Authoritarian and Totalitarian Regimes: Fascism, Nazism, and Stalinism

Authoritarianism and Totalitarianism

In Germany, Italy, and the USSR, authoritarian dictatorships came to power. In these regimes, power was concentrated in the hands of a supreme leader and one ruling political party. In some cases, these evolved into totalitarian regimes.

Factors Contributing to the Rise of Authoritarianism

• The First World War had established habits of military organization.
• The war had aroused nationalist feeling.
• The power of the state increased during the crisis of 1929.
• New parties were formed that represented the working mass.

Common Characteristics of Authoritarian Regimes

• Politics: They were anti-democratic governments.
• Foreign policy: They pursued an expansionist foreign policy to gain new territories.
• Economy: The state intervened in and controlled the economy.
• Society: Almost all classes of society supported the regime.

Italian Fascism

Italian Fascism was the system of authoritarian government established by Benito Mussolini in Italy when he became head of the government in 1922. The constitutional monarchy of Victor Emmanuel III was badly affected by the post-war economic crisis. The situation led to the creation of the Fasci, volunteer militias. In 1919, Benito Mussolini created the first Fasci combat groups. In 1921, Mussolini formed the National Fascist Party.

Victor Emmanuel III and Mussolini formed a government and transformed the democratic state into a dictatorship with the following measures:

• Politics: In 1926, he transferred all power to himself.
• Government intervention in the economy was established. An autarky was set up.
• Mussolini's social policies put an end to the unrest.

Nazi Germany

Nazi Germany was the system of dictatorship established by Adolf Hitler in Germany. He was known as Führer (leader). It was a totalitarian regime that replaced the Weimar Democratic Republic. In 1921, Hitler became the leader of the National Socialist German Workers' Party. After winning the elections in 1933, Hitler was named Chancellor and established a dictatorship. He adopted the following measures:

• In 1934, he was proclaimed head of state, and he established the Third Reich. In foreign policy, Hitler began an expansionist policy.
• There was great economic development. Hitler was extremely anti-Semitic, and during the 1930s, German Jews were persecuted by the regime.

Political and Social Groups

• Republican Party: A right-wing, conservative party that defended capitalism and a free-market economy. They opposed government intervention in the economy.
• Democratic Party: A left-wing party that also defended capitalism. However, they supported government intervention in the economy and the existence of trade unions.
• Ku Klux Klan: A racist organization that attacked the Black population and immigrants and believed in white Anglo-Saxon Protestant supremacy.
• Anti-Semitic: Racist towards Jews.
• Spanish Falange: A political party created by Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera.
• International Brigades: Military units of voluntary civilian anti-fascists.
• Condor Legion: Nazi air force sent by Hitler.
• Policy of repression: A method used by authoritarian and totalitarian regimes to safeguard their power.

Stalinism

Stalinism was the system of totalitarian government that was established in the USSR when, after Lenin's death in 1924, Joseph Stalin eliminated all possible political rivals and took control of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU).

Popular Front

A coalition formed by left-wing parties.