CH 2: IDEOLOGIES Interbellum

• History
• Middelbare school
• havo, vwo
• Leerjaar 3

 Communism

From 1917 until 1990 the Soviet Union was a communist state.

it was a totalitarian state, ruled by a dictator.

Today, China, North Korea and Cuba are still communist states

The symbol of 

Communism

hammer and sickle

both are tools that represent the two most important groups of people in the country: 

farmers and industrial workers

The color associated with communism is RED

Characteristics of communism

• a communist state is a totalitarian state: the government controls every aspects of peoples' lives.
  

Most characteristics are economical in nature:

• Planned economy:
  The state decides what is produced, how much and against what prices.

• No private companies. All companies are owned by the state. Workers get fixed wages. Nobody makes a profit.
  

Characteristics of Communism (2)

• communism is internationally orientated: "workers of all 

countries: unite!"

• Communism is based on equality between people
  

Communism Light?

In Russia, the communists seized power by means of a revolution in 1917.

In the rest of Europe, many people shared some ideas of the communists, but rather a less extreme and 

more democratic version.

These people we call socialists or 

social-democrats

PvdA and SP are two modern social democratic parties. They are left-wing, but not extremist 

Fascism

• In 1922, Mussolini became the dictator of Italy.

• His set of ideas (ideology) is known as fascism.

• Today the term "fascist" is commonly used to for people who are racist and anti-democratic

The symbol of Fascism

Fascism is named after the fasces, which is an old Roman name for a group of sticks tied together. It is easy to break one stick in half. It is very hard to break many sticks tied together in half. Fascists think that everyone rigidly following the same leader and nationalist ideas makes the country strong the same way as the sticks.

the color black is associated with fascism

Characteristics of Fascism (1)

• Fascism is against everything: especially things that are strange and other cultures

• Fascism is anti-democratic: the people do not need a voice in government

• There is one leader. He decides what is good for the nation and the people

Characteristics of Fascism (2)

• Fascism is nationalistic: its own state is above all

• Fascism is based on inequality between people: the highly-developed must lead the low-developed. (The right of the strongest: Social Darwinism)
  
• That is why fascism is anti-communist (which is based on equality)

Characteristics of Fascism (3)

• Do not think, just do! Feeling is more important than thinking.

• Violence is good: not words but deeds

• The woman is subordinate: her job is to have children.
  

 National-Socialism

National Socialism refers to German fascism in the period 1933-1945

Also called: Nazism

The supporters are called Nazis

The Dutch party "NSB" was also national-socialist

The symbol of 

National-Socialism

The Nazis developed powerful symbols for their party to make members feel united. They created their own salute and a red and white flag, with a swastika representing victory, on it. Hitler even thought about his moustache and haircut, so he was easily recognisable for voters.

the color brown is associated with nazism

Characteristics of National-Socialism

National-Socialism is very similar to Fascism, but has some additional characteristics:

• The German race must be kept pure.
  
• Race doctrine and anti-Semitism
  
• The German people need Lebensraum (= living space).
  
• Heim ins Reich: all Germans have to live in one big German empire
  

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DEMOCRATES

COMMUNISTS

FASCISTS / NAZIS

POLITICAL CENTER

LEFT EXTREMISTS

RIGHT EXTREMISTS