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Single-Party States (notes by Emily Louise Best)
Some generalities on the rise of single party states (usually associated with fascism, or some derivative thereof) (THIS DOES NOT DEAL WITH THE COMMUNISTS!!)
Please note, of course, that single party states can also be communist, which IÕm sure you already knew. A VERY generalized single-party state is essentially a totalitarian government that revolves around both a leader and his party.
Post-depression, democracy is lost
-Culture becomes pessimistic
-liberal values "shown" to be inferior to fascist ideologies
-extreme nationalism (protect and help reconstruct oneÕs own nation)
-enlightenment ideals held in disdain (sort of goes along with the liberal values thing. They think that self-determination doesnÕt work)
People begin to look to the military to solve their problems; however, military leaders will be dictators by nature:
use of: -tribal loyalties (ethnicity, geographic region) and myths
-manipulation of masses (usually through propaganda) to see the dictatorsÕ personal agendas
people then thought that their problem were being addressed. Massas felt that their problems were:
-economic dislocation
i. agriculture, banking, manufacturing problems
ii. unemployment/depression
-thwarted nationalistic hopes (most countries felt this post WWII)
i. countries who were promised land and didnÕt get it
-failure of democratic governments
-spiritual dislocation
-political instability (particularly post WWII)
i. communists vs.democrats (so why not just stamp them both out?)
ii. coalitions form
Many of these reasons caused the intellectuals to shift from their enlightenment ideals to less idealistic, more conservative ideals ( and theyÕre the ones usually giving the biggest social/political push as far as writings and teachings of their times are concerned)
So, what is a fascist?
Take the quiz!
1. When you see a liberal, do you
a) pass him on the street just like any other Joe?
b) avoid eye contact with him?
c) string him up by his toenails and then rip his ears off?
2. When someone says the word "communism, "do you
a) roll up your sleeve to reveal your hammer-and- sickle?
b) bite his face?
c) string him up by his toenails, rip his ears off, and then bite his face?
3. When you meet someone who fought in the French revolution, do you
a) congratulate him
b) hit him
c) well, you get the ideaÉ.
If you answered c for any of the above, you were right, and youÕre a fascist.
So anyway, fascist are basically anti-anything
Speaking of fascists, letÕs talk Mussolini:
Born 1883
-views became more socialist when he returned to Italy after having lived in Switzerland
-became editor of leader socialist paper of the time, Avante
-joined army, wounded, never saw battle (shot himself in the foot, I hear)
-1919- organized the fascist party
-begins making speeches about problems in Italy and claiming to be able to solve them
-war vets liked him; they felt recognized
-formed a paramilitary organization called the Blackshirts
-socialists formed a paramilitary organization called the Redshirts
-also supported by middle class, university students, intellectuals, capitalists (get to keep their stuff)
Italy has only been put together in the 1860Õs. VERY new nation. Suffrage to almost all adult males only given in 1912. Makes their existing democracy not well established and therefore not necessarily well liked or trusted. When Italy was convinced to join the alliesÕ side, part of what drew them was the promise of some of the conquered territories after the war was over. They felt cheated when they got NOTHING. Blamed democracy for being too weak.
So we begin with the nationalists: let down by Treaty of Versailles, frequent strikers; they wanted the port of Fiume
in 1919, the really ardent nationalists seized the port; govÕt embarassed; nationalists blamed the lack of Treaty winnings on the liberal government
-1919: establishes Fasci de Combattimento- the first fascist parties; goes from 20,000-250,000 members in less than a year
-October 1922 Mussolini makes bid for power : give it or weÕll take it
-Victor Emmanuel makes no effort against him, makes him prime minister
-1923: Electoral law, called Acerbo Law passed: if your party received 25% of the votes, you got 2/3 parliament
-1924: first elections, fascists received 67% of the vote
-May 1924: Socialist leader Giacomo Matteotti openly denounced fascist corruption and violenceÉkilled a few days later. Victor Emmanuel asked to do his job as guard dog of constitution but does nothing for fear of being deposed by Il Duce
-1925: all non- fascists eliminated from parliament, freedom of press abolished
-1927: secret police force, OVRA
1929: Lateran Pacts between Catholic Church and Duce, declare catholic church as only religion of Italy, give Vatican over to pope, and leave education in hands of church-got approval of pope he got approval of people
-supported by the pope and king why? he defended them against communism
-Mussolini version of HitlerÕs The Night of Long Knives(1925?): Mussolini eliminates the Ras, the soldiers who rallied for Mussolini in the beginning who had since become party chiefs
-big in to propaganda ("Believe! Obey! Fight!")
And how about a Mussolini derivative?
JUAN PERóN!
Rise:
1. Begins in the military
n enters the military academy at 16 years old, has talent
n by 1930, is a junior colonel (pronounced "lieutenent")
n goes to Italy, and sees CORPORATISM (Italian fascism) in which the rights of the individual are less important that the rights of the state
n 1940Õs heÕs back in Argentina
2. GOU (Grupo de Oficiales Unidos)
n 1941, Perón is a leader in the GOU
n 1942 GOU acts as a civilian government, Perón is secretary of labor
3. Working Class
n Perón becomes the champion of the URBAN PROLETARIAT
n Settles strikes in favor of the workers
n results in 20% increase in real wages between 1940-46
n DESCAMISADOS (the shirtless ones)
4. Arrested
n 1946 is taken and then released
n has full support ofÉ.
5. Coalition
n workers
n military (a very rare combination)
PEAK de PERóN
Peronism succeeds
Economic Nationalism:
n Argentina buys out Britain in railways, nationalize the railroads
n Pays off national debt (1947), this is a big success
n Income growth of 20% for middle/working class Argentines (1946-48)
n IAPI- PeronÕs ministry of trade
buy beef and grain @ artificially low prices from Argentine elite; sell goods on the world market @ high prices and use that money to lower taxes and pay off debtÉhmmm, sure sounds goodÉ unless youÕre elite
Peronism declines
Economic decline, 1949-1952
n real income falls 20%
n unemployment and underemployment grow
n political pressure increases
1952- The reelection de Perón/ Eva Perón dies
Justicialismo begins
n Now, I donÕt know what the hell this is, because itÕs not fascist, not socialist, not communist, and certainly not democraticÉsoÉ
n it involves, anyway, the government repression of the church, in the course of which Perón legalized divorce, and was excommunicated
n represses free press (la prensa)
Us doesnÕt like what heÕs doing, accuses him of being a fascist
-Perón lost link w/ the descamisados without EvaÕs help
-loses support of military with the mismanagement of the government; then he goes and has an affair with a teenager, miliyary deems him out of control
-THEN, he invites foreign investment, at which point (surprise, surprise)É
PERóN OUSTED!! 1955 (they donÕt kill him)
Ok, wait, a little more detail:
Why the military abandoned Perón:
1. The Standard Oil Deal 1953
n the military perceives Perón to be a non-nationalist
2. PerónÕs girlfriend, 1954 (teenager)
n flaunts relationship
n military perceives him to be morally deficient
3. Perón attacks the church
- working class says "no go" and abandons him as well
n Perón adds to this both torture and repression of labor leaders
"National Liberty Alliance" = thugs
(now heÕs beginning to sound like your dyed-in-the-wool totalitarianÉ
Point of all this? Peron canÕt stay in power without his original coalition. He screws up, it dissolves, heÕs outta there.
How about some more fascists?
Getulio VARGAS!!
Fascist Style Government + Land Reform
1. Industrialize economy New Constitution 1934
n Valorization -Labor Tribunal system
n State operated businesses -Minimum Wages
n PetroBrás -Right to strike
n National Motor Company (1946) -8-hour day
2. Repression -Social security system
n Censors press (1938)
n Rebellion of 1935
-15000 arrests
-communist party gone
Vargas in the 1930Õs:
Consolidation of Power
n Replaces governors of Brazil with his friends
n Realigns politics in Sao Paolo
n Centralizes power in Rio
(sound somewhat like Hitler?)
Political Parties of the 1930Õs in Brazil
Left:
ALN: socialists and communists both; destroyed in the 1930Õs
present, however, at the 1935 Comintern (communist natÕnl party)
Moderate:
VARGAS: Never elected by the people
Right:
Integralistas: Fascists
-Christians
-Nationalists
-Para-military
-attempt coup in 1937, bad attempt, put down quickly
ESTADO NOVO
1938-1945:
Congress is dissolved
limits power of federal states making Vargas the virtual dictator, canceled elections, censored press and mail
New govÕt formed under the Corporatist (Italian fascist) model: the farther down the chain from the dictator you are, the less power you haveÉmany with none at all
This puts an end to Democratic hopesÉall just another part of Constitution of 1937
WWII, Brazil is an ally:
US builds airstrips, ports, bases, steel mills in Brazil. Only after the war does US recognize Brazil as fascist and bad.
Quick side-note about Africans in the Americas:
1934: Afro-Brazilian Congress to discuss importance Africans played in Brazil; made after Latin AmericanÕs greatest sociologist published his book Masters and Slaves stressing integral part Africans had played in BrazilÕs history
mmmmkayÉhow about Hitler?
At time of his coming to power, Weimar Republic none too popular because of hyperinflation from depression, grudges from Treaty of Versailles whose reparations are being paid in gold
Hitler joins up with the Strasser brothers (Gregor and Otto) after the war in the German WorkerÕs PartyÉchanges it to National Socialist German Workers Party
1919-1923-shapes the Nazi party, although it doesnÕt grow much (unlike immediate popularity of fascists)
- Ernst Rome helps him start the SA: a paramilitary organization designed to do whatever Hitler asks them to in a quasi-police fashion
n Hitler blames everything on the Jews
n Ropes in Ludendorf, becomes part of Nazi party
n November 1923: band together in rebellion against the Weimar republic which takes form of a march on Munich, Ludendorf released, Hitler slapped on wrist with 18 months in minimum security, in which time he writes (via Rudolf Hes) Mein Kampf
n released 1924, begins to pull back together his Nazi party
n 1926 we see emergence of such groups as Hitler Youth, Nazi German Student League, Nazi TeachersÕ League, Nazi WomenÕs League, Nazi PhysiciansÕ League
n 1928; party has 100,000 members united by fanatic loyalty to Fuhrer
n 1929; party has almost 200,00 members because of depression
n Von Papen resigns as chancellor, Von Schliecher takes over as his puppet; offers Hitler position of chancellor as a challengeÉ
n February 7th, 1933: Reichstag fire blames on communists, Hitler brandishes this to gain support and align people against the communists
n March 1933: Enabling act: he can do what he wants how he wants it
n same month/year sets up first concentration camp at Dachau using SA (Jews donÕt go until 1937)
n June 1933: Social democratic party outlawed
n 1934: Night of the Long Knives: executes all the local political leaders (who he had put into their places) just in case they didnÕt agree with him because they were the only ones capable of overthrowing him (approx 900 killed that night)
n Treaty of Ropallo with Russia had allowed Germany to produce weapons covertly, but by mid-1930Õs Germany was doing in own industry
n church also embraces Hitler for bringing stability, resisting communism
n Schacht: economist in Germany who, unlike Keyenes, didnÕt care about people, did best for country only; wages remain same, no consumer goods produced
n HitlerÕs govÕt is much stronger than fascism because of the Volksgeist, but more atheistic
n Ministry of Popular Enlightenment: headed by Joseph Goebbles; the propaganda bureau, takes control of all forms of the media
n Austrian chancellor Dolfus killed by SA and replaced by a more sympathetic leader
n Heinrich Himmler put in charge of SS: the SA on crack (if you can imagine that); SS starts in 1925 originally to protect Hitler. Becomes his most loyal military sect
n March 1936: takes the first major step against the Treaty of Versailles, marches to take back the Rhineland
Communism:
Stalin and the Modernization of Russia
Communism in Russia since 1917
Hammer and sickle, blah blah blah
(will get to this later)