Transcript Chapter 15 Lesson 2 Day 1

Learning Goal
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The students will understand the Rise of
the Dictatorial Regimes after WWI.
Media
 Attitudes
 Totalitarian States
 Fascism
 Collectivizm
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Discussion

How would you define each of these
three terms in your own words?
Dictator—a ruler who has absolute power.
Fascist—someone or something that
glorifies the state above the individual.
Totalitarian state—government aiming to
control of the political, economic, social,
intellectual, and cultural lives of citizens.
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Dictatorial regimes in Europe: The triumph of
democracy in Europe following World War I was shortlived.
While France and Great Britain remained democratic, many
other European states—including Germany and the Soviet
Union—established dictatorships.
Characteristics of totalitarian states: New totalitarian
states were formed in which a single leader and a single
party led a strong central government. The governments
aimed for total control over the lives of their citizens.
Loss of individual freedom: Totalitarian leaders rejected
the ideas of limited government and individual freedoms.
Instead, citizens were to sacrifice individual freedoms to the
collective will of the masses, determined by the leader.
Discussion

What is expected of citizens in a
totalitarian state?
Citizens are expected to be completely
loyal to their leader and to support the
state's goals.
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Europe's first fascist movement: In 1919, Benito Mussolini created a
new political group, the fascist League of Combat. Fascism is a political
philosophy that glorifies the state above individuals.
Growing popularity: Mussolini appealed to Italians' fear of socialism and
anger about the terms of the Treaty of Versailles. He called for more land
to be awarded to Italy, using nationalist propaganda to gain followers.
Thousands joined Mussolini's Fascist Party.
Control of the government: When Mussolini threatened to march on
Rome with his Fascist organization, King Victor Emmanuel III made him
prime minister. Mussolini used this position to create a Fascist dictatorship.
Efforts for totalitarian control: Mussolini used his secret police to
control the general population. He spread propaganda through the use of
mass media, including newspapers and radio. Youth groups indoctrinated
children into the fascist ideology. On the other hand, Mussolini maintained
traditional attitudes toward the family and the Catholic Church. Women
were expected to focus on motherhood and homemaking.
Discussion
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Why might Italians have been
especially fearful of a socialist or
communist takeover?
A communist takeover had recently taken
place in Russia, and the labor unrest in
Italy made the middle class wary of
socialist tendencies among the working
class.
Background
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As Mussolini's Fascist movement grew,
government leaders worked to quell the resulting
unrest. Italy was a constitutional monarchy, ruled
by a king with a prime minister and cabinet.
Victor Emmanuel III (1869–1947) had been king
since 1900, when his father was assassinated. As
Fascist forces prepared to march on Rome in
1922, the cabinet urged Victor Emmanuel to
declare martial law to stop Mussolini's forces. The
king refused, apparently fearing a civil war.
Instead, he asked Mussolini to form a
government under the constitution. The king
quickly became a figurehead in the new
government, with Mussolini assuming dictatorial
powers.
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Agricultural and industrial
collapse: Beginning in 1920, a drought in Russia
led to famine and industrial collapse. Hoarding of
food added to the crisis. Lenin was forced to
adopt the capitalist New Economic Policy (NEP) to
avert a complete economic disaster. Peasants
were allowed to sell their crops, and some people
were allowed to own their own small businesses.
Creation of Union of Soviet Socialist
Republics: Along with the NEP, the end of the
drought brought economic recovery. Harvests
improved. In 1922, Lenin renamed Russia the
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), or
Soviet Union.
Discussion
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Why do you think Lenin and the
Communist leaders thought it was
important to change the country's
name?
They wanted the country's name to reflect
their revolutionary principles by including
the words soviet and socialist.