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Hitler
One of the new government's first tasks was implementing the peace treaty imposed by the Allies.
In addition to losing over a tenth of its territory and dismantling its army, Germany had to accept full responsibility for the war and pay reparations, debilitating its already weakened economy.
All this was seen as a humiliation by many nationalists and veterans.
They wrongly believed the war could have been won if the army hadn't been betrayed by politicians and protesters. -
Hitler
After World War I, Jewish success led to ungrounded accusations
of subversion and war profiteering. -
Hitler
The story begins at the end of World War I, with the successful Allied advance. Germany realized the war was unwinnable and signed an armistice ending the fighting. As its imperial government collapsed, civil unrest and worker strikes spread across the nation.
Fearing a Communist revolution. -
Hitler
For Hitler, these views became obsession, and his bigotry and paranoid delusions led him to pin the blame on Jews. His words found resonance in a society with many anti-Semitic people. -
Hitler
When he joined a small nationalist political party, his manipulative public speaking launched him into its leadership and drew increasingly larger crowds. Combining anti-Semitism with populist resentment, the Nazis denounced both Communism and Capitalism
as international Jewish conspiracies to destroy Germany. -
Italian combat squad
He created the Italian combat squad as an alternative to socialism. -
Italian Chamber of Deputies
The combat squad became the national fascist party and Mussolini won a seat in the Italian Chamber of Deputies. His party was soon ready for power. -
Fascist party
In October 1922 the march on Rome resulted in the fascist party seizing power. -
Prime Minister
On October 31st 1922 Benito Mussolini became the 40th Prime Minister of Italy and the youngest to that point. -
Dictator
He made himself dictator and took the title of ill duche or the leader. The fascists were accused of using violent force to crush political foes. -
Hitler
The Great Depression happened.
It led to American banks withdrawing their loans from Germany, and the already struggling German economy collapsed overnight. Hitler took advantage of the people's anger, offering them convenient scapegoats and a promise to restore Germany's former greatness. -
Hitler
Hitler ran for president, losing the election to decorated war hero General von Hindenburg.
But with 36% of the vote, Hitler had demonstrated the extent of his support. The following year, advisors and business leaders convinced Hindenburg to appoint Hitler as Chancellor, hoping to channel his popularity for their own goals. -
Hitler
A young worker was convicted of setting fire to the parliament building. Hitler used the event to convince the government to grant him emergency powers. Within a matter of months, freedom of the press was abolished, other parties were disbanded, and anti-Jewish laws were passed.
Many of Hitler's early radical supporters were arrested and executed,
along with potential rivals, -
Hitler
When President Hindenburg died, it was clear there would be no new election. Disturbingly, many of Hitler's early measures didn't require mass repression. His speeches exploited people's fear and ire to drive their support behind him and the Nazi party. Decades later, Hitler's rise remains a warning of how fragile democratic institutions can be in the face of angry crowds and a leader willing to feed their anger and exploit their fears. -
Ethiopian war
Ethiopian war resulted in that country's seizure by the Italian Empire. -
Dictators
Mussolini sent military aid to Spànish dictator Franco in the Spànish civil war. This pushed Mussolini closer to Nazi Germany's dictator Hitler though their early relationship was unstable. -
Manifesto
To strengthen ties Mussolini adopted the anti-semitic manifesto of race. Despite disagreeing with its premise. -
Rome
The pact of Steel solidified the Rome Berlin axis of 1936.
