Between the Wars -- Totalitarianism Flashcards
What are the economic conditions that present opportunity for totalitarism to rise?
There needs to be extreme distress in the economy for people to care who the leader is and how they are leading. In both Italy and Germany, they both had extreme economic conditions, and people were open to their ideas.
What are the political conditions that present opportunity for totalitarism to rise?
Parliamentary democracies allow for opposing parties to control the government and take over from the inside out. Both Italy and Germany had this, it was a fair, representative government, but was constantly changing. No one party could get the majority, so coalitions had to be made, and they always fell apart.
What are the nationalistic conditions that present opportunity for totalitarism to rise?
Nationalism has to be present to allow a rise of totalitarianism. Both Italy and Germany felt slighted by what they got/happened to them in the Treaty of Versailles. Italy didn’t get the territories they were promised, and Germany got the full blame for the war. Leaders would use nationalism to control the people through propaganda.
What are the methods used to legally gain power?
First, create promises and tell the people what they want to hear to gain support and power/popularity (done by both Mussolini and Hitler). Next, create scapegoats, someone to blame for all of the problems. This unifies the people against them. Finally, foster instability. This makes it look like the current government cannot maintain order, and needs a change of leadership.
How do totalitarian leaders turn power absolute?
They create a state of emergency, where they are given absolute power to manage it, called extralegal measures. Also create a cult of personality by using propaganda to make it very hard for people to criticize. Additionally, enforce the idea that the individual serves the state, so that the people are easily controlled and there is less resistance.
What were the post-war conditions in Italy?
They did not get the territory of Trent and Triste. Employment was high, but then demand dropped and people began to starve. Italy had lost hundreds of thousands of men in the war, and they didn’t get what they were promised so nationalism grew. Soldiers could not find jobs. There was a weak parliamentary system in place, coalitions constantly fell apart.
What was Mussolini originally?
He was a socialist and against war, but he wanted power so he formed the fascist party.
Who were the Black Shirts?
Angry unemployed soldiers made into a group of thugs that caused havoc to make it look like the government had no control, hired by Mussolini.
What was the March on Rome (1922)?
During a three day strike, Mussolini and the Black Shirts marched on Rome, making it look like the government cannot keep order.
What was the aftermath of the March on Rome?
The original government was forced out and Mussolini was asked to form a new government.
What did Mussolini do after he gained power?
He did not play by the rules and became a dictator.
What was the Election Law of 1923?
it said that whichever party gains 25% of the votes gets 2/3 of the representatives, meaning he basically had absolute power.
What was the Matteotti Incident of 1924?
Matteotti was a newspaper editor that was critical towards Mussolini. He was murdered my the Black Shirts. He refused to open up an investigation.
What happened when he refused to open up an investigation?
The other parties walked out of congress, ad then he made them illegal.
What was the 1926 Decree?
Mussolini elevated himself to the same level as the king and queen of Italy, because he made it a capital crime to plot to kill him. Also, he increased censorship by saying that anything that would get out to the people had to be approved by him. He also enforced that the individual serves the state.
