The Rise of Extremism

Unit 1 - World War Two (WWII)
The Rise of Extremism
Discuss: Why were people turning away from more

moderate ways of thinking about the world after WWI?
1. The Rise of the Nazis
Causes of ● The rise of Hitler and the Nazis
World War The

2. TheRise
RiseofofFascism
the Fascists
Two: ● Mussolini’s Italy
The Rise of
Extremism 3.Communist
The SpreadExpansionism
of Communism
● The Soviet Union and the spread of communism

1. The Rise of Hitler and
the Nazis
The Great Depression hits
▪ October 1929, Wall Street Crash sparks the Great

Depression.
▪ The Weimar Government had borrowed large sums of
money from America and American businessmen to help
pay war reparations.
▪ These Americans now asked for their money back.
▪ Huge economic collapse in Germany. Businesses go
bankrupt, unemployment skyrockets.
▪ Hyperinflation.
▪ Any previous successes of the Weimar Government were
now overshadowed by extreme conditions of the
Depression.
▪ The Nazis capitalized on this situation to maximise their
popular support.
Why was Germany unhappy with the Treaty of Versailles?
The Weimar government was forced to sign the ‘war guilt clause’, accepting all
blame for the devastation of World War One
The economy suffered as a result of the reparation payments
German national pride had been dealt a blow as a result of all of the conditions
Gaining Support
▪ Hitler originally sought to build up the Nazi party through democratic
means.
▪ 1924 elections Nazi Party won 32 seats.
▪ Communist left-wing parties posed a threat to Nazi gaining further support.
▪ Hitler appoints Joseph Goebbels as head of Propaganda. They decide to
appeal to people's emotions rather (demagoguery) than rational argument to
gain support.
▪ By the 1928 elections Nazi has gained only 12 seats and remained a fringe
party with only 3% of the populations support.
The Great
Depression & 1933
Elections
▪ The Great Depression of 1929 highlights the
failures of the Weimar Government.
▪ The Nazi take this opportunity to appeal to
the masses by blaming Weimar, Jew and
Communist for Germany's Economic woes.
Hitler presents himself as the only man who
can save Germany.
▪ 1930 elections, 107 seats gained. 1932
elections, 200 seats gained.
▪ Turmoil in the Reichstag. Hitler demands that
Hindenburg appoint him Chancellor but
Hindenburg refuses, fearing Nazi extreme views.
▪ After significant pressure, in January 1933
Hindenburg declares Hitler Chancellor in an
attempt to appease the Nazi party and place a
check on Hitler influence.
In a nutshell
Economic
woes due to
reparations
and Great
Depression
Reasons
The Weimar’s
acceptance
for the Massive
unemployment
of the Treaty
Rise in and inflation
Nazism
Fear of
Communism
2. The Rise of Fascism
The rise of Fascism in Europe
• Fascism became popular in Europe during the years

1919 to 1939.
• Germany and Italy were unhappy with the Treaty of
Versailles.
• Unemployment was very high in Europe at the time and
inflation was high (a rise in prices)
• Many land and factory owners were afraid of
communism • The fasces is a
bundle of sticks with
• Democracy was blamed for much of this as people felt an axe appearing
from it.
that democracy was weak • It is an Ancient
Roman symbol of
• Some countries like Germany and Italy felt that a strong authority.
leader was needed to solve their countries problems.

Why was Italy unhappy with the Treaty of Versailles?
Over 500,000 Italian soldiers lost their lives in the war
They did not receive the land promised in the London Treaty
Italians blamed a weak government for this

The rise of Benito Mussolini
It was against this backdrop The members became known

They were anti-communist
that Benito Mussolini as Blackshirts because of
and promised to restore law
emerged with his newly their uniform. They were
and order
formed fascists party in 1919 also known as the Squadrish
Industrialists, landowners
They broke up strikes and
and the Catholic Church
banned trade unions. Any
supported their campaign
suspected socialist /
and employed the
communist groups were
Blackshirts to protect their
violently suppressed
businesses
The March on
Rome
● In 1922 Mussolini issued an ultimatum to
the Italian government. Sort out Italy’s
problem or move aside and allow the
Fascist Party to do so
● The government, under PM Luigi Facta
(Liberal Party), did not respond
● Mussolini and 30,000 Fascists began a
march on Rome. Mussolini took the train!
● King Victor Emmanuel feared a civil war
and panicked and refused the PM
permission to use the army against the
Blackshirts
● After a meeting in the royal palace
Mussolini was appointed PM of Italy.
Mussolini becomes a dictator
Once in power Mussolini (he became known as Il Duce) began immediate
steps to establish a dictatorship. He did this by:
• Establishing a secret police force known as the OVRA

• All political opponents were sent to prison camps on the Lipari
Islands, north of Sicily
• A new electoral law, the Acerbo, was introduced. This meant that
whichever political party gained the largest percentage of votes
would gain two-thirds of the seats in parliament
• In the 1924 election, the Blackshirts went on a campaign of terror
and intimidation to ensure that the Fascist Party won the election
• Giacomo Matteotti, Socialists Party, was brutally murdered when
he complained about this.
Mussolini & Hitler
The democracies of Europe were not

happy with Mussolini’s moves.
However, relations between himself
and Hitler grew.
November 1936: Rome-Berlin Axis is

signed
September 1937: Germany, Italy &

Japan sign an Anti-Communist Pact
May 1939: Germany & Italy sign a

military agreement, the Pact of Steel
In a nutshell
Economic
problems
Reasons
Poor law for the Unhappy
with Treaty
and order
Rise in of
Versailles
Fascism
Fear of
Communism
3. The Spread of
Communism
Russia was named the Soviet Union after the fall of its royal family the
Romanovs. The Romanovs had ruled for 300 years.
Vladimir Lenin was leader of the Josef Stalin replace Lenin

first communist country, Russia after his death in 1924
The Spread of Communism
• The Bolshevik Revolution of Russia forced Russia to withdraw
from the World War One and sign the Treat of Brest-Litovsk.
• The revolution continued to inspire many workers and other
disadvantaged groups, especially during the hardships of the
Great Depression.
• The system that developed in the USSR was not the workers’
paradise that many revolutionaries had dreamed of.
• The Bolsheviks abolished all other political parties, including
other socialist parties.
• Much of eastern Europe was set up as satellite states of the
communist regime following the establishment of the Soviet
Union
• Under Stalin’s collectivisation policy:
• Peasant farms were combined into huge collective farms • Communism: A system of government
• Peasants who resisted were executed or sent to slave labour that believes the wealth of a country
camps. should be in the hands of the government
for the good of all people. The state,
• Thirteen million peasants starved to death as their grain rather than private owners, controls all
was confiscated and distributed to the cities or exported to land and industry.
fund the growth of manufacturing
Why is communism a cause of World War Two?
• Despite the horrors of Stalin’s rule, the idea of communist

revolution continued to find supporters in capitalist countries
where workers were exploited and oppressed.
• It also inspired fear and hatred among people who dreaded any
kind of working-class revolt. Fundamentally, anti-communism
was an integrated policy of Fascist regimes. As hatred of
communism was a apart of the middle class/upper class
• The ideas of communism and anti-communism would influence

almost every political conflict for decades.
• Communist ideology esposes that the workers of the world must

unite to topple the establishment. Therefore, it is an idea that
appeals to many communities.
Why were the Soviets unhappy with the Treaty of
Versailles?
They were not allowed to attend the negotiation table for the Treaty of Versailles
Many of the member encouraged independence movements in Ukraine, Belarus,

etc.
The Soviets saw this conference as a recreation of the Berlin Conference

(1885)
Workers of the
world unite
against the
Bourgeoisie
Reasons for the Unhappy with

Poor law and
order spread of Treaty of
Versailles
communism
The idea of
communist
expansionism
In pairs, create a 1 x A4 document which analyses the rise of
extremism post-WWI. Include the following:
The following table:
Task:
Germany Italy Russia
The Rise of What ‘side’ were they

on in WWI?
Extremism Grievances following

the end of WWI. Think:
1. Treaty, 2. Promises,
etc.
The leaders involved

End of war to start of
WWII
A political / Satirical
cartoon from the period

The Rise of Extremism - Nazism, Facism and Communism

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Unit 1 - World War Two (WWII)

Discuss: Why were people turning away from more

Causes of ● The rise of Hitler and the Nazis

World War The

● The Soviet Union and the spread of communism

▪ October 1929, Wall Street Crash sparks the Great

The economy suffered as a result of the reparation payments

• Fascism became popular in Europe during the years

leader was needed to solve their countries problems.

Over 500,000 Italian soldiers lost their lives in the war

Italians blamed a weak government for this

It was against this backdrop The members became known

• Establishing a secret police force known as the OVRA

The democracies of Europe were not

November 1936: Rome-Berlin Axis is

September 1937: Germany, Italy &

May 1939: Germany & Italy sign a

Vladimir Lenin was leader of the Josef Stalin replace Lenin

• Despite the horrors of Stalin’s rule, the idea of communist

• The ideas of communism and anti-communism would influence

• Communist ideology esposes that the workers of the world must

Many of the member encouraged independence movements in Ukraine, Belarus,

The Soviets saw this conference as a recreation of the Berlin Conference

Reasons for the Unhappy with

The following table:

The Rise of What ‘side’ were they

Extremism Grievances following

The leaders involved

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