Rise of Dictators
Joseph Stalin was the Communist leader of the Soviet Union. During his rule, Stalin's reach spread into virtually every aspect of life in the Soviet Union, and millions of Soviet citizens died as a result of his rule. Until 1934, Stalin pursued the Soviet policy of friendship with Germany. After Hitler became the chancellor of Germany, Stalin joined the League of Nations. He joined in an effort to get international acceptance. When this attempt failed, Stalin joined in a Nonaggression Pact with Germany. The pact was intended to keep the U.S.S.R out of World War II. During the war, Stalin rose from premier to marshal to generalissimo. At the Tehran Conference, the Yalta Conference, and the Potsdam Conference, Stalin gained recognition as an astute diplomat. Under his rule, the Soviet Union had become a powerful force in Eastern Europe, and the western world took notice. Under Stalin's rule, about 20,000,000 people died. After Germany got defeated, Stalin slowly began to cut off contact with the U.S.S.R and the West. Stalin used the Soviet Army to set up Communist governments in Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, and Romania. Stalin unsuccessfully tried to take over Greece, Iran and Turkey. Many non-Communist nations joined against the Soviet Union to end the spread on Communism. This struggle became known as the Cold War. Stalin used his increased power to consolidate (reinforce/strengthen) his control over the Soviet Union. He was obsessed with problems of security and was always suspicious of Communist movements outside his command. In the 40's and 50's, Stalin made very few appearances. He suffered of paranoia, and died of a brain hemorrhage.
Traits: Ruthless Determined
Traits: Ruthless Determined
Benito Mussolini was the premier and then the dictator of Italy. Mussolini was seeking to restore his nation by joining forces with Adolf Hitler's Germany during World War II. He led his people to disaster. Mussolini had absolute dictatorship in Italy, he decided on an aggressive foreign policy during the 30's. In April, 1939, Mussolini sent his troops to Albania, but stayed out of World War II until June 1940. By the middle of the war, many people began to dislike Mussolini, the leader that led Italy into a nation of death and destruction. By spring of 1945, Allied forces were closing in on Mussolini. In April, Mussolini and his wife fled, only to be captured by Italian partisans at Lake Como. The couple was killed by a firing squad on April 28, and their bodies were hung in a public square in Milan.
Traits: Powerful Single-minded
Traits: Powerful Single-minded
Adolf Hitler was the absolute dictator of Germany from 1933 to 1945. He created Nazism, set up policies of racial supremacy and genocide, and plunged the world into the second world war. Hitler began his rise in political power in 1919. The German Empire had been defeated. Hitler joined a group known as the Nazi Party. The Nazis called for the union into one nation of all Germans, including the Austrians and German minorities in Czechoslovakia and other countries. The demanded that citizens of non-German or Jewish origin be deprived of German citizenship, and they called for the cancellation of the Treaty of Versailles. Hitler took over Poland in just a few weeks, which was the start of the war in Europe. In 1940, the Nazis conquered Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, and France. By April 1945, Hitler had become a broken man. His hands and feet trembled, and he was tortured by stomach cramps. Hitler and Eva Braun (Hitler's wife) killed themselves. Aides burned their bodies, and seven days later, Germany surrendered.
Traits: Dominant Forceful Cruel
Citations
Hoffmann, Peter. "Hitler, Adolf." World Book Student. World Book, 2015. Web. 28 Apr. 2015.
"Infobase Learning - Login." Infobase Learning - Login. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2015.
"Infobase Learning - Login." Infobase Learning - Login. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 May 2015.
"Infobase Learning - Login." Infobase Learning - Login. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2015.
"Infobase Learning - Login." Infobase Learning - Login. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 May 2015.
Jilian B.