Understanding the Political Spectrum and Ideologies

Political Spectrum

• The "left" and "right" in politics often refer to social issues, including immigration, military spending, and the inclusion of marginalized groups, such as LGBTQ+ individuals.
• Economic issues are central to the "left" and "right" divide.
• The political spectrum can be broken down as follows: Communism, NDP, Liberal Party, Centre, Conservative, and Libertarian from left to right.
• Left: Government should regulate the economy, taxes should be high, and the government should provide robust social programs.
• Centre: Medium taxes and medium social programs, such as free healthcare and daycare.
• Right: The government shouldn't control the economy and should allow a "free market," taxes should be low, and individuals should manage their affairs without extensive social programs.

Political Ideologies

• "Ideologies" are systems of political thought found on both sides of the political spectrum.
• Ideologies do sometimes combine economic and social ideas from both the right and left.
• Three political ideologies that inspired the main powers of WWII were capitalism/liberalism, communism, and fascism.
• Liberalism is a political and economic philosophy that values individual freedom, equal opportunity, and protection of individual rights, including the rights to life, liberty, and property.
• Classical liberalism is associated with minimizing the government and the best political system is believed to be a democracy.
• Classical Liberals believe the best economic system is capitalism, which creates a free market.
• Governments under capitalism, by exception, may regulate key industries or social services but generally avoid interfering with the free market.
• Although disagreements occur, the Canada Liberal Party and Conservative Party are guided by liberalism and have historically supported the capitalist system.
• In a toilet paper shortage during the COVID-19 pandemic, a classical liberal government would trust the free market to fix the problem without intervening in production relying on private companies to meet demand

Socialism and Communism

• Communism tries to solve the problems of capitalism is a political system and political ideology
• Communists believe that capitalism tends to enrich the wealthy without caring for the poor.
• Communists see society dividing between the working class, who do all the work, and the bourgeoisie, who earn all the money.
• Communism stems from Karl Marx's ideas and is often called "Marxism."
• Under socialism, the working class controls the economy, and there is no private property or money under communism.
• Communists want the government to control the economy to ensure an equal distribution of wealth.
• They want the government to provide for people's basic needs.
• Many communists advocate for the working class to unite, revolt, and overthrow liberal governments.
• Communism values working-class people and supports their efforts to form unions, striking if necessary.
• Communist parties exist in many capitalist countries, participating in elections to unite working people around the idea of revolution.
• In a toilet paper shortage, a communist government would directly control production and distribution to ensure equitable access, preventing hoarding and ensuring no one profits from a basic need.

Fascism

• Fascism tries to resolve the problems of both capitalism and democracy and the political system believes the state should have supreme power over society, viewing democratic governments as weak.
• Fascists believe in extreme nationalism and cultural identity
• Fascists advocate for using force in politics to seize and maintain power, and they often ally with classical liberals.
• Key elements of fascism include nationalism, they often attack or persecute those perceived as racially or culturally different.
• In a toilet paper shortage, a fascist government may blame a minority ethnic group and persecute them due to beliefs in their nation's cultural superiority.

Government Types

• Democracy means a political system where the population or eligible members of a state elect representatives.
• Authoritarianism means a political system where the state has total authority over society and is called a "dictatorship” when rests with one person
• Totalitarianism is an authoritarian government that seeks to control every aspect of life and can apply to fascist and sometimes communist governments.
• A dictatorship means a special kind of authoritarianism, because power rests with one person.
• Totalitarian is special kind of authoritarianism because it seeks to control all aspects of life and establish social, political and cultural control.
• Examples in the 1920-1940s, USA, UK, and Canada used democracy, the USSR used Authoritarianism in the 1920's and Germany, Italy and Japan used Totalitarianism in the 1930s and 1940s

Rise of the Nazis

• Adolf Hitler believed that the Treaty of Versailles was a betrayal and blamed Jewish politicians for Germany's loss in WWI.
• In the early 1920s, Germans faced extreme inflation, making currency worthless and causing violence.
• The failing economy resulted in high unemployment.
• Inflation occurred when the German currency lost value, which meant Germans couldn't afford food or basic needs.

German Impact from Great Depression and Nazi Goals

• The Great Depression further hurt the economy which led to a rise in radical politicians and increased unemployment.
• Germans in poverty became vulnerable to extreme political ideas.
• Hitler's Book Mein Kampf outlined a number of ideological goals including: territorial expansion, a racially pure state, and an elimination of European Jews
• The Nazi Party gained popularity in the 1930s due to Hitler’s charisma and the Nazi Party used new technology like planes to reach people causing them to became popular.
• Nazis controlled newspapers, spread lies and exaggeration, and filmed extensively to enhance the party’s image.
• Hitler removed civil rights, declared a "state of emergency," and demanded loyalty oaths.
• Hitler reduced unemployment in the 1930s through public work projects and military expansion, which went against the Treaty of Versailles.
• The Nazi's Nuremberg Laws targeted groups to control including, Jews, Black people, Romani (Gypsies), and disabled people
• The Nazi Regime discriminated against Jews during the 1930's, banning them from jobs and schools, and boycotting their businesses
• The Nazi Regime passed laws to segregate Jews, and the "Kristallnacht" (Night of Broken Glass) was a night where thousands of Jewish-owned stores and synagogues were destroyed and burned around 7000 Jewish owned stores were destroyed and 250 synagogues and Jewish passports were marked to identify Jews publicly.
• Hitler achieved power through economic crisis in the 1930s creating a weak government which coupled with his Charisma spread the effectiveness of his Nazi agenda for support of their ideology.

Anti-semitism and Nazism

• The 1936 Berlin Olympics were used to spread propaganda about the superiority of the Aryan Race but also gave Nazi Regime supporters power to spread Nazi propaganda.
• Antisemitism in Canada, such as the Christie Pitts Riot, were inspired by antisemitism in Nazi Germany.
• Adrien Arcand founded the National Unity Party, with pledges of nationalism toward Hitler, Germany, and Canada.
• Jewish refugees were denied access to Canada by sea, because they believed the Nazi government was a threat from external sources due to their poor economy, however the law was based on Immigration party law.

Causes of WWII

• After WWI German people lived in new contrives like Canada and the USA and were under the assumption that it was time for their countries to "belong" to Germany so they could restore power and the world had to stop WWI so that WWII was not a threat any longer
• Authoritarian, Totalitarian and Fascist government powers started the war because they could not accept anything other than their power.
• Japanese Imperialism started due to overpopulation, territory expansion, unhappiness about the treaty of versatile, Emperor Herohito treatment of leadership, strong military leadership/government and dependence on foreign trade.

Causes of the war and the failure of league of nations

• Benito Mussolini was the dicator of Italy, and his fascist government came to power after the "March one Rome" in 1922 and he wanted to nationalize militarize and imperialize.
• Joseph Stalin lead the USSR, and they started excuting political parties in the 1930s to lead only their party. League of Nations was also established to prevent war through non intervations and appeasments.
• League of Nations was basically powerless, they dint have a standing army and they were broke from the great depreession.

Countries and Territorial Issues that initiated WWII

• League of Nations did not want to have to impose economic santions that would afffect there country in a bad way because there country was at state.
• Countries like Canada, Britain, and France were trying to get back into states of wealth so they were scared that it would throw them off
• Countries like Rhineland Austria Czechoslavokia and Poland were taking aim for exemption
• The disputes between Germany and France eventually lead to war.

Agreements and Path to War

• Italy alowed Hitler to take austria and other territories in northern and cental Europe in result for Europe to take southem.
• Hitler signed agreements with many countries which they then proceeded to go against.
• Many Countries and political leaders were afraid of getting into another war.

Path to War

• Germans invaded polands and other countries but they remembered there losses which still made people fresh in peoples minds
• Canada was not ready for the war in 1939 and a lot of the higher power did not want to get into another
• The three Unique factors that Canada looked at to “sleep" on the war was small military untiy and sovienrty.

Canada on Path to War

• Canada was nervous because they only had 7 governes and the prime minister at the time did not want to get thrown back into the war with the other countries, they wanted the best role fo rthe country
• By 1934 Canada was a country not afraid of Britain and it was not automatic in 1939
• Military enrollment and factory jobs increased as well and there were more things that Canada wanted to start spending money on.

Canada's New Soverignty

• Canada announced their role to show that they were the ones in control and no one could control them
• Their efforts were voluntary and the nation of British common wealth was to keep Canada in action but would give them freedom.

War in Europe (1939-1941) and Alliances

• Japan, Germany, and Italy are apart of the axis while Great Britain, Free France, Canada. Austrialia, New Zeland, and America are apart of allies and even the USSR was in the midst of it all but was communist witha piece treaty from hitter.
• germany decided with hitter at peace in 1939 Italy conquered Albania and others took over Poland and many other countries in that time.
• in WWII technology was a big hit with planes tanks and wireless radios

Battle of Britain and Operation Barossa

• Germany could not control and major country.
• Britain created protection for itself, this led to winston giving motivation to save the British colony to continue to keep it under Germany control.
• Germany betrays the Soveit Union, and the US was support for there countries against Germany.

Canada's Role in Battles and The Homefront

• Canada became more accepted into the British army and navy. However they were not accepted in combat and in 1940 WMLK handed the keys to the economy to C.D. Nowe Minister of mitons and supply.