A detailed IB History essay which explores the factors which contributed to the rise of Hitler, in Germany, and Mao, in China. The essay explores the role of opposition, nature of the state at the time and personality of the dictators.
Word Count: 1101.
Compare and contrast the rise to power of two rules of single
party states.
There are numerous factors, internal and external, that could contribute towards the rise to
power of an autocrat or dictator. A single party state is one which is governed by one
political party and headed by one individual who is known as the dictator. Adolf Hitler and
Mao Zedong are two such leaders who rose to power in the twentieth century, in their
respective states of Germany and China. Although Hitler and Mao had very different
ideologies and beliefs, they were some similarities in how they rose to power and the factors
that contributed to their cause. These factors comprise of external factors such as the weak
opposition, the nature of the state, the masses etc., as well as internal factors like the
personality and personal beliefs of the dictator.
Firstly, when studying the rise to power of Hitler and Mao, it is important to look at the
nature of the state at the time of rise to power. This was a consequential factor which both
leaders used to their advantage. In 1919, Germany had signed the Treaty of Versailles
according to which she owed a total sum of 33 billion USD to the Allied powers. The harsh
terms of the treaty and the Weimar government’s inability to deal with the situation resulted
in large scale unemployment and poverty within the country. This along with the World
depression in 1929 resulted in hyperinflation and left Germany economically devastated. In
China, during the early 20th century, there was political instability and after the fall of the
Qing dynasty, the governments were weak and there was significant increase in war lords
and imperialism. Both Hitler and Mao took advantage of the economic and political
instability of their respective states to gain support of the public.
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