Interwar Period: Great Depression, Fascism, and WWII Origins

1. Answer the Questions

What were the Roaring Twenties?

The Roaring Twenties was a decade of economic growth and prosperity in America. This era was abruptly ended by the Wall Street Crash of 1929.

What was the Great Depression?

The Great Depression was a widespread economic recession caused by the stock market crash of 1929 and the subsequent banking crisis.

What is fascism?

Fascism is an ideology that promotes extreme nationalism, state intervention in the economy, the use of violence, authoritarianism, and imperialism. It is characterized by a dictatorial and racist framework.

How did Mussolini and Hitler rise to power?

Benito Mussolini created the Fascisti, a paramilitary group, to suppress the rise of communism and eventually seize power. Adolf Hitler capitalized on economic instability and national resentment to establish control in Germany.

How did Nazi ideology lead to WWII?

The Nazi regime established a totalitarian system and sought to build a vast empire, which necessitated a war-oriented economy, paving the direct path to the Second World War.

How did Stalin rise to power in the USSR?

Joseph Stalin became the General Secretary of the CPSU in 1922 and consolidated absolute power over the USSR by 1927, establishing a highly centralized totalitarian regime.

2. Define Key Concepts

• The Third Reich: The historical concept of a great German empire and global power that Adolf Hitler sought to establish.
• Overproduction: An economic state featuring a surplus of products relative to the actual consumer demand or purchasing power.
• Dictatorship: A system of government that rejects democracy in favor of absolute societal control by a single leader and political party, characterized by the active persecution of any opposition.
• New Deal: The series of economic programs and policies introduced by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to combat the Great Depression.

3. Identify Key Figures

• Franklin D. Roosevelt: The American President elected in 1932 who introduced the New Deal to revive the US economy.
• Benito Mussolini: The Italian founder and leader of the Fascist Party who became dictator after seizing power during the March on Rome.
• Adolf Hitler: The leader of the German Nazi Party who established himself as the absolute dictator of the Third Reich.
• Joseph Stalin: The communist leader who advocated for "socialism in one country" and became the dictator of the USSR following Vladimir Lenin's death.

4. Explain the Differences

• Propaganda vs. Indoctrination: Propaganda is a communication technique aimed at maintaining public morale and influencing public opinion, whereas indoctrination is the systematic forcing of an ideology onto citizens to control their minds.
• Nazi Party vs. SS: The Nazi Party was the ruling political party of National Socialism, while the SS (Schutzstaffel) was a major paramilitary and security organization under the Nazi regime.
• Kolkhoz vs. Gulag: A Kolkhoz was a cooperative agricultural farm managed by Soviet peasants, whereas a Gulag was a system of forced-labor prison camps where political opponents and criminals were imprisoned.