The Road to Global WarThe Road to War – EuropeFall to war because of MANY Dictators; Hitler is apart of the bigger MovementItaly – starting pointFascism – uber nationalism & socialism (social policies)Benito Mussolini (1922)WWI VetBegins facisim ideaHitler “idol” later Achilles heel“Il duce” – The leader (singular figurehead)beginnings to create alliances of “Friends” who will help him control the Mediterraneanslowly loosing power in Europe for last 200 yearsthus reason it’s the perfect place to startMediterranean sea should be Italy’s seaMessage appeals to the suffering1922 – Facist party seizes Rome in semi-violent coupbegins dismantling government (checks and balances)begins to roll powers into his ownremoving oppositiontaking power into his own handstake over Ethiopia and suez canal to show power of new nationBuild new roman empire and resolidify roman powerpeople don’t react as dramatically as they should havetotalitarian dictatorshipSpainFalling apart over last 200 yearsLoosing power/coloniesSpan Am war puts nail in coffin of powerCrumbling nationalism, military/economic problemsSpanish Civil WarMultiple small civil warMajor Coup (36-39)Francisco FrancoTakes over dictator of spainGradually take over, roll powers into himself, creates new officeSurvives the war, because he doesn’t “join” the war & American people don’t crush regimeWar destroys Spain & leadership is also uglyRussiaCommunist state and totalitarian dictatorship1917 Revolutionseries of revolutions between Bolshevikswhites vs. redsVladimir LeninOrginal leader of communitst stateCommon term – overthrow western governments by whatever meansEntire world controlled by Russia & conquer the world and ctrld by communismRussia is at odds with everyone thenJosef StalinGeneral secretary/premier of RussiaPut in charge after Lenin diesDoes the facism plan, executes anyone who challenges his power or disagrees with himKills eventualy 10-15 million of his own peoplePurgesStalin just as bad/worse as hitlerThe Great Purge – 1.5 million arrested/ .75 million shot – over 1000 a dayGermanyProblems after WWI – because of the Treaty of Versailles – designed to make things worse in GSocial UnrestDoesn’t stop after war, gets worse as treaty is imposedProblems persist into the 20sHyperinflationInflation is outpacing cost of livingMoney is “worthless” essentiallyGetting what you need becomes difficult"Stab in the Back"belief in Germany that they didn’t loose the worldGovt didn’t loose the war, the people of Germany did“You stabbed us in the back”reason its so bad is because someone betrayed us on the homefrontjewish, communist, gypsies, poles, non-germans faulttheyre the scapegoatGerman ResentmentWar Reparations/InflationBitterness over the Treaty of VersaillesWeimar RepublicGovernment that runs Germany until Hitler takes overSocially: people who take over are very anti-traditional GermanySee struggle between modernity and traditionPushed in anti-german value waySeen in art, cabaret (making fun of traditional german value), lustmord (violence sexual death)Counter action:Leni Riefenstahl: mountain movies – climb out of the valley and climb to the topSee modernity/tradition skismDemocratizationPolitcally: very democraticDozens of “parties”Bc of so many groups, no one has a platform to get agenda done bc they don’t have a huge backing bc everyone is splitNo one wants to relinquish control and work together because everyone has own agendaThe Rise of the Nazi PartyOne of the many partiesNeed someone to give them media attentionAton Drexler – founder – knows this – they find HitlerHitler = firey speaker who gets people to talk about the party25 MIN --- Hitler’s Rise to PowerBrings attention to nazi partyBeer Hall Putsch (1923)Brown shirts go into Munich and violently fightHitler goes into beer hall and convinces leaders there is a revolutionHitler tells them if they give power to him he can fix it – simmers down – then open fighting to over throw the governmentEscape with casualty but are caught and tried for treason and put in fortress prisonVery comfortable prison for people who aren’t bad people but make bad choicesLet out of 5 yr sentence in 8 months on a promise to never illegally/violently overthrow againFueer – leaderDuring prison – re organizes nazi partyMein Kampf (1925)Book – my struggleOutlines whats wrong with Germany and his plan to fix – not holocaust but alluded toGermans need living space found in the eastUnmentionables removed and then germans can move into, colonize, and thus further german nationalism agendaGermany in the late 1920sAmerica steps in and tries to help GermanyEconomic recoveryThrough American loansLate 1920s in Germany looks a lot like AmericaEntertainment industry is expandingNazi party recruitmentHitler doesn’t give up when Germ recoversHe grows the partyHe knows there will be problemSoftens message & recruits people for the partyHold rallies & partiesJoesph Goebbels – Minister of PropagandaOnce things got worse, people would be willing to follow himThe Great Depression in GermanyBlack Tuesday – US in great depression prohibits German loans sooooo… G economy collapsesGD is worldwide eventGerman economic collapseHitler takes advantages of this1930 ElectionsPresidential Candidate 1932Hitler puts his guys in the candidate spotsHitler finishes secondLooses to Paul Von Hindenberg – WWI VetReich is controlled by NazisHitler- “Don’t pass anything – block it all”This creates riotsNazi’s purposefully doing thisAppointed Hitler Reich’s Chancellor (1933)President appoints him VP to try and get him to tell his men to cooperateReichstag FireChanges political dynamicsParliament building goes up in flamesMentally challenged communist man sparked itHitler seizes opportunity to take more powerIt’s the unmentionables who are doing this politically and physically – “they’re under attack let me fix it” - HitlerEnabling ActGives Hitler power to pass legislation w/o parliamentPasses bc parliament is mostly nazi!!!Outlaws political parties that aren’t naziHitler Youth = mandatoryTrained to be soldiersSuspends civil liberties, freedom of press, opposition to his ideas, etc.The Birth of the Reich"The Night of the Long Knives"Esse = biggest critismParty that has own army bigger than german armyHitler Eliminates old nazi leadershipSeen as a good thingHe’s really just solidifying control of partyHindenburg’s