1. The term “totalitarian” was created by an Italian journalist protesting Mussolini’s
total control of life in Italy…he was beaten to death by Mussolini’s souldiers
Black shirts – Mussolini’s personal army made up of veterans and the
unemployed….one of their favorite things to do to opponents was forcing castor oil
down their throats (which caused diarrhea)
Mussolini was an atheist but supported the Catholic Church because of its
importance to Italians, because of this the Catholic Church did not oppose him.
“Fascism is not a church, it is more like a training ground.”
Being critical of the government was made a crime.

2. 70% of the Nazi party was under 40…”Full of idealism, the young had faith that a
better world was possible if Hitler took control.”
“[Nazis] do not believe that one soul is equal to another, one man equal to another.
It does not believe in rights as such it aims to create the German man of strength, its
task is to protect the German people, and all…must be subordinate to this goal.”
“The Nazi government set policies to control everyday life, including gender roles. In
June 1933, a bill took effect that encouraged Aryans (those people defined as racially
German) to marry and have children. The bill provided for loans to Aryan newlyweds,
but only to couples in which the wife left the workforce. The loans were forgiven on
the birth of the pair’s fourth child. The ideal woman gave up her job, gave birth to
many children, and completely surrendered her will to that of men, allowing her
husband to feel powerful despite military defeat and economic depression. A good
wife ‘joyfully sacrifices and fulfills her fate,’ as one Nazi leader explained.”

3. “Denounced as enemies of the state, whole families were robbed of their
possessions, left to starve, or even murdered outright.”
Of those sent to the “gulags” …”some one million died annually as a result of harsh
conditions, which included insufficient food, inadequate housing, and 12-16 hour
days of crushing physical labor. Regular beatings and murders of prisoners rounded
out Gulag life, as it too became another aspect of totalitarian violence.”