of
democracy, the interwar years, to a large extent, became an era of dictatorship.
– Michael J. Lyons, World War II: A Short History

Directions: The purpose of this assignment is to study the post-World War I rise of totalitarianism in
one of the following nations -- Russia, Germany, Japan, or Italy -- and to teach your classmates about
your totalitarian regime.

Step 1: Once you have received your assigned reading, review the reading silently.

Step 2: Reread the assigned reading out loud as a group. Be sure that every group member reads at
least one paragraph aloud.

Step 3: On a Separate piece of paper, answer the following questions below when you have finished
reading:

• Who is the leader of the totalitarian regime?

• What is the name of the party?

• What are the party’s/leader’s major beliefs?

• Why did citizens support these regimes?

• What tactics did they use to gain power?

• What tactics did they use to maintain power?

 The Rise of Japanese Totalitarianism Class Set – DO NOT KEEP
In East Asia, dictatorship also came to Japan, but the form of oppression and the manner in which it developed
differed from the models of Russia, Italy, and Germany. The driving force behind this transformation was not a
political party or a single leader but the army. Japan has long possessed an ancient military tradition that dates
back to the 1500’s. For centuries a feudal system governed Japan where the landowning class, supported by
Samurais, dominated the peasant and merchant classes. At the top of this system was an emperor who played a
minor role in political matters and served more as a figurehead.

As Western influence grew in Eastern Asia, the Japanese realized that they would be subjugated by Western
nations if they did not turn to Western technology and organizational methods. An intense form of Japanese
nationalism arose and the thought of Japan being second rate was be unacceptable. A new regime created a
modern army, patterned after Prussia’s military, and transformed the Samurai class into a modern officer class.
A naval, modeled after the vaunted British navy, was created sometime later. By the early 20th century, Japan
had resisted European domination and became an important world power.

Despite this startling transformation, Japan’s traditional social structure continued largely unchanged. Landlords
retained their importance and control over the peasants. A few great industrial families dominated the
economy and subordinated the working class. The one major change was the government’s policy towards the
Buddhist religion; it wanted to repress it in favor of another religion, Shintoism. This state sponsored form of
Shintoism stressed ancestor worship, complete obedience to the emperor and the state.

Although the Emperor headed Japan’s new government, he served as more of a figure head than a day to day
ruler. These duties fell to a premier, Diet (Japanese Parliament), and cabinet ministers. Due to Japan’s military
tradition, the army and navy ministers held enormous amounts of power. During the 1920’s this began to
change, and a movement towards lessening the influence of the military in government began. The lessening of
the military’s influence was reversed in 1929 with the start of the Great Depression.

Like most nations during the Great Depression, Japan suffered economically and this helped to discredit the
government because they were unable to stop the effects of the Depression. Army leaders took this opportunity
to reassert control over the government. The military insisted that the way out of the economic dilemma was an
aggressive campaign of imperial expansion. By gaining more colonies for Japan, they would lessen the problems
of the Great Depression.

Japan’s military leaders encroached steadily on the government during the 1930’s. Japan gradually took on the
characteristics of a military dictatorship. But in many respects, the transition was more subtle than in Italy or
Germany. There was no mass political movement, no charismatic leader, no revision or suspension of the
constitution. However, there was a steady erosion of civil liberties, encroachment on freedom of the press and
other forms of expression, and imprisonment of critics of the regime.