Rise of Dictatorship Fascism and Nazism — Important Questions

Adolf Hitler

Adolf Hitler was the leader of the Nazi Party and became the dictator of Germany from 1933 to 1945. He was appointed Chancellor in January 1933 and later became President in 1934. Kaiser William II was the German ruler who fled after WWI. Hindenburg was the President who appointed Hitler as Chancellor. Goebbels was Hitler's propaganda minister, not the leader.

£6 billion

According to the Treaty of Versailles, Germany was forced to pay compensation amounting to £6 billion as war reparations. This enormous sum created economic hardship for Germany and was one of the major causes of resentment that Hitler exploited. The other amounts (£3, £9, and £12 billion) are incorrect figures not mentioned in the treaty terms.

Blackshirts

The fascist paramilitary groups in Italy were called 'Blackshirts' because of their distinctive black uniforms. They were recruited to break up strikes and kill socialist and communist leaders. Thousands of these Blackshirts participated in the March on Rome in 1922. Brownshirts were the Nazi paramilitary in Germany, not Italy. Greenshirts and Redshirts were not fascist paramilitary groups.

1933

Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany on January 30, 1933, by President Hindenburg. This was after the Nazi Party emerged as the single largest party in the July 1932 elections. In 1932, Hitler was not yet Chancellor but was gaining power. In 1934, he became President after Hindenburg's death. 1935 was after he had already consolidated his power.