European History: Fascism Essay

After World War I, Europe struggles to return to peace and stability. Many new democratic governments fell apart under the attack of the Great Depression. As a result, new totalitarian regimes emerged such as Fascism and Communism. Totalitarian is a relating system of governments that is centralized and dictatorial and requires complete subservience to the state. By making the most out of new technologies of mass communications, dictators were able to gain support of their populations. Europe’s inability to deal with economic depression and the political movements lead to World War II. People lost faith in capitalism and then turned to a new system of government called fascism, which contributed to economic issues, political movements and dictatorship. At the end of World War I, Europe was faced with economic problems. More than 25 million were unemployed worldwide. (Document #5) The Great depression effected economy, with global industry dropping 36%m and world trade decreasing by 62%. The governments during World War engaged in heavy borrowing which caused iflation. Much of European economy was built on the loans from the United States. One country, Germany had high level of interest, which crushed agriculture and industry, a burden on taxes and external debt. In the beginning of the year of 1931 with the highest unemployment rate of 23. 3. (Document #6) Fascism preached several ideas that benefited a country. Fascists believed that a nation must struggle i n order to be safe and strong, peaceful countries were attacked. Germany, a fascist country under the rule of Adolf Hilter was one of them. (Document #2) Fascism, the new militant political movement, emphasized loyalty to the state and respect to its leader. Politician, Benito Mussolini founder the Fascist Party in 1919. In October 1922, about 30,000 fascist marched to put Mussolini in charge of the government. He abolished democracy, outlawed all political parties, and control the economy by allying the Fascists with the industrialist and landowners. (Document #1) Unlike Hilter joined a political group where their goal was that Germany should overturn the Treaty of Versailles and fight against communism. The political group was later on called the Nazis. Unlike communism, which supported the working and lower class, the Nazis were supported by the middle or lower middle class, whereas later formed a branch of fascism. Germany’s economy was desperate during the depression, and unfortunately people eventually turned to Hilter. (Document #2) Hilter wanted more than political and economic power. He turned to mass communications, such as radios literature, press, paintings and films as propaganda tools. Media that was against Nazism was burned and churches were forbidden to criticize. Hatred towards Jews was one main point about the Nazi ideology. Hilter figured that Jews were the cause of trouble. (Document #12) They passed laws that took away most right from Jews in 1933. By 1932, Nazis were the biggest political leaders and was continuing to grow. (Document #7) Hilter had absolute power for years, causing Germany to change into a totalitarian state. â€Å"Adolf Hilter is Germany and Germany is Adolf Hilter. † Hess says. (Document #2) Fascism was similar to communism. They both were ruled by dictators and denied individual rights. People who were frustrated by the peace treaties after World War I and the Great Depression were please to hear the message and accepted Fascism because it was â€Å"beneficial. † This brought many issues to Europe once again, then later causing World War II.