History of Asia

Hitler's Ambition:The Rise of Fascism and the Eve of World War II

Adolf Hitler in 1933 When appointed as the Chancellor of Germany, he is a Nazi leader who has built a political system of centralized dictatorship based on Führerprinism. Astonishing foreign and racist policies have led the world to World War II, causing persecution of Jews and others.

This time, I will introduce how Hitler advanced to World War II.

The relationship between Germany and Italy at that time is inseparable, so I would like to introduce it based on that as well.

The rise of fascism

In Italy after World War I, Mussolini His fascist party was calling for national unity. In 1922, the Fascist Party came to power, and Mussolini came to power in Italy.

In Germany, on the other hand, World War I processing 1919 Treaty of Versailles So, I had to pay a large amount of compensation, which made the country in need and hindered economic recovery. The Great Depression struck in the midst of that domestic situation, and the German economy was increasingly disrupted, leaving more than 6 million unemployed.

Weimar Constitution Under this, the Social Democratic Party administration that supported the republic began to fluctuate.

Birth of Hitler administration

In Germany, Nazi Germany Workers' Party (Nazi) led by Adolf Hitler, who advocated the revival of the German people on behalf of the Social Democratic Party. Was attracting the hearts of the people.

Hitler opposed democracy, was proud of the German people's excellence, and gained the support of many people through emotional promotion.

January 1933 With the support of domestic capitalists and the military, he was appointed as prime minister and the Hitler administration was born. The German parliamentary arson incident occurred before the general election in March, and the Nazis decided that it was the crime of the communist party of the resistance, and as a result of the general election, the Nazis gained a one-party dictatorship.

The collapse is said to have been a planned Nazi crime that knocked down resistance.

First of all, the Nazis said, " Enabling Act [ Government exercises legislative power without the approval of the Diet or the President 】 Create legislation that can be done, transfer the legislative power of the Diet to the government, and dissolve non-Nazi political parties and trade unions I was allowed to.

1934 President Hidenburg When Hitler died, Hitler combined with the president's authority [ President German dictator have become.

Hitler's policy in Germany

First of all, domestic motorways [ Autobahn ] Construction public works and military businesses Unemployment measures The we. But on the other hand, the democratic Weimar Constitution is suspended He denied democracy, severely regulated speech and publishing, deprived individuals of their freedom, and persecuted Jews.

Repression of political opponents , not just Jews Also done, Parliamentary Secret Police / Sturmabteilung / Schutzstaffel Created a more thorough fascist nation than Italy.

1933 Germany withdraws from the League of Nations in the fall of the year because of the lack of armament equality. To do.

January 1935 , Germany's Saar region annexed, Treaty of Versailles abolished in March I will declare the strengthening of the armament.

1936 , UK / France / Germany / Italy / Belgium Locarno Treaties to secure borders such as Will be discarded and will be stationed in the Rhineland. It seems that the content of the Locarno Treaty included the disarmament of the Rhineland.

What is fascism?

Nationalist [militarist] dictatorship Totalitarianism Translated as.

Deny democracy ...

  • Basic human rights and freedom of speech, publishing and thought are not allowed
  • Externally, invasive policies aimed at colonization =militarism
  • The dissatisfaction of the middle class and the unemployed, and the crisis of the capitalists who have begun to feel threatened by the socialist movement, repress the socialist forces and the labor movement, and raise the superiority of the people
  • Hostile to socialism and communism





Movement of Mussolini in Italy

Italy So 1929 Great Depression Mussolini, who wanted to overcome the problem by invading the world, 1935 . Invades Ethiopia Will be merged. The League of Nations, on the other hand, imposes economic sanctions on Italy, but the content is inadequate and ineffective.

1937 Italy will leave the League of Nations. At the same time, Albania, in the southwestern part of the Balkan Peninsula, deepened its ties with Italy, received financial support after the depression, and gradually became subordinate.

1939 , Italy invades Albania 1943 Merge Albania To do.

In this way, Italy also annexed neighboring countries in order to overcome the economic recession caused by the Great Depression by foreign aggression.

Nazi Germany invasion and Spanish Civil War

Fascism centered on Germany People who advocated democracy cooperated in the election in opposition to the movement. Communists have also changed their revolutionary strategies to join hands with domestic democracies and resist fascism.

This united front of democracies and communists is called the Popular Front.

[War Outpost / Spanish Civil War]

These Popular Front Movement But France and Spain Woke up in.

1936 , A popular front cabinet will be created in Spain by leftist forces, including the Communist Party.

In Morocco, General Franco The military forces centered on the rebellion with the support of conservatives such as the former royalists and landowners. In this civil war, the Soviet Union assisted government troops and Germany and Italy assisted General Franco.

Britain and France are afraid that the civil war will spread to various parts of Europe, so they will adopt a non-intervention policy ...

September 1, 1939 after this Spanish Civil War Only five months after the outbreak of World War II due to Germany's invasion of Poland, the Spanish Civil War became a World War II outpost . ] Has come to be said.

The German army that supported General Franco is said to have entered the war to test a new German weapon, which destroyed the Spanish city of Guernica.

* The destroyed city of Guernica, Spain

1939 , Franco's army caused Madrid to fall and unify Spain. After that, the League of Nations also withdrew, and it seemed that they would follow the same path as Germany and Japan, but when World War II broke out, they declared neutrality and prioritized domestic rebuilding over war ... P>

1940 Germany / Italy / Japan Tripartite Pact of Japan, Germany and Italy Was signed and the unity of the three countries was strengthened.

World War II outbreak

Returning a bit, in the 1930s Britain and France allowed re-arming and restoration of the old territory to counter the powerful Soviet Union and to alleviate Germany's dissatisfaction. Appeasement I took. Germany took advantage of this appeasement policy to expand its territory one after another, but Britain and France prioritized national interests and left Germany alone.

1938 , Germany invasion of Eastern Europe The we.

In March, Austria , where many Germans lived, was annexed. .. Similarly, Czechoslovakia's Sudetenland region, where many Germans lived, demanded a division Did.

September 1938 Munich Conference Then, UK / France / Germany / Italy Leaders gathered to approve the ceding of Sudetenland to Germany without the participation of Czechoslovakia I did.

At this meeting, Britain's appeasement policy was set aside and priority was given to avoiding war, but it did not stop the German invasion.

In addition, Germany 1939 Forced dismantling of Czechoslovakia However, with the western half as a protectorate and the eastern half of Slovakia as a protectorate, we aim to cooperate with the war and invade Poland.

On the other hand, England and France Trying to connect with the Soviet Union to stop the German invasion However, the Soviet Union was thinking of avoiding the war with Germany, so there was no better reply.

August 1939 In addition, German-Soviet Non-Aggression Treaty Germany begins to advance to Poland I did. Britain and France immediately declared war on Germany for this invasion, where World War II began between the Allies and the Axis powers.