Rise of Fascism (College Board AP® US History)

Summary

Following its involvement in World War I, the United States had to redevelop its foreign policy while there were global tensions and new political ideologies emerging. The United States initially leaned towards isolationism, avoiding getting involved in international conflicts, even as fascist regimes rose in Europe and Asia, foreshadowing global instability.

Governments around the world struggled whilst dealing with the consequences of World War 1, including the effect of the Great Depression on Europe. At the same time countries like Germany, Italy, and Japan saw the emergence of fascist leaders who promised to restore order, strengthen their nations, and expand their influence. These nations’ shared characteristics of fascism which laid the foundation for the political tensions that would eventually lead to World War II.

Isolationism & Key Foreign Policies of the 1920s

Isolationism

• Isolationism is a policy of avoiding involvement in the political, economic, or military affairs of other nations

• Following World War I, many Americans wanted to return to isolationism

  • Citizens wanted to prioritize domestic issues and avoid being drawn into another foreign war

• This feeling led to the rejection of the League of Nations

Unilateral Foreign Policy

• Unilateral foreign policy is actions taken independently by a nation, without formal agreements or collaboration with other countries

• The United States often pursued foreign policy without consulting international partners or, sometimes, Congress

  • For example, Presidents Harding and Coolidge supported economic and diplomatic actions independently to protect US interests

Dawes Plan (1924)

• The Dawes Plan was a financial arrangement that helped Germany in its economic recovery following World War I

• Key features of the Dawes Plan

  • Lowered the reparation payments owed by Germany, which were imposed by the Treaty of Versailles

  • Provided Germany with a $200 million loan to stabilize the economy and allow it to make reparation payments to France and Great Britain

• The Dawes Plan temporarily reduced tensions in Europe by stabilizing Germany’s economy

Kellogg-Briand Pact (1928)

• The Kellogg-Briand Pact was an international war agreement signed by 62 countries, including the United States, agreeing not to use war to solve disputes

• The aim was to promote peace and stability in the world through diplomacy rather than violence

• The Pact symbolized optimism for peace in the late 1920s

• There was a lack of economic and military means to enforce the pact, so it was largely ineffective

Rise of Fascism

• As democratic governments struggled with economic instability and the effects of World War I, fascism rose in several nations

• Fascism is a system of government led by a dictator with absolute power

• Characteristics of fascism:

  • Militarism

    • Aggressive use of military forces to achieve national goals

  • Suppression of dissent

    • Censorship, propaganda, and removal of political opponents to control a country and its people 

  • Nationalism

    • Promoting the superiority of the nation and its people

  • Social hierarchy

    • Upholding traditional class structures

Key fascist powers

Germany

• Adolf Hitler became chancellor of Germany in 1933

• He was leader of the National Socialist German Workers’ Party (NSDAP, also known as the Nazi Party), which promoted extreme nationalism and anti-communism

• The Nazi Party believed in:

  • rejecting the Treaty of Versailles

  • racial superiority of Aryans

  • expansion of German territory

• The Nazi Party was a radical right-wing party

• Hitler quickly militarized Germany, suppressing opposition

  • He prepared for aggressive expansion in Europe

Italy

• Benito Mussolini was appointed prime minister in 1922

• His goals included:

  • taking control of media to spread propaganda and suppress dissent

  • strengthening Italy’s economy through public work programs

  • having an empire

• He formed an alliance with Nazi Germany in 1936 through the Rome-Berlin Axis and later the Pact of Steel (1939)

Japan

• Michinomiya Hirohito became emperor in 1926

  • Military leaders like General Hideki Tojo became the driving force behind Japan’s expansion policies

• Their goals included:

  • uniting Japan through nationalism

  • modernizing the country

  • expanding Japan’s empire through military force to secure natural resources and land for its growing population

• Japan invaded Manchuria in 1931 

  • seeking raw materials for its factories, expansion, and industrial growth

  • this marked the beginning of Japan’s aggressive territorial expansion in Asia