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EdwilBrylleBisnar
Humanities10:Periods2/3HonorsByExhibition
Mrs.AmbroseandMs.Augustine
1June2016
RiseofDictators
Duringthe20thcentury,dictatorshaveplayedalargeroleinshapinghistory.Byseizing
controloftheirgovernments,theybroughtoutgreatreforms,mostofwhichradicallychanged
thedictatorscountry.WellknownexamplesincludeAdolfHitlerfromGermany,orVladimir
LeninandJosephStalinfromtheSovietUnion.Althoughdictatorshavemadenumerouschanges
forbetterandforworse(despitethefactthatthismostlyendsupforworse),theyvedonesofor
severalinterestingreasons.Atfirst,thesedictatorspromisetorestructuretheirnations,bring
theirpeopleoutofhardship,andbeginaneweraofprosperity.Thisoftencomestruealthough
thereisacostindoingso.However,thereisacertainprocessingainingpowerinordertorise
topositionoftheheadofstate,adictatormustgarnersupportandtakecontrolofthe
government.Oncetheydo,theiractionscanheavilyaffecttheircountry,eitherimprovingitor
ruiningit.
Inorderforastatetobeginitstransformationintoadictatorship,therearesituations
withinastatethatarerequiredtoallowapotentialdictatortobeginhisrisetopower.Throughout
history,nationsthatbecamedictatorshipsusuallystartoutinruinsorinpoorcondition.One
wellknownexampleofthiswouldbeGermanyattheendofWWI,justbeforeHitlerbeganhis
risetopowerandthestartofWWII.DuetothetreatyofVersailles,Germanywasleftcrippled,
withaseverelyweakenedmilitaryandamassivedebtduetobeingblamedforcausingthewar.


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Initsimpoverishedstate,Germanyseconomywasdevastated,andmanypeoplewereleftin
chaosandhardship.Thisstateofturmoilleadsademandforchangewithinthepovertystricken
people,whowantthegovernmenttodosomethingaboutit.
Acountryunderdevastationandstruggleresultsinpeoplewantingchange.Historically,
menwhowouldeventuallybecomedictatorsareincludedwithinthesepeoplejustlikeother
citizensundergoingturmoil,adictatorbelievesthathissocietyneedsachangeforthebetter.
Suchabeliefformstheirmotivetocomeintopower.Asaleader,adictatorcanrestructurethe
statetohowtheyenvisionit.HaleyBaun,ahistoryteacherfromEdisonHighSchool,Ohio,
describedthedictatorsofthepreWWIIeraaspowerhungryindividualswhowenttoextreme
measurestoensurethattheyachievedtheirgoalstheysetforthfortheircountries.Forinstance,
thegoalofVladimirLeninduringhisrevolutionarymovementwastobringchangetothe
country,whichhadastrainedeconomyanddiscontentcitizensdemandingforreformafterawar
withJapan(History.comStaff).Althoughthegovernmenttookactiontomeetthecitizensneeds,
LeninwantedtocontrolRussiathrougharevolution,inordertoreshapethestructureofRussia
intowhathebelievesisessentialforsuccess:asocialistnationcontrolledbytheworkers
(History.comStaff).
Inordertomaketheirgoalsareality,thedictatorwouldneedawaytoseizecontrolof
thestate.However,obtainingsupportisacrucialpartofthis,andisneededevenbeforethe
takeoverbegins.InHitlerscase,hestartedoutasamemberofGermanWorkersParty.By
makingspeechesabouthisopinionsandappealingtootherpartymembers,hemanagedtorise
upthroughtheranks(Ealer).OncehebecametheleaderoftheGermanWorkersParty,he
attemptedacouptoseizepower,butfailedandgotarrested.Afterbeingreleased,Hitlerbegan


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theNaziParty.Bythen,Germanywasinaneconomiccrisis.Thiscrisis,combinedwithHitlers
remarkablespeechmaking,allowedtheNaziPartytoappealtotheunemployedandlowerclass
people,whodesiredchange("HitlerComestoPower.").Hitlerpropagatedthemessagethathe
andtheNaziPartywouldbringamuchneededreformtoGermanyandtakeitoutofitscrisis
thismessagehelpedgathersupportersfortheNaziParty.ThissupportallowedtheNaziPartyto
risetoprominenceinpolitics.ThroughnegotiationswiththeGermangovernment,Hitlerwas
appointedasGermanchancellor.
Oncethetrustofthepeopleisgained,thedictatorisabletohaveenoughsupportersto
helpinmakinghisgoalforthegovernmentcomeintoaction.Thisleadstothenextphaseofa
dictatorsrisetopower:thetakeoverofthegovernmentitself.Usually,whentakingcontrolof
thegovernment,forceisusuallyappliedthecurrentgovernmentisforcedouttomakeroomfor
thedictatorsownone.Suchatakeoverhashistoricallyoccurred.TakeHitler,forinstanceafter
becomingtheGermanchancellor,heeliminatedhispoliticalrivalsinthegovernmentbyhaving
themkilled.ThisactionresultedintheNaziPartygainingcontrolofGermany,aswellasHitler
becomingtheleaderofhiscountry(Ealer).Meanwhile,in1917,VladimirLeninledtheOctober
Revolution,whichattackedandoverthrewthecurrentProvisionalgovernment.Leninarguedthat
arevolutionwasnecessaryinordertoallowhisSovietgovernmenttotakeoverRussia.This
revolutionbeganacivilwarthatconcludedwithLeninvictoriouslygainingcontrolofthestate
withhisnewgovernment(History.comStaff).
Onceadictatorcomesintopower,thechangeshemakecandeterminehowhisreignwill
develop.Dependingonhowtheyusetheirpositiontocontrolthestate,theleadercouldbecomea
dictatorwithabsolutecontroloverthecountry.Withthatabsolutecontrol,thedictatorcoulddo


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bothgoodthingsandbadthingsfortheirpeople.Hitlersfirstachievementsincludedreviving
theGermanyeconomy.AccordingtoGlobalSecurity.org,Unemployment,sopivotalinbringing
himtopower,haddroppedfrom6milliontolessthan1millionbetween1933and1937...
Nationalproductionandincomedoubledduringthesameperiod(TheGermanyEconomy
UnderHitler).However,Hitlerhadalsousedhispowertobeginagenocideinhiscountry:the
Holocaust.OneofhisgoalsforGermanywastoexterminateanynonGermansorunfitpeople,
especiallyJews,whichhebelievedwerethesourceofGermanysproblems.Hisgoalsof
restoringGermanyalsoinvolvedobtainingmoreterritory.Inordertoachievethis,Hitlerbegan
aninvasionofneighboringcountries,includingCzechoslovakiaandPoland.Theinvasion
violatedGermanysagreementsintheTreatyofVersailles,beginningtothetensionsthat
culminatedinWWII(History.comStaff).Ontheotherhand,Leninhadalsobroughtrelieftothe
RussianpeopleaftercomingintopowerhemadepeacewithGermanyandtookRussiaoutof
WorldWarI,andgavethepropertyfromformernoblementotheworkers.However,afterLenin
died,JosephStalintookover.AstheleaderofRussia,Stalinmadenumerouschanges.Usingfear
andterrortorule,Stalinhadanyonewhochallengedhisrulebekilled,arrested,orsenttowork
camps.Inaddition,Stalinhadmanyofhispeopleworkinfarms,mines,andfactories.These
samepeoplealsostarved,beingunabletoproduceenoughfood.
Althoughtheirruleswerestrictandarduous,thedictatorsbelievedthattheirmethods
werejustified.Intheirview,theirmainconcernwashowtheywouldbringthenationtheylead
intoanewstageofprosperity,ratherthanthecostofdoingso.InHitlerslasttestament,he
wrotethathewasnotresponsibleforstartingWorldWarII,andplacedtheresponsibilityon
internationalstatesmenwhowereeitherofJewishoriginorworkingforJewishinterests


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(Berthon3045).Finally,accordingtoHaleyBaun,Hitlerthoughtthatracialpurificationand
expandingGermany'slivingspacewastheanswertoGermany'sproblems,therefore,he
attemptedtobringwhathethoughtwaspositivitytothecountry.StalinindustrializedtheSoviet
Unionwhichhelpedthecountryasawhole,however,hefailedtotakecareofhiscitizensbut
insteadcontrolledeveryaspectoftheirlives.
Mostoftheseaspectsofdictatorsrisetoleadershipandtheirusageofpowerapplyto
moremodernones.AprimeexamplewouldbethedictatorofZimbabwe,PresidentRobert
Mugabe.BeforehebecametheleaderofZimbabwe,Mugabewasapartoftheguerillawar
againstwhiteRhodesiansettlerrule,andlaterwonthefirstdemocraticelectionsofZimbabwe.
Hisrulestartedoutnormally,andhebroughthisnationtoprosperitytheeconomygrew,
healthcareandeducationexpandeddramaticallyasWesternaidpouredintorebuildthisnation,
emancipatedaftereightyearsofwar(Godwin19).However,furtherintoMugabespresidency,
thepopulationbegantograduallydisapproveofhim.AccordingtoaFreedomHouseMPOIpoll,
fewerthantwelvepercentofZimbabwespopulationsupporthim(Godwin204).This
disapprovaldidoccurredforareasonastimepassed,Mugabesreignbegantochange.Just3
yearsafterZimbabwesindependence,Mugabesgovernmentanditsassociatesbegan
massacringsupportersoftherivalMDCpoliticalparty.Suchanactisknownaspoliticide.
ThroughoutPeterGodwinsbookTheFear:RobertMugabeandtheMartyrdomofZimbabwe,
manyoftheZimbabwepeopleGodwinhadmetduringhisvisittherehadbeenabusedby
supportersofMugabe.Thisincludesseizureordestructionofproperty,arrest,torture,and
lynching.ThisisusuallydonebylargemobsorwarveteransthatsupportZANUPF,theruling
partyofZimbabwe.Mugabesmainpoliticalrival,MorganTsvangirai,hadbeenbeatenupby


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warveteransfromMugabein1998,andinsubsequentevents,hadbeenchargedwithtreason
threetimes,arrestedmultipletimes,imprisoned,andsurvivedtwofurtherassassinationattempts
(Godwin29).
Theemergenceofdictatorsinvolvesseveraldifferentaspectsthateachplayaroleintheir
historyasaleader.Theseaspectsincludegainingsupportandtrust,seizingcontrol,andenacting
change.AllofthemwereemployedbyleaderssuchasHitler,Lenin,andStalin,whotookthose
stepstorisetopowerandmakechanges.BothHitlerandLeninhadmadeappealtotheirpeople
togainsupportfortheircause,andhadtakencontroloftheirgovernmentthroughtakeovers.
Onceincontrol,theyhadmadegreatchangesthatheavilyaffecttheircountries.InGermany,
HitlersidealswerebeingputtofulleffectintheformoftheHolocaust.InRussia,peoplewere
livingadifficultlifeoflaborandfearunderStalinsreign.Thesechangesresultedinastrong,
strict,andpowerfulrule,thekindthatcharacterizesthemasdictators.RegardingbothHitlerand
Stalin,historyteacherHaleyBaunsaid:
Bothofthesedictatorshelpedachievedgoalsfortheircountries,butaftergaining
thetrustoftheircitizens,theyslowlybutsurelyimplementedlawsthatlimitedthe
powerofthepeopleandestablishedatotalitariangovernmentwheretheyruledby
fearandeliminatedanyonewhoopposedthem.
Thissumsuptheprocessofadictatorsrisetopowerandrule.AdictatorsuchasHitlerorLenin
startsoutacommoncitizeninaruinedcountry,longingforchange.Bystrivingtomakethat
changehappen,theyrallythepeopletohelpthemintakingoverthegovernment.Onceabsolute
ruleisachieved,theyultimatelyendupgreatlyrestructuringthecountry,makingsignificant
changesthatnotonlybringitoutofstruggle,butbeginanewstrictreignofterror:adictatorship.


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WorksCited
Baun,Haley.Emailinterview.2May2016.
Berthon,Simon,andJoannaPotts.Warlords:AnExtraordinaryRecreationofWorldWarII
throughtheEyesandMindsofHitler,Churchill,Roosevelt,andStalin.Cambridge,MA:
DaCapo,2006.Print.
Ealer,John,dir."TheWorldWars."TheWorldWars.HistoryH2.26May2014.Television.
Godwin,Peter.TheFear:RobertMugabeandtheMartyrdomofZimbabwe.NewYork:Little,
Brown,2011.Print.
History.comStaff."AdolfHitler."History.com.A&ETelevisionNetworks,01Jan.2009.Web.
14May2016.
History.comStaff."VladimirLenin."History.com.A&ETelevisionNetworks,01Jan.2009.
Web.14May2016.
"HitlerComestoPower."UnitedStatesHolocaustMemorialMuseum.UnitedStatesHolocaust
MemorialCouncil.Web.14May2016.
"TheGermanyEconomyUnderHitler."GlobalSecurity.org.Web.14May2016.