Rise of Fascism and Nazism in Europe (1918-1939)
The Rise of Fascism and Nazism (1918-1939)
1918 – Abdication of Kaiser Wilhelm II.
1919 – Elections in Italy. The Fascist Party presents itself. A failed uprising in Berlin aims to proclaim a council of workers, emulating the Soviet model. Anton Drexler founded the National Socialist German Workers’ Party in Munich.
1921 – Fascists gain 35 seats in a very violent election. Centrist parties were severely impacted, and the edges were strengthened. Following the failure of legal means to access the government, the Fascists organized massive concentrations of “black shirts” in major cities. Adolf Hitler, one of the first followers, took the lead and reformed the movement, giving it a paramilitary formation (SA) – assault sections that disrupted communist meetings. Strong anti-Jewish sentiment emerged, and emblems were created: brown shirts, the swastika, and the eagle.
October 27-28, 1922 – The March on Rome. Mussolini presented an ultimatum to the government, targeting public buildings. The march succeeded, and King Victor Emmanuel III called on Mussolini to form a government. Mussolini received full powers for a year, after which elections were to be held. A very aggressive campaign against the Communists resulted in an absolute majority for the Fascists.
1923 – The 1st Fascist Party Congress in Munich. Its program was based on the denunciation of Jews, the Treaty of Versailles, and the Marxists.
November 1923 – The Munich Putsch. Hitler was arrested and sentenced to five years in prison, of which he served six months. In prison, he wrote “Mein Kampf” (“My Struggle”), outlining his ideas.
1924-1929 – A period of relative stability, but the situation worsened with the economic crisis, and Germany entered a great depression. The Nazi Party had limited activity. Hitler adopted a different tactic: entering the parliamentary game.
1926 – Attempted assassination of Mussolini. This led to a radicalization of his policies: all political parties and organizations were dissolved, and liberal newspapers and liberties were suppressed.
The crisis of 1929 provided a new opportunity for the Nazi Party.
1932 – In the Reichstag elections, the Nazi Party secured 196 seats, and the Communists 100. Electoral success was due to the support of peasants, workers, and the middle class. Industrial production was reduced to 50% compared to 1929, and unemployment grew disproportionately.
January 1933 – Hitler was appointed Chancellor and obtained permission to hold elections on March 5.
February 27, 1933 – The Reichstag Fire.
August 1934 – Death of Hindenburg. Hitler gained all powers and began to establish a dictatorship. He dissolved political parties and trade unions, except for the National Socialist Party. Freedoms were curtailed, and people could be fired for political or racial reasons. The SS replaced the police during the Night of the Long Knives.
1935 – The Nuremberg Laws were enacted, stripping Jews of German citizenship.
1936 – The Four-Year Plan was implemented, aiming for self-sufficiency and prioritizing heavy industry and arms production.
1938 – Kristallnacht: Assault on Jewish synagogues and shops. The annexation of Austria began.
1939 – Germany became the second-largest industrial power in the world, making significant progress in energy and raw materials. German occupation of Poland and Czechoslovakia. Beginning of World War II.