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Interwar Ideologies

Driving Question: Why did extremist ideologies like fascism emerge during the interwar period?

After World War I, the world was in crisis. In this lesson, you’ll explore how economic collapse, fear, and political uncertainty gave rise to extreme ideologies—like fascism, communism, and authoritarianism—and how people across the globe responded to these new visions of power and order.

Learning Objectives:

  1. Use the historical thinking practice of contextualization to evaluate the circumstances that led to the global depression.
  2. Use the historical thinking practices of comparison and causation to analyze the rise of authoritarian governments in various regions of the world.
  3. Use a graphic biography to support, extend, or challenge the overarching narratives of this period.
STEP 1

Opener: Interwar Ideologies

Teaching Tools

Openers are great for activating prior knowledge and getting students engaged in learning. Read more in the OER Project Openers and Closer Guide.

Fascist and authoritarian ideologies transformed political life in the interwar period. This opener encourages you to reflect on how these ideas gained traction and why they appealed to people facing uncertainty and hardship.

STEP 2

The Great Depression

Teaching Tools

Students need feedback to learn—use the Contextualization Feedback Form to help students reflect and improve upon their contextualization skills.

Explore the global causes and consequences of the Great Depression. Through a contextualization activity and an in-depth article, you'll see how economic interdependence and political decisions led to a worldwide crisis that set the stage for significant historical developments.

STEP 3

Competing Ideologies

Teaching Tools

While war is not unusual in history, it can still be triggering for many. Think about how to approach these topics with your students by taking a look this resource on Teaching Sensitive Topics in Social Studies.

After the Great Depression, people were searching for answers—and leaders offered a wide range of them. Use these materials to learn what fascism is, how authoritarian governments gained power, and how some groups tried to resist through international cooperation. Then, you’ll analyze a political party platform to understand how extremist messages appealed to people facing crisis and uncertainty.

What is Fascism? External link

What is fascism, really? This video breaks down the core ideas and strategies behind fascist movements, revealing how they rose to power and helped ignite World War II.

Key Ideas

As this video progresses, key ideas will be introduced to invoke discussion.

Internationalism Between the Wars External link

After World War I, many people had dreams of peace and international cooperation. But as the world grew more isolationist and combative, these dreams were not realized.

Key Ideas

As this video progresses, key ideas will be introduced to invoke discussion.
STEP 4

Closer: Interwar Ideologies

Teaching Tools

Still looking for support for students in reading Graphic Biographies? Take about 9 minutes to watch how to Decode a Graphic Biography.

Plaek Phibunsongkhram’s leadership in Thailand shows that fascist and authoritarian ideas spread far beyond Europe. His actions reveal how local leaders adapted extreme ideologies to meet their own goals, helping us understand why these movements gained global appeal during the interwar years.

Extension Materials
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Use this source collection and these case study articles for added insight into how fascist, communist and authoritarian governments gained ground in this era.
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Fascism, Communism, and Authoritarianism

Why did so many countries turn to extremist leaders in the interwar years? These articles add valuable global context by examining how fascism, communism, and authoritarianism took root in Italy, the Soviet Union, and Japan. These cases help you compare how different systems responded to crisis—and why so many people supported strong, often repressive, governments.