Fascism Flashcards
What is fascism?
Fascism was a new political system introduced by Italian dictator Benito Mussolini in 1922, whose ideology was to use violence, threats, the military, and manipulation to get what he wanted. This ideology spread to many countries, like Italy, Spain, Germany, and Japan.
Who were the fascist leaders prior to World War Two?
Benito Mussolini, Adolf Hitler, Francisco Franco and Tojo/Hirohito
In what country is fascism said to have originated?
Italy
What is anti-Semitism and lebensraum?
Anti-Semitism was the hatred of Jews, and lebensraum was literally, “living space” in German.
How did Hitler use anti-Semitism and lebensraum to strengthen his fascist regime in Germany?
itler believed that in order to better the quality of life for Germans, they must use force to get lebensraum, and for this to happen, they would have to fight those who inhabited the lebensraum Germany wanted: Poland and USSR, Austria and Czech.
What role does propaganda play in Hitler’s rise to power?
Anti-Semitism became a policy in Nazi Germany, and propaganda helped spread that. He censored Jewish writers and artists, so they would not speak the truth of what was happening to them, and helped the public accept nationalism, which would make them like Hitler and his Nazi ideology even more.
Why did Hitler concentrate on Jews and other minority groups?
It was convenient to blame vulnerable minorities like Communists, Slavs, Gypsies, homosexuals, the mentally challenged, and of course, Jews, for all the hardships. These groups were already discriminated against and easy to punish and blame
What is a scapegoat?
People/places/things/events on which one places blame.
Who were the scapegoats? What were they blamed for?
In this case, the scapegoats were the Jews and minorities, simply for existing and supposedly causing what Hitler claimed to be the downfall of Germany, though the hardships the country went through were because of the Treaty of Versailles and the Great Depression.
