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Rise of Fascism
Fascism by definition glorifies a state or nation above the individual by emphasizing the need for a strong central government, led by a dictatorial ruler. In a state that utilizes fascism, the government controls the people and stifles any opposition. Some of the main things that led to the rise of fascism were the fear of communism, veterans facing poverty and unemployment, the inability of democratic governments to deal with post-war problems, and the appeal of nationalism. -
New Technology and Culture
Radio and movies were used as a form of leisure and propaganda; one way that Hitler reached all of Germany was by promoting the use of radios and making speeches that were available to listen to on the radio. The new technology that allowed for the mass production of consumer goods was the assembly line which led to a decrease in the number of hours people worked. -
Rise of Joseph Stalin
Stalin was Lenin's secretary and eventually took over the Soviet Union. He industrialized Russia through a state-controlled economy, which led to famine. Under the rule of Staling, detractors were deported or imprisoned in labor camps, and, as part of the Great Purge, about one million people were executed. -
The Great Depression
There were two main factors that contributed to the Great Depression: series of downturns in the economies of individual nations and an international financial crisis involving the U.S. stock market. In Germany, roughly 30 percent of the labor force had no jobs. and in Britain, about 1 in every 4 workers were unemployed. Governments did not know how to handle the crises; some would lower wages and raise tariffs to exclude foreign goods from home markets. One effect was an interest in Marxism. -
Rise of Nazism
Some of the main factors that contributed to the rise of Nazism were Germany's economic difficulty (unemployment had risen significantly) and his promises of a new Germany that would appeal to nationalism and militarism.