World War II

THE SECOND WORLD WAR

        In the period between the 1st world war and 2nd world war, there were two doctrines developed called Fascism and Nazism. These two doctrines are political concepts. Fascism was developed in Italy under Benito Mussolini and Nazism developed in Germany under Adolf Hitler. Fascism and Nazism became two dogmas which emerged to counter the political concepts of liberalism and communism.

BASIC CHARACTERISTICS OF FASCISM AND NAZISM

        Both doctrines had a despotic rule as the basic concept and basic characteristic is armed aggression. Both these theories were regarded as tyrannical.

THE SITUATION OF THE COUNTRIES JUST AFTER WORLD WAR 1

        The countries were undergoing great economic hardships, inflation, and unemployment and food shortages. Therefore the confidence that the people kept in the democratically elected governments were diminished. Because of this, people were keen to establish a form of government that would solve all the problems that had arisen, without giving attention to the way it worked.

        Therefore there was a background created just after the First World War for Fascism in Italy and Nazism in Germany, to spread aggressively.

FASCISM IN ITALY

        Benito Mussolini came to power in Italy after the Fist World War, when Italy was in a state of turmoil. He formed the Fascist Party in 1921. He criticized Communism completely in newspapers. Because of this, he could increase people’s loyalty to him. Industrialists and Landowners were there to support Mussolini’s party.

        The Black Shirts Brigade – the people who sought membership in Mussolini’s party were industrialists and landowners and youth and thugs who were unhappy and agitated because of unemployment. Black Shirts, name applied to members of the paramilitary action squads of Italy’s Fascist Party, so called because they wore black shirts as part of their uniform. Extremely nationalistic, the Black Shirts used violence to suppress opponents of Fascism. They carried batons in their hands as to give an impression of power and authority. They killed the trade unions who opposed to Mussolini.

Mussolini introduced:-

1. Eradication of unemployment
2. Improving the working conditions of workers
3. Giving lands to the landless farmers
4. Protection of private property and enterprises

He got the help of the Black Shirts Brigade to come to power. Mussolini appointed his associates to all key positions in the government. He put an end to all oppositions against him through intimidation and violence. He used his Black Shirts Brigade to influence voters. He spread the fascist ideology.

THE LATERN TREATY

Majority of the people in Italy were Catholics. The unification of Italy in 1870 resulted in the new government’s confiscation of the Papal States. For the next 50 years the popes, refusing to accept financial compensation or to recognize the Italian government, stayed inside the Vatican, imposing on themselves the status of prisoners, This situation, the so-called Roman Question, was resolved by the Lateran Treaty of 1929, negotiated by the Italian prime minister Benito Mussolini and representatives of Pope Pius XI. The treaty called for the Italian government to recognize Vatican City as an independent state under papal rule and to provide the Vatican with compensation for its earlier losses.

In return, the Roman Catholic Church recognized Italy’ government with Rome as its capital.  Since that time, all popes have continued to live in Vatican City. Therefore, Pope accepted Mussolini’s government as a legitimate one because of the benefits that the Pope received.

QUESTIONS

1. How did Mussolini establish dictatorship in Italy?
2. How did Mussolini spread the Fascist ideologies?
3. How did he get the political power?                                                                                                                                                                                                    

4) What are the steps taken by Mussolini to strengthen Italy economically?

1. What was the next step of Mussolini after the economic depression of 1929?
2. How did he prepare the background for war?

• He began to make a publicity campaign to prepare the background for war.
• He made war-service compulsory for the youth.
• He attacked Ethiopia and annexed it.
• In 1910, he joined the power bloc headed by Japan and Germany and entered the World War II.

ADOLF HITLER

• What is Nazism and its characteristics? (p. 142)

HITLER’S RISE TO POWER

• There were many problems in Germany just after the World War I such as reparation, poverty and unemployment and food scarcity. Therefore, Hitler had the opportunity too convince the people the need for a strong government. Hence Hitler came to power through the National Socialist policy. There was a party called German Labour Party. He obtained membership in the party. He changed the name of the party to National Socialist Labour Party. Nazism became the philosophy of the party.

• This party had an armed group dressed in brown shirts and a secret army known as SS. He spread his ideas through a newspaper called National Observer.

• He was imprisoned as he had his private army through the streets of Munich and beyond Munich and Weimer republic itself. While he was in prison, he wrote a book called ‘Mien Kampf’. This is translated as ‘My Fight’.

• Thus Hitler could convince the people the need for a strong government. Hitler named the Treaty of Versailles, the Jews, the Marxists, war and inflation as the enemy of the nation. His aim was to regain the territory lost in the First World War.

• There were large numbers of people of German nationality in various countries. Therefore he brought forward the idea of the greatness of the Aryan race to forefront. He proclaimed that meaning through the flag with the symbol of Swastika as the flag of Germany.

He believed that all the Germans in the whole Europe should be united in Germany.

Hitler became the Chancellor in Germany in 1993 and after the death of President Hindenberg, he became the president.