Student Question
How did Fascist dictators rise to power in Italy, Germany, and the Soviet Union post-WWI?
Quick answer:
Fascist dictators in Italy and Germany rose to power due to post-WWI chaos and unrest, while Stalin, a communist dictator, ascended under similar conditions. In Germany and the Soviet Union, dissatisfaction with previous governments' war performances fueled unrest. Economic challenges, including war reparations in Germany, worker strikes in Italy, and economic backwardness in Russia, also contributed. These turbulent conditions enabled dictators to seize control in all three countries.
First of all, let us note that Stalin is not considered to have been a fascist dictator. He was a communist dictator. However, the same general sorts of factors led to his rise to power as well.
In all of these cases, dictators were able to rise because of chaos and unrest of one sort or another. In the USSR and Germany, there was unrest because of the poor performances put on by the previous governments during the war. In all three countries, there was unrest because of economic conditions. In Russia, this had to do with the general backwardness of the economy and the oppression of the poor. In Germany, it was because of war reparations. In Italy, it was because of worker strikes.
In all cases, then, the dictators were able to rise because of chaotic times in their countries.
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