Why were so many European countries ruled by dictators between the global conflicts of the twentieth century and how did this affect the lives of their peoples? Why did Europe descend into a second hugely destructive world war in 1939, just twenty years after the end of the first world war in 1918? This course aims to answer these vital questions.
Between the two world wars most countries in continental Europe experienced dictatorial rule, either of the left (Communism) or of the right (Fascism). This course analyses why the inter-war years were a period of such political extremism. It will investigate the distinctive features of Soviet Communist ideology and the impact of Lenin and Stalin on the USSR. The course will also analyse the so-called Fascist regimes of Mussolini in Italy and Hitler in Germany and assess how and why their policies led to the outbreak of the Second World War in Europe. Finally, the course will compare and contrast Communist and Fascist rule to evaluate how far continental Europe between the wars can be called an age of totalitarian dictatorship.
For information on how the courses work, and a link to our course demonstration site, please click here.