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Comparing Authoritarianism

Driving Question: How were authoritarian governments in the interwar period similar and different?

Not all authoritarian governments looked alike, but they had a lot in common. This lesson gives you the tools to spot patterns and challenge the idea that there’s just one version of dictatorship.

Learning Objectives

  1. Use close-reading skills to identify how authoritarian leaders gained and maintained power across different interwar governments.
  2. Use the historical thinking practice of comparison to evaluate similarities and differences among fascist and communist regimes in the interwar period.

Vocab Terms:

  • authoritarian
  • collectivization
  • communism
  • fascism
  • ideology
  • militarism
  • totalitarian
STEP 1

Opener: Comparing Authoritarian Governments

STEP 2

Fascists Rise

Germany, Italy, and Japan all turned to authoritarian rule during the interwar years—but they didn’t all follow the same path. To better understand the threats facing the world in the interwar years, compare how each regime rose and ruled.

STEP 3

Soviet Authoritarianism

Explore how the Soviet Union built a new kind of community under communism. Then, compare its goals and methods to fascist regimes to see how different ideologies shaped power and belonging.

STEP 4

Closer: Comparing Authoritarian Governments

Coming soon!