The Rise of Extremism in Canada
Desperate Times Call for Desperate Measures
- As the depression dragged on more and more Canadians lost faith in the liberal and
conservative government's ability to fix it.
- Many alternative forms of government offer fixes and scapegoats for Canada's economic
troubles scapegoats were usually immigrants and/or Jews.s
- Many Canadians turn to these more extreme forms of government desperate for a
solution to their economic problems.
Extremism & the Political Spectrum
- Extremism refers to a political ideology that is far outside society's mainstream
attitudes, usually at the end of the political spectrum.
- The Political Spectrum is a system used to characterize and classify different political
positions about one another. It allows for simple comparisons between political parties
and ideologies.
Two Ends of the Spectrum
- Fascism: A political philosophy that places a nation and often races above the individual
and stands for a centralized, autocratic government (one with total power), headed by a
dictator, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of
opposition. It is based on the principle that everyone should have complete allegiance to
their homeland.
- Communism: A political philosophy derived from the work of Karl Marx. Advocating
class war and leading to a society in which all property is publicly owned and each
person works and is paid according to their abilities and needs. It is based on the
principle that everyone is equal, regardless of their social or economic position.
-
The Christie Pits Riot
- Christie Pits Park: A public park in Toronto at Bloor and Christie that was the site of one
of the worst outbreaks of racial violence in Canadian history.
- On August 16, 1933, a riot involving about 10,000 people broke out after young men flew
a swastika flag at a public baseball game, intending to provoke and antagonize Jewish
Canadians.
- As the game ended, members of a local anti-Semitic group flew the Nazi flag and
chanted "Heil Hitler", leading to violence between them and Jews at the park.
- Only a few were arrested, highlighting the police's indifference towards the persecution
of minorities, particularly Jews.
,The Rise of Extremism in Germany and Italy
Europe in the 1920s
- In 1920 all of Europe was ruled by democratic governments
- In the 65 (around) independent nations of the world all but 5 held democratic elections
between WW1 and WW2, However, this would change rapidly
Europe in the 1930s
- Representative assemblies were dissolved in 17 out of 27 European nations before 1929
and another 5 during the war.
- Only Britain, Finland, Ireland, Sweden, and Switzerland maintained democratic
governments between 1918 and 1945
- In places like Turkey, Japan, Yugoslavia, Portugal, and many others militaristic
dictatorships took power.
Adolf Hitler - Early Life
- Born in Austria-Hungary in 1889 and moved to Germany when he was 13
- Had a very regular childhood playing outside with friends
- As a boy found pictures of war very fascinating and became very interested in war
- As a teenager, he wanted to become an artist but his parents wanted him to learn a
trade
- By 21, he was copying postcards and selling them to tourists
- After being rejected by art school for the second time he was out of money and
homeless
Adolf Hitler - WWI
- Hitler fought in WWl in France and Belgium in many famous battles including Ypres
where he sustained serious injuries from the gas
- During this experience, Hitler convinced himself that his task was to save Germany from
all attack
- those from outside AND those from withinHitler was shocked when Germany
surrendered in 1918
Adolf Hitler - Rise to Prominence
- In 1919, he joined the German Workers Party (which eventually become the Nazis)
- He rose to prominence in the party because of his natural public speaking ability.
- Becomes leader of the Nazis in 1921
- Hitler and the Nazis attempted a failed coup of the German government in 1923-known
as the Beer Hall Putsch. For this, he was sentenced to 9 months in jail.
- During this time, he wrote Mein Kampf (My Struggle) where he outlined his political
philosophy. The Nazis gained popularity because Hitler was able to play with people's
national pride and make them feel angry over the Treaty of Versailles, In addition, he
, blamed the failing German government and German Jews for the failure of WWl and the
country's current problems.
Adolf Hitler - Rise to Power
- Hitler worked to gain power through elections legitimately - he made himself very
popular by appealing to people's desires.
- Hitler was voted in as Chancellor on January 30, 1933, and called for new elections.
- On the day of the elections, he burned the government's headquarters to the ground and
blamed the other political parties.s
- Hitler assumed control over the entire government and became the supreme leader.
- The Nazi Party used violence, intimidation, fear, and propaganda to cement its power in
Germany.
- Many Germans loved Hitler and his promise.s
Third Reich
- Once power was secured, Hitler gained more public support by telling Germans he was
their savior from the Great Depression, the Treaty of Versailles, and all “undesirables”
- Hitler jump-started the economy with huge building projects like highways
- Hitler built alliances with Italian Dictator Benito Mussolini and the Empire of Japan.
Benito Mussolini - Il Duce
- As a boy he was rebellious and kicked out of school - eventually, he finished and trained
as a school teacher
- In 1902 he was living in Switzerland but couldn't find steady work and was arrested at
one point for being homeless
- Mussolini fought in WWl but was wounded when a shell accidentally exploded putting
more than 40 pieces of metal in his body
- He returned home and began publishing a newspaper
- Here he wrote about the Italian people and called them to “rise and remember their
glorious Roman Heritage”
Benito Mussolini - Rise to Power
- After WWl, he formed a group of Italian veterans called the Black Shirts intending to
bring order to Italy
- They were extremely popular and Mussolini was soon elected to power
- In 1922, Mussolini demanded power and marched on Rome (the capital) to take it
- He successfully took over and called himself Il Duce - he had complete control over Italy
Benito Mussolini - Police State
- Mussolini outlawed all other political parties
- He used fear and violence to crush any opposition
- Began great construction projects creating vast farmlands for Italians to work on
- Italians were encouraged to give their gold to the government to help - called Gold for
Fatherland.
Desperate Times Call for Desperate Measures
- As the depression dragged on more and more Canadians lost faith in the liberal and
conservative government's ability to fix it.
- Many alternative forms of government offer fixes and scapegoats for Canada's economic
troubles scapegoats were usually immigrants and/or Jews.s
- Many Canadians turn to these more extreme forms of government desperate for a
solution to their economic problems.
Extremism & the Political Spectrum
- Extremism refers to a political ideology that is far outside society's mainstream
attitudes, usually at the end of the political spectrum.
- The Political Spectrum is a system used to characterize and classify different political
positions about one another. It allows for simple comparisons between political parties
and ideologies.
Two Ends of the Spectrum
- Fascism: A political philosophy that places a nation and often races above the individual
and stands for a centralized, autocratic government (one with total power), headed by a
dictator, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of
opposition. It is based on the principle that everyone should have complete allegiance to
their homeland.
- Communism: A political philosophy derived from the work of Karl Marx. Advocating
class war and leading to a society in which all property is publicly owned and each
person works and is paid according to their abilities and needs. It is based on the
principle that everyone is equal, regardless of their social or economic position.
-
The Christie Pits Riot
- Christie Pits Park: A public park in Toronto at Bloor and Christie that was the site of one
of the worst outbreaks of racial violence in Canadian history.
- On August 16, 1933, a riot involving about 10,000 people broke out after young men flew
a swastika flag at a public baseball game, intending to provoke and antagonize Jewish
Canadians.
- As the game ended, members of a local anti-Semitic group flew the Nazi flag and
chanted "Heil Hitler", leading to violence between them and Jews at the park.
- Only a few were arrested, highlighting the police's indifference towards the persecution
of minorities, particularly Jews.
,The Rise of Extremism in Germany and Italy
Europe in the 1920s
- In 1920 all of Europe was ruled by democratic governments
- In the 65 (around) independent nations of the world all but 5 held democratic elections
between WW1 and WW2, However, this would change rapidly
Europe in the 1930s
- Representative assemblies were dissolved in 17 out of 27 European nations before 1929
and another 5 during the war.
- Only Britain, Finland, Ireland, Sweden, and Switzerland maintained democratic
governments between 1918 and 1945
- In places like Turkey, Japan, Yugoslavia, Portugal, and many others militaristic
dictatorships took power.
Adolf Hitler - Early Life
- Born in Austria-Hungary in 1889 and moved to Germany when he was 13
- Had a very regular childhood playing outside with friends
- As a boy found pictures of war very fascinating and became very interested in war
- As a teenager, he wanted to become an artist but his parents wanted him to learn a
trade
- By 21, he was copying postcards and selling them to tourists
- After being rejected by art school for the second time he was out of money and
homeless
Adolf Hitler - WWI
- Hitler fought in WWl in France and Belgium in many famous battles including Ypres
where he sustained serious injuries from the gas
- During this experience, Hitler convinced himself that his task was to save Germany from
all attack
- those from outside AND those from withinHitler was shocked when Germany
surrendered in 1918
Adolf Hitler - Rise to Prominence
- In 1919, he joined the German Workers Party (which eventually become the Nazis)
- He rose to prominence in the party because of his natural public speaking ability.
- Becomes leader of the Nazis in 1921
- Hitler and the Nazis attempted a failed coup of the German government in 1923-known
as the Beer Hall Putsch. For this, he was sentenced to 9 months in jail.
- During this time, he wrote Mein Kampf (My Struggle) where he outlined his political
philosophy. The Nazis gained popularity because Hitler was able to play with people's
national pride and make them feel angry over the Treaty of Versailles, In addition, he
, blamed the failing German government and German Jews for the failure of WWl and the
country's current problems.
Adolf Hitler - Rise to Power
- Hitler worked to gain power through elections legitimately - he made himself very
popular by appealing to people's desires.
- Hitler was voted in as Chancellor on January 30, 1933, and called for new elections.
- On the day of the elections, he burned the government's headquarters to the ground and
blamed the other political parties.s
- Hitler assumed control over the entire government and became the supreme leader.
- The Nazi Party used violence, intimidation, fear, and propaganda to cement its power in
Germany.
- Many Germans loved Hitler and his promise.s
Third Reich
- Once power was secured, Hitler gained more public support by telling Germans he was
their savior from the Great Depression, the Treaty of Versailles, and all “undesirables”
- Hitler jump-started the economy with huge building projects like highways
- Hitler built alliances with Italian Dictator Benito Mussolini and the Empire of Japan.
Benito Mussolini - Il Duce
- As a boy he was rebellious and kicked out of school - eventually, he finished and trained
as a school teacher
- In 1902 he was living in Switzerland but couldn't find steady work and was arrested at
one point for being homeless
- Mussolini fought in WWl but was wounded when a shell accidentally exploded putting
more than 40 pieces of metal in his body
- He returned home and began publishing a newspaper
- Here he wrote about the Italian people and called them to “rise and remember their
glorious Roman Heritage”
Benito Mussolini - Rise to Power
- After WWl, he formed a group of Italian veterans called the Black Shirts intending to
bring order to Italy
- They were extremely popular and Mussolini was soon elected to power
- In 1922, Mussolini demanded power and marched on Rome (the capital) to take it
- He successfully took over and called himself Il Duce - he had complete control over Italy
Benito Mussolini - Police State
- Mussolini outlawed all other political parties
- He used fear and violence to crush any opposition
- Began great construction projects creating vast farmlands for Italians to work on
- Italians were encouraged to give their gold to the government to help - called Gold for
Fatherland.
