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Joseph Stalin
At age 7, he contracted smallpox, leaving his face scarred and his left arm slightly deformed. The other village children treated him cruelly, instilling in him a sense of inferiority. Because of this, Joseph began a quest for greatness and respect. He also developed a cruel streak for those who crossed him. -
Benito Mussolini
He established a repressive fascist regime that valued nationalism, militarism, anti-liberalism, and anti-communism combined with strict censorship and state propaganda. He was popular for some time as a champion of Italy's resurgence after having missed out on the European scramble for colonies. Mussolini became a close ally of German dictator Adolf Hitler, whom he influenced. -
Adolf Hitler
As a child, Hitler clashed frequently with his father. Following the death of his younger brother, Edmund, in 1900, he became detached and introverted. His father did not approve of his interest in fine art rather than business. In addition to art, Hitler showed an early interest in German nationalism, rejecting the authority of Austro-Hungary. This nationalism would become the motivating force of Hitler's life. -
Francisco Franco
Franco’s father was an officer in the Spanish Naval Administrative Corps, and his mother was a conservative, upper-middle-class Roman Catholic. The previous fourgenerations of Franco’s family, and his elder brother, were naval officers, and Franco himself seemed destined to follow that path. Reduced admissions to the Naval Academy, however, forced him instead to enlist in the army, and in 1907, when he was just 14 years old, Franco entered the Infantry Academy at Toledo. -
Emperor Hirohito
Hirohito was a Japanese Emperor born on April 29, 1901 in Tokyo, Japan. Installed as the Crown Prince at age 15, he reigned as Japan’s longest monarch from 1926-1989. During World War II, he led Japan’s military and the country’s surrender to the Allied Forces in 1945. -
Hirohito as Emperor and the Rise of Japanese Militarism
Hirohito took over at a time of rising democratic sentiment, but his country soon turned toward ultra-nationalism and militarism. Research Sources http://goo.gl/uDDPT -
Joseph Stalin's Rise to Power 1878-1953
The Soviet Union was transformed from a peasant society into an industrial and military superpower. However, Stalin ruled by terror, and millions of his own citizens died during his brutal reign. Born into poverty, Stalin became involved in revolutionary politics, as well as criminal activities, as a young man.
Research Sources: http://goo.gl/uDDPT
Video: http://goo.gl/hjjQ7 -
Adolf Hitler's Rise to Power
Once Hitler had come to power in 1933, German military preparations were made for these wars. The emphasis in the short term was on weapons for the war against the western powers, and for the long term, on the weapons for war against the United States. Research Sources: http://goo.gl/uDDPT
Video: http://goo.gl/yz0mS -
Francisco Franco's Rise to Power
The general and dictator Francisco Franco (1892-1975) ruled over Spain from 1939 until his death. He rose to power during the bloody Spanish Civil War when, with the help of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy, his Nationalist forces overthrew the democratically elected Second Republic. Research Sources: http://goo.gl/uDDPT -
Benito Mussolini 1883-1945
Benito Mussolini's self-confessed "thirst for military glory" battled his acute intelligence, psychological acumen, and political shrewdness for control over his military policies. Originally a revolutionary Socialist, he abandoned his party to advocate Italian intervention in World War I. Video: http://goo.gl/rFybD
