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Mussolini led a "March on Rome" supposedly to prevent a communist revolution but in fact to frighten the government into naming him prime minister. Once in office, Mussolini increased his power by appointing Fascists to top offices, censoring the press, organizing a secret police, and banning any criticism of the government.
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Adolf Hitler gained control of the Nazi party, a nationalistic, anti-communist, anti Semitic organization.
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After Lenin's death in 1924, Joseph Stalin outmaneuvered his rivals to gain control of the government. In 1928, therefore, he launched his first five-year plan.
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The plan included two goals: rapid growth of heavy industry and increased farm production through collectivization of agriculture. In a series of five-year plans, Stalin poured the nation's resources into building steel mills, electric power stations, and other industries needed in a strong modern state. He also forced millions of peasants to give up their land and work on collective farms, large, government-run enterprises. Many peasants opposed the change, and millions died in Stalin's brutal
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Stalin created a new kind of government, today called a totalitarian state. In a totalitarian state, the government is a single-party dictatorship that controls every aspect of the lives of its citizens.
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Benito Mussolini, used the turmoil to gain power. Mussolini founded the Fascist party.
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Fascists glorified the state, supported aggressive nationalism, and condemned democracy because they believed rival parties divided the state.
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By 1932, military leaders had set up a military dictatorship in Japan. Unlike Italy and Germany, however, Japan did not have a single strong leader. Instead, a small group of military leaders dominated the government.
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In 1933, Hitler used the threat of a communist uprising to gain power. He then moved against all opposition parties and set up a fascist state in Germany.
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In the 1930s, Japan had many features of a totalitarian state. The government arrested critics, imposed censorship, and employed a secret police force to hunt down and punish so-called enemies of the state. Extreme nationalists glorified war and empire.
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The Nazis preached the need for hard work, sacrifice, and service to the state. The Gestapo, or secret police, arrested anyone suspected of opposing Nazi rule. The Nazis used the press, schools, and even churches to glorify their goals.
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After World War 1, Japan enjoyed a period of economic prosperity and growing democratic government. However, the Great Depression hit Japan especially hard because its prosperity depended on foreign trade.
