Compare/Contrast Axis Powers Leaders
Characteristics Adolf Hitler
- Earned power legally. Hitler was the head
of the largest party in the Reichstag. He
had greater popularity than the Chancellor
Taking of the time, due to his policy of undoing the
Power unpopular Treaty of Versailles. He also
promised the German people hope in
dealing with the economic depression.
- Hitler is regarded as one of the best
public speakers in history. When he took
the stage he would wait for total silence
before speaking. He would intentionally
Public build his oratory excitement that by the
Speaking end of his speech the audience would be
rabidly cheering. Hitler, Mussolini, and
Tojo all spoke publically in military
uniforms. This attire can be attributed in
all 3 leaders belief in the power of the
army and violence.
- Hitler had wild and extreme expectations
to expand the German Empire. He wanted
to create “living space” for ethnic Germans.
The Sudetenland and Austria were
annexed by Hitler to expand Germany. In
Expansion 1939, when Hitler invaded Poland, the
western Allies had enough and declared
war on Germany; the beginning of World
War II. Hitler had an insatiable desire to
acquire more and more land for ethnic
Germans.
- Adolf Hitler used paramilitary forces
before and during the Nazi regime to
control his political interests. Hitler used
the “Brownshirts” to protect his party and
Forces discard political opponents to ensure his
power was kept in firm control.
- Hitler committed suicide with his
mistress Eva Braun in 1945, when it was
obvious the Third Reich was collapsing.
The Soviets were moving into Berlin,
Death around Hitler’s bunker, so he decided to
end his own life.
Benito Mussolini
- Earned power legally.
Mussolini ordered his forces
to seize power in Rome. King
Victor Emmanuel, fearing a
Civil War, declared Mussolini
Prime Minister in 1922.
- Mussolini like Hitler was a
passionate speaker. As seen
in the video, Mussolini waves
his arms and uses violent
hand gestures when
speaking to crowds. He
would inspire cheering
crowds with promises to
make “Rome great again”.
- Mussolini was both
nationalistic and
imperialistic. However, his
expansionist desires did not
go as far as Germany or
Japan’s aspirations. His
territorial expansion
included the free state of
Fiume in 1924, annexation of
Albania, and Ethiopia
became part of the Italian
empire in 1936.
- Similar to Hitler, Mussolini
used paramilitary forces that
were termed the
“Blackshirts”. This force was
used both before and during
Mussolini’s reign. They also
used violence to thwart
Mussolini’s political
opponents.
- Mussolini and his mistress
were executed. They were
both shot, and then hanged
by their feet in public.
Tojo/ Hirohito
- Differed from the dictators
in Germany and Italy. Tojo
was the Army Minister of
Japan. Following military
victories, Emperor Hirohito
appointed Tojo prime
minister of Japan.
- Tojo did address the
Japanese public on occasion;
however, he was not close to
as talented as Mussolini or
Hitler when speaking to the
public. Emperor Hirohito
only spoke to the public
once, a 4-minute radio
address ending the war. He
was god-like to the Japanese
and public speaking was not
part of Japanese political
ideology.
- Japan’s strategy was to
become an empire in the
Pacific. Japan wished to
conquer Asia. Japan, an
island nation, lacked the
necessary resources to
become a world power. So
their territorial expansion
included taking over Pacific
nations with those resources
such as Indochina and the
Dutch East Indies
(Indonesia).
- Hideki Tojo became the
head of the Kwantung Army
Military Police in 1935. The
political landscape of the
Emperor was firmly in place
in Japan. So there was far
less political opponents
Japan had to be concerned
with compared to Fascist
Italy and Nazi Germany.
- Japan has a deep-rooted
culture of honor. Tojo feeling
he failed Japan attempted
suicide, but he failed. He was
hanged like Mussolini.
Emperor Hirohito outlasted
all of the leaders and died in
1989, not being held
accountable for war crimes.