Depression and Totalitarianism
Aligned to C3.D2.His.7 — C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards.
What this lesson teaches
The Great Depression that began in 1929 threw millions worldwide out of work and shattered faith in existing governments. In this crisis, totalitarian regimes rose in which a single party controlled the state, the economy, and public life, as in Fascist Italy, Nazi Germany, and the Soviet Union.
Worked example
Amid mass unemployment, Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party gained power in Germany in 1933, promising national revival while destroying democracy and civil rights.
Practice questions
- Define totalitarianism in one sentence.
- Explain how economic hardship can make extreme political movements more appealing.
- Analyze why democratic governments struggled to respond to the Great Depression.
Watch the lesson
Every lesson comes with a video taught in English and Spanish — the same video the QR code in the printed workbook opens.
▶ Watch this lessonEn español
Depresión y Totalitarismo
La Gran Depresión que comenzó en 1929 dejó sin empleo a millones de personas en todo el mundo y destruyó la confianza en los gobiernos existentes. En esta crisis surgieron regímenes totalitarios en los que un solo partido controlaba el Estado, la economía y la vida pública, como en la Italia fascista, la Alemania nazi y la Unión Soviética.
Ejemplo: En medio del desempleo masivo, Adolf Hitler y el Partido Nazi llegaron al poder en Alemania en 1933, prometiendo una renovación nacional mientras destruían la democracia y los derechos civiles.
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