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Main characteristics of fascism
- Authoritarian system with charismatics leaderships
- Economic and social control: everything is controlled by the States
- Cult to violence and militarism
- Radical Nationalism
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Crisis in Italy
In the crisis the fascists led by Mussolini began to control many parts of Italy. In 1922 socialists called for a general strike and Mussolini's men terrorised them and controlled the situation. -
Germany
Germans didn't accept how the war ends ,they thought it was unfair for Germany. In 1923 Germany suffered a hyperinflation, but there was a new chancellor, Stresemann, and Germany was starting to recover. -
Elections in Italy
In the firts elections he didn't get many votes. But in1922 Mussolini marched on Rome with his 30,000 Blackshirts in order to seize the power. The King was terrified, and Mussolini become Prime Minister. He changed the election system and in the next elections (1924) fascists got the power. He began to change Italy into a dictatorship . -
Hitler is back
Everything got worse after Stresemann died and Hitler came back . The Nazis became popular among several groups. -
The rise of the nazis
Many people were unemployed and the country was desperate for a strong government, but the new government still could not govern properly. In 1933 was other elections and Hitler won. -
Hitler had absolute power
A fire broke out in the Reichstag building, and Hitler blamed the communists. Hitler still had opposition. Ernst Röhm controlled
the SA ,in 1934, Hitler ordered to arrest Röhm and others, alot of people were killed(The Night of the Long Knives). Röhm
was shot the next day. When Hindenburg died, Hitler had all the powers, he was called Der Führer (the leader). Democracy was dead and people were taught to support him. -
Expansionism program
He re-armed the country , he wanted to concentrate all the Germans under his rule:
Some areas of Germany had been occupied or controlled by foreign powers and Hitler could not tolerate this
He wanted Austria to be a part of his Reich
Czechoslovakia , there were around 3.5 million Germans, who should be ruled by a German power based on Hitler’s principles.
Hitler wanted to control Danzig in order to unite both parts of Germany and he commanded the invasion of
Poland -
Fascist society
Fascism counted on the Catholic support and Mussolini got closer to Hitler. In 1936 the Rome-Berlin Axis was created. And The Pact of Steel was signed between Hitler and Mussolini on 1939. -
Antisemitism
Hitler believed Germans were a super-race and blamed other races for weakening the German people. He said that Jews were responsible for many German problems and several laws were
passed against them (Jews were not considered
German citizens any more). -
Economic program
Hitler started a huge plan of public works which gave jobs to thousands of people.