The Age of Extremes (Dictators)

-Born 20 April 1889. -Died 30 April 1945. -He had a bad childhood. -Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the Nazi Party. -Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945. -Dictator of Nazi Germany from 1934 to 1945. -He was at the centre of the founding of Nazism, the start of World War II, and the Holocaust. -Final days of the war, during the Battle of Berlin in 1945, Hitler married his long-time mistress, Eva Braun. On 30 April 1945, less than two days later, they committed suicide to avoid capture by the Red Army. Their corpses were burned. -He launched World War Two and holds the responsibility for the deaths of millions, including six million Jewish people in the Nazi genocide.

Adolf Hitler

-Born 1883. -Fascist prime minister of Italy with dictatorial powers from 1922 until he was overthrown in 1943. -May 1938 Mussolini promised to fight alongside Adolf Hitler in any war against the democracies of the world. His armies, however, poorly led and ill-prepared for war, were defeated quickly by Allied forces. -Italian resistance to his dictatorship ultimately led to his fall from power and to his death. -He was overthrown in 1943. -April 1945 Italian insurgents captured the ex-dictator, murdered him, and mutilated his body—a disgraceful end for a man who considered himself to be the savior of the Italian nation.

Benito Mussolini

-Born 1878. -Died 1953. -Dictator of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) from 1929 - 1953. -Soviet Union was transformed from a peasant society into an industrial and military superpower. -Ruled by terror, and millions of his own citizens died during his brutal reign. -Born into poverty, Stalin became involved in revolutionary politics, as well as criminal activities, as a young man. -After Bolshevik (leader Vladimir Lenin) died, Stalin outmaneuvered his rivals for control of the party. Once in power, he collectivized farming and had potential enemies executed or sent to forced labor camps. -He aligned with the United States and Britain in World War II (1939-1945) but afterward engaged in an increasingly tense relationship with the West known as the Cold War (1946-1991). -Soviets initiated a de-Stalinization process after his death.

Joseph Stalin

-People are more paranoid as they are being monitored for everything they read, watch and listen to. People are more careful on the phone, Internet and out in public as to what they say. -People are not allowed to insult or mock the leaders. -People have to follow laws regulating what clothing to wear in public. -Anything that the Government does not like (whether it's on the Internet, in books, on the TV or radio) is blocked.

What is it like to live in a dictatorship?

Democracy -In a democracy the leader of the party with the most votes is in control, but they still have to answer to their political party, and the voters. -In a democracy political parties represent different points of view and compete for the votes of the electorate. In a democracy political power is secured by winning a fair election. -In a democracy newspapers are free to print the truth and can criticise the government when mistakes are made or if there's disagreement. -In a democracy there's usually less control over the lms and books people can enjoy. -In a democracy the government has less control over how people spend their time and what they believe. People are free to join clubs, political parties and other groups. Dictatorship -In a dictatorship there's just one leader who has total control over the party and the country. Often propaganda, as well as genuine support, will paint them as the people's hero. -In a dictatorship the government tightly controls all aspects of the state and will often ban or tightly control groups and meetings. -A dictatorship completely disregards the rights of individual citizens. The government and state will try to control all citizens through laws, police, spying and force. The government and state is the most important thing to a dictatorship. -In a dictatorship there is only one party - all opposition is destroyed and banned. Totalitarian states don't allow opposition or elections. -The government in a dictatorship controls every element of people's lives, including radio, cinema and newspapers.

What is the difference between a dictatorship and a democracy?