Authoritarian States (20th Century)
Emergence of Authoritarian States
1. Conditions in which authoritarian states emerged: economic factors; social division; impact of
war; weakness of political system
HITLER:
Economic Conditions:
• Treaty of Versailles 1919 + Diktat (November Criminals)
- Internal political conditions
• Unpopularity of Weimar government
• German military distancing itself from surrender by government
◦ Collapse of monarchy
◦ Hence unpopularity of the republic; 'November traitors'
• Disenfranchisement of veterans, alienation - including of Hitler himself
• Political consequences of economic challenges
• The treaty's unpopularity increases still further as the dire economic conditions were
exacerbated by its provisions. These conditions included
◦ Impact of war/blockade of Germany
◦ Reparation debt (related to political/international factors)
◦ Subsequent inflation mark
- Economic disaster looms - Germany seeks halt on treaty provisions: 1923-4
• France refuses to accept German request for moratorium on reparations
• Germany cease reparation repayments - gov't cannot maintain them and maintain politico-
economic order
• French occupation of Ruhr Valley in response. This area was an important centre of German
industry and therefore critical to German economic recovery
• This was a crude application of Treaty of Versailles by France
• Adolf Hitler was by this time becoming politically active
◦ Treaty of Versailles resulted in repatriations of £6.6 billion, crippling Germany’s economy
◦ Industry operated at 47% of pre-war performance
◦ Weimar Republic printing money = hyperinflation, banks were closed in 1932
◦ 6 million people were unemployed
Social Conditions:
◦ Treaty of Versailles humiliate Germany
◦ Army was reduced from 4.5 million to 100,000.
◦ Germany had to accept war-guilt
◦ German territory was ceded
◦ Conservative elite still held power in Weimar Republic => supportive of Hitler’s fight for
German strength
• Weimar was weak
◦ Kaiser abdicated
◦ New constitution - Article 48 (emergency law abused by Hindenburg. This law gave power to
the leader to create laws without discussing it first at the Reichstag), Proportional
Representation (made all govt. coalition govt. hindering the efficiency of the Reichstag, each
area in the country, depending on its size was represented by a specific number of
politicians in the Reichstag)
Political Conditions:
◦ Feeling that the Weimar were “November Criminals” (for accepting ToV terms)
◦ Political instability and deadlock - 6 coalition governments between 1924 and 1929
◦ Nazi Party by 1930 had almost 200 seats (majority) of parliament
, ◦ Hitler manipulated Weimar Constitution superbly
▪ In 1933, Hitler was appointed Chancellor after a series of backroom negotiations
and parliamentary elections (Ebert thought this would keep Hitler under control)
▪ Reichstag Fire occurred - Hitler enacted Article 48 to unilaterally take control of the
government, purging many communists and political foes
▪ Hitler controlled the Government through Article 48, abolished powers of state,
dissolved parliament
CASTRO:
Economic:
◦ Widespread poverty (actual wealth laid in the hands of only a few)
◦ unemployment was high
◦ Economy was very dependent on sugar
United States had a heavy influence on Cuba
• Because of the Teller and Platt Amendment instigated after Spanish American War of 1898
• US controlled
◦ 75% of the agriculture, sugar
◦ Oil Refineries
• Electricity production
◦ Telephone system
◦ The industries and factories
◦ Cuban’s despised United States involvement
Social:
• Spanish colonisation (1492-1800)
• Following the end of the Spanish-American War, the USA was given control over former Spanish Colonies
under the “Treaty of Paris”
• Spanish massacres of Cuban people
• USA then introduced military rule to Cuba under the Teller Amendment in 1898
• The Platt Amendment was introduced in 1901 to 1934 and gave the US control over Cuban foreign policy,
essentially taking away their sovereignty
• The US also used Cuba in the exploitation of land and resources
• Cuba was dangerously reliant on American purchase of the dominant crop, sugar,
• the Cuban economy was vulnerable to trade slumps and the attitudes of American administrations,
prone to exploit Cuban economic dependence for their own ends.
• Cuba appeared prosperous compared to other Latin American and Caribbean countries (wealth,
education, health better than most)
• Differences in standard of living between rich and poor, town and country and regions were
destabilising = significant economic crisis at the time of the revolution.
Political:
◦ High volume of corruption (especially in Havana)
◦ Cubans were oppressed by government
Fulgencio Batista’s government was corrupt and unstable
• Bastista seized power illegally in 1952 and ruled as a dictator
• He failed to implement reforms but rather, he used brutal measures to keep his people under his
control
• He needed to take drastic and aggressive measures to maintain his country. The United States, who
initially supported him, ended their support and began to support Castro
Fidel Castro
, • Studied to become a lawyer at the University of Havana, at which time he gained a strong interested
in politics
• At first (early 1950s) Castro fought Batista through legal means by charging Batista for violating the
1940 Cuban Constitution; However he failed and from then on, he used more covert rebellions.
• In 1953, Castro and Raul (his bro) along with a group of 160 anti-Batista armed man attacked the
Moncado Barracks, which was a military base This was known as the 26th of July Movement.
• The attempt to overthrow the government failed, however Castro became famous
• Castro and Raul were sentenced to jail for ten years
• There were released in 1955, Castro fled to Mexico.
• In Mexico, he meet Che Guevera
• In mexico he also trained men then sailed to the tip of Cuba on the Grandma where he landed with
around a dozen men
• Using guerrilla tactics, he took over one town after another
• He came into power one January 1, 1959 after Batista Fled to the Dominican Republic
• On February 16, 1959, Castro was sworn in as Prime Minister of Cuba.
• AIMS:
◦ He visualized a reformed Cuba. He wanted to end Latifundia, limit foreign ownership, end
Cuba’s dependence on United States, and nationalize public services
• Support:
◦ poor peasants at first however than the general population
• He did not consider himself a communist but turned communist because he need administrative help.
Communist were willing to help. United States refused to offer any help.
2. Methods used to establish authoritarian states: persuasion and coercion; the role of leaders;
ideology; the use of force; propaganda
HITLER:
Persuasion and Coercion:
◦ Hitler was recalled for many Germans as a golden age of strong rule
◦ Brilliant speaker, good organiser and politician. Different to leaders of Weimar.
◦ Driven, charismatic, proud and determined. Got German people to support him.
◦ Hitler’s oratory (accompanied by sophisticated local campaigning) concentrated on:
◦ Attacked Versailles
◦ The need to make Germany great againThe evils on unemployment
◦ The fear of Bolshevism (communism)
◦ Hitler was attracted to the German Workers party (DAP) and joined in 1919
◦ 1920 Hitler becomes the leader of the DAP
◦ Hitler renamed the DAP to the NSDAP (National Socialist German Workers Party) more
commonly known as the NAZI party
◦ Use of technology eg. Radio and planes (hitler over Germany)
◦ Mein kämpf
◦ Leaflets
◦ Social darwinism was utilised to justify violence especially towards minorities, Hitler
promised to make decisions to strengthen Germany and address the problems which the
ToV started
Role of Leaders:
• Adolf Hitler
- Held all key positions
- Chancellor
Emergence of Authoritarian States
1. Conditions in which authoritarian states emerged: economic factors; social division; impact of
war; weakness of political system
HITLER:
Economic Conditions:
• Treaty of Versailles 1919 + Diktat (November Criminals)
- Internal political conditions
• Unpopularity of Weimar government
• German military distancing itself from surrender by government
◦ Collapse of monarchy
◦ Hence unpopularity of the republic; 'November traitors'
• Disenfranchisement of veterans, alienation - including of Hitler himself
• Political consequences of economic challenges
• The treaty's unpopularity increases still further as the dire economic conditions were
exacerbated by its provisions. These conditions included
◦ Impact of war/blockade of Germany
◦ Reparation debt (related to political/international factors)
◦ Subsequent inflation mark
- Economic disaster looms - Germany seeks halt on treaty provisions: 1923-4
• France refuses to accept German request for moratorium on reparations
• Germany cease reparation repayments - gov't cannot maintain them and maintain politico-
economic order
• French occupation of Ruhr Valley in response. This area was an important centre of German
industry and therefore critical to German economic recovery
• This was a crude application of Treaty of Versailles by France
• Adolf Hitler was by this time becoming politically active
◦ Treaty of Versailles resulted in repatriations of £6.6 billion, crippling Germany’s economy
◦ Industry operated at 47% of pre-war performance
◦ Weimar Republic printing money = hyperinflation, banks were closed in 1932
◦ 6 million people were unemployed
Social Conditions:
◦ Treaty of Versailles humiliate Germany
◦ Army was reduced from 4.5 million to 100,000.
◦ Germany had to accept war-guilt
◦ German territory was ceded
◦ Conservative elite still held power in Weimar Republic => supportive of Hitler’s fight for
German strength
• Weimar was weak
◦ Kaiser abdicated
◦ New constitution - Article 48 (emergency law abused by Hindenburg. This law gave power to
the leader to create laws without discussing it first at the Reichstag), Proportional
Representation (made all govt. coalition govt. hindering the efficiency of the Reichstag, each
area in the country, depending on its size was represented by a specific number of
politicians in the Reichstag)
Political Conditions:
◦ Feeling that the Weimar were “November Criminals” (for accepting ToV terms)
◦ Political instability and deadlock - 6 coalition governments between 1924 and 1929
◦ Nazi Party by 1930 had almost 200 seats (majority) of parliament
, ◦ Hitler manipulated Weimar Constitution superbly
▪ In 1933, Hitler was appointed Chancellor after a series of backroom negotiations
and parliamentary elections (Ebert thought this would keep Hitler under control)
▪ Reichstag Fire occurred - Hitler enacted Article 48 to unilaterally take control of the
government, purging many communists and political foes
▪ Hitler controlled the Government through Article 48, abolished powers of state,
dissolved parliament
CASTRO:
Economic:
◦ Widespread poverty (actual wealth laid in the hands of only a few)
◦ unemployment was high
◦ Economy was very dependent on sugar
United States had a heavy influence on Cuba
• Because of the Teller and Platt Amendment instigated after Spanish American War of 1898
• US controlled
◦ 75% of the agriculture, sugar
◦ Oil Refineries
• Electricity production
◦ Telephone system
◦ The industries and factories
◦ Cuban’s despised United States involvement
Social:
• Spanish colonisation (1492-1800)
• Following the end of the Spanish-American War, the USA was given control over former Spanish Colonies
under the “Treaty of Paris”
• Spanish massacres of Cuban people
• USA then introduced military rule to Cuba under the Teller Amendment in 1898
• The Platt Amendment was introduced in 1901 to 1934 and gave the US control over Cuban foreign policy,
essentially taking away their sovereignty
• The US also used Cuba in the exploitation of land and resources
• Cuba was dangerously reliant on American purchase of the dominant crop, sugar,
• the Cuban economy was vulnerable to trade slumps and the attitudes of American administrations,
prone to exploit Cuban economic dependence for their own ends.
• Cuba appeared prosperous compared to other Latin American and Caribbean countries (wealth,
education, health better than most)
• Differences in standard of living between rich and poor, town and country and regions were
destabilising = significant economic crisis at the time of the revolution.
Political:
◦ High volume of corruption (especially in Havana)
◦ Cubans were oppressed by government
Fulgencio Batista’s government was corrupt and unstable
• Bastista seized power illegally in 1952 and ruled as a dictator
• He failed to implement reforms but rather, he used brutal measures to keep his people under his
control
• He needed to take drastic and aggressive measures to maintain his country. The United States, who
initially supported him, ended their support and began to support Castro
Fidel Castro
, • Studied to become a lawyer at the University of Havana, at which time he gained a strong interested
in politics
• At first (early 1950s) Castro fought Batista through legal means by charging Batista for violating the
1940 Cuban Constitution; However he failed and from then on, he used more covert rebellions.
• In 1953, Castro and Raul (his bro) along with a group of 160 anti-Batista armed man attacked the
Moncado Barracks, which was a military base This was known as the 26th of July Movement.
• The attempt to overthrow the government failed, however Castro became famous
• Castro and Raul were sentenced to jail for ten years
• There were released in 1955, Castro fled to Mexico.
• In Mexico, he meet Che Guevera
• In mexico he also trained men then sailed to the tip of Cuba on the Grandma where he landed with
around a dozen men
• Using guerrilla tactics, he took over one town after another
• He came into power one January 1, 1959 after Batista Fled to the Dominican Republic
• On February 16, 1959, Castro was sworn in as Prime Minister of Cuba.
• AIMS:
◦ He visualized a reformed Cuba. He wanted to end Latifundia, limit foreign ownership, end
Cuba’s dependence on United States, and nationalize public services
• Support:
◦ poor peasants at first however than the general population
• He did not consider himself a communist but turned communist because he need administrative help.
Communist were willing to help. United States refused to offer any help.
2. Methods used to establish authoritarian states: persuasion and coercion; the role of leaders;
ideology; the use of force; propaganda
HITLER:
Persuasion and Coercion:
◦ Hitler was recalled for many Germans as a golden age of strong rule
◦ Brilliant speaker, good organiser and politician. Different to leaders of Weimar.
◦ Driven, charismatic, proud and determined. Got German people to support him.
◦ Hitler’s oratory (accompanied by sophisticated local campaigning) concentrated on:
◦ Attacked Versailles
◦ The need to make Germany great againThe evils on unemployment
◦ The fear of Bolshevism (communism)
◦ Hitler was attracted to the German Workers party (DAP) and joined in 1919
◦ 1920 Hitler becomes the leader of the DAP
◦ Hitler renamed the DAP to the NSDAP (National Socialist German Workers Party) more
commonly known as the NAZI party
◦ Use of technology eg. Radio and planes (hitler over Germany)
◦ Mein kämpf
◦ Leaflets
◦ Social darwinism was utilised to justify violence especially towards minorities, Hitler
promised to make decisions to strengthen Germany and address the problems which the
ToV started
Role of Leaders:
• Adolf Hitler
- Held all key positions
- Chancellor
