Fascism Notes

-Fascism: system of government with a dictator, suppression through fear & censorship, ideas of nationalism & racism.
- knowing that the Weimar Government was weak, Hitler plans an uprising. November 1923, Hitler & armed military(Nazis) entered a beer hall in Munich(city in germany) where the Bavarian(Bavaria=region in Germany) government had a meeting with 3,000 officials. Hitler attempts to overthrow the Weimar government. Hoped that nationalist revolution in Bavaria would spread to the dissatisfied German army, then bring down the government in Berlin. uprising failed & Hitler was arrested and sentenced to five years in prison for high treason.
-as soon as out of prison Hitler & followers try to get in power in Germany’s parliament, Reichstag
Appointed chancellor by president Hindenburg b/c
• persuaded the Nazis would become more moderate
• though Hitler could be controlled (majority of people in the cabinet were not Nazis)
• Hitler accepted b/c:
• Loss of seat in Nov. 1932 election foreshadowed a decline of the Nazis
• He hoped he could organize the next new elections so the Nazis would obtain an overall majority

-Hitler was chanceller, places himself as top of the government after president Hindenburg dies
-political, social, economic reasons of fascism rise
-weimar republic : gov established after versaille treaty. Unstable. Exploit system to get in power
-unstable politics/ economic collapse from WW1 debt
-depression: unemployment high/ people unhappy w. government
-germany in disgrace. lost large areas of land in East germany to Poland/ severe war reparations
-fascist ideas give people sense of nationalist pride/ people want change which Hitler promised
-german people were angered/ political speeches & rallies encourage people to speak out for their heritage. Propaganda shaped public’s opinions. Told that communists/jews/versaille treaty authors to blame for germany’s bad state
-blamed French for taking German land back from the Versasille treaty, didn’t like Russia because scared of them & their revolutions, blame upperclass & jews for taking all money/they were greedy
-got country riled up to support him. Said that article 231 which said germany was responsible for the WW1 & versaille treaty unfair to germans
-b/c of being a great public speaker, Hitler used his fascist ideas that would sell to german people. They liked idea of fascism & nationalistic pride & its political/ economic solutions, appeal to germans
-german have no faith in the government, want change that Hitler promise, believe that fascism was the only way to go
Characteristics
- make it illegal to form other parties/ censorship
- no civil rights & freedom of speech
- swing music was banned because artists of this was made by jewish/black people
- ban labor unions/ trade worker unions
- don’t want any revolts
- education/media controlled
- strict censorship on literature, arts
-arts did not flourish/ book burning parties
-took control of newspapers, magazines, movies radio, music
-throw books in bonfires(book burning parties)
-burn books of Helen Keller, Jack London, Ernest Hemingway, Sinclair Lewis b/c their views differed from Nazi views & therefore could not be read
- so basically, people have no freedom whatsoever
- Nationalism = uniting force that bring germans together
propaganda shape germany into nazi form. Play such a big role that Hitler had a minister of propaganda (Joseph Goebbels)

o use press campaigns, whirlwind campaigns by air, film shows, etc.
o propaganda target special interest groups.
o Also target and appeal to the german youth
Anschluss- incorporation of Austria & Germany. One of first major steps into Hitler’s dream to create one empire that includes all German speaking territories
Lebensraum- concept that means finding additional living space. Hitler wanted to enlarge Germany within Europe. He wanted all of former German territory back. He claimed it was living area, they didn’t really need it but demanded it. Thought it would make military stronger & make Germany more self sufficient by having food & raw material sources available
• The army was brought under Nazi control
- Nazi officers in all army ranks
- The non-Nazi commander and war minister were removed in scandals at least made by Nazis
- compulsory draft to built up german military
SS/ Gestapo- Hitler’s secret police, aka the Gestapo. Authority to investigate, treason, & sabotage cases. Corrupt police force. Law passed that allowed the SS to operate without judicial oversight.
Herman Goring- interior prime minister of Prussia. In high command in german police force. Fill ranks with Nazis. Formed the gestapo
Heinrich Himmler- head of Hitler’s secret police, the SS, power transferred to him from Herman Goring
- use terror/fear/force to get what the party wanted from people/ crush resistance from people

Significance
-fail in long term, bring disaster to germany
- short term plans of success(brought jobs, stopped making war reparation payments)
- Hitler neglect long term plans successful years would only remain during his reign
- German engineering infrastructure formed(railroads & successful companies such as Volkswagen)
- other successes: construction of autobahns, Volkswagen, scientific advances such as synthetics, and rocketry
• Drove to exile Germans who could have contributed greatly for Germany (ie: Einstein)
• There was strict censorship of art, literature and academic life; which all did not flourish under the Nazis
• Women’s rights suffered
- Build of power & greed lead to Hitler’s demise
- his ideas collapses eventually but ideas and infrastructure of communism in russia stays alive

Italy:
- Kings rise in society after WWI
- Mussolini is marching on because they want to be head of Italy
- King tells Mussolini he didn't want to stand up to him
- March of Italy: Mussolini promises the pope that he would separate Vatican city from italy. So the Pope & God is on Mussolini’s side
-king doesn’t want to fight against God
- Market Economy
- Fascists gained power and had nationalistic goals
- Mussolini held all the power

5 Major differences:

1. Hitler used brutality & force to get what he wanted in Germany but Mussolini just got what he wanted.
2. After WWI, Italy was unhappy because they wanted to get more land from the Versailles Treaty & Germany was upset because they had severe war reparations to pay.
3. Hitler’s first attempt of taking over the government failed during the Beer Hall Putsch
4. Hitler had Nazis in the Reichstag that elected him as president. After President Hindenburg died, Hitler came in power, out of luck.
5. Italy has a free market economy, Germany has totalitarianism