How did the Depression in Italy and Germany led to the rise of dictatorships?

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How did the Depression in Italy and Germany led
to the rise of dictatorships?
Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler

• Liza French
• Gabrielle Boutin
• Block 1

Skill 2
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The Weimar Republic

• (1919-1933) Typically described as the period in
  history when German government was a democratic
  republic that was administrated by a
  constitution.
• This government was actually a result of the
  United States refusal to make dealings with the
  Kaiser in the aftermath of World War I.
• A new government had to be established, thus the
  Republic. However, the people of Germany were
  dissatisfied with the Republic, which was a
  weakening point for Germany.

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The Depression and Debts in Germany
After World War I, Germany had debts of nearly
36 billion to repaydebts they could not afford.
They borrowed a lot of money from the United
States to manage their debts. When the Stock
Markets crashed in October of 1929, Germany was
greatly affected because of their great monetary
connection with the United States.

• The United States needed the money theyd lent to
  Germany back. They gave Germany 90 days to repay
  them, but Germany couldnt afford it.
• The German government overprinted money to an
  extreme. Hyperinflation in Germany reduced the
  worth of their money to almost nothing and rather
  than helping them it only increased the severity
  of the situation.

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As A Result

• Companies went bankrupt and millions of workers
  became unemployed.
• People could not provide for themselves or their
  families. Without a job, food, clothes, heating,
  and other necessities of life became difficult to
  afford.
• Desperate conditions made German morale
  weakpeople were losing confidence in their
  government.
• The people of Germany wanted someone to blame and
  someone to save them.

September 1928 650,000 unemployed
September 1929 1,320,000 unemployed
September 1930 3,000,000 unemployed
September 1931 4,350,000 unemployed
September 1932 5,102,000 unemployed
January 1933 6,100,000 unemployed
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The Rise of a Dictator

• The troubled people turned to the Nazi and
  Communist parties.
• Hitler, the leader of the Nazi party, had ideas
  of public-work projects and munitions to provide
  jobs for people, increasing his popularity.
• Hitler challenged Field Marshall von Hindenburg,
  the current president and demanded to be made
  chancellor.
• Hindenburg was disdainful of Hitler however, and
  wanted to appoint his own chancellor. But when
  the two men failed at their jobs, Hitler was the
  peoples choice for the new chancellor.
• Within one month of his swearing in on January
  30, 1933, Hitler was on his way to dictatorial
  power.

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The Depression in Italy

• Italy was another country hit hard by the
  Depression.
• The government had spent more money in WWI than
  was spent in 1861-1913 and as a result the
  economy was a disaster, constantly going up and
  down.
• The unregulated business practices allowed people
  to do whatever they wanted in ways that harmed
  the already fragile economic system.
• There was a large fall in investments, work
  hours, international trade, and production of
  goods.
• The government was unstable at this time as well.
• The unemployment rate rose considerably and riots
  and strikes broke out amongst the people
  regularly.
• There was also great fear of a Socialist
  Revolution, such as seen in Russia.

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Italy Needs A Leader

• Benito Mussolini, the leader of the Fascist
  party, attempted to crush anarchy erupting around
  Italy by sending his own thugs, The
  Blackshirts, to riot against Communists and other
  groups, all in the name of peacehe spread chaos
  throughout the streets of Italy while posing as a
  champion of order and regulation, something Italy
  needed in abundance.

• Fear of Communists turned people toward fascism,
  a governmental system led by a dictator having
  complete power, forcibly suppressing opposition
  and criticism and emphasizing an aggressive
  nationalism and often racism, as the answer to
  Italys problems.

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Mussolinis Rise To Power

• The Fascist Party began riots against the Italian
  government initially without Mussolinis support,
  but when it appeared they might succeed, he
  stepped in front as though it were his idea all
  along.
• Through intimidation and a rigged election, he
  bullied the Italian Parliament into giving him
  the power to shut down all other parties in
  Italy.
• By 1925, Mussolini had complete power in a
  fascist dictatorship.

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Bibliography

• http//www.flowofhistory.com/units/etc/20/FC133
• http//www.historylearningsite.co.uk/weimar.htm
• http//www.wisegeek.com/what-was-the-weimar-republ
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• http//www2.sunysuffolk.edu/westn/interwareco.html
  
• http//www.english.illinois.edu/maps/depression/ab
  out.htm
• http//www.stocks-simplified.com/Effects-of-the-Gr
  eat-Depression.html
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  f