The Conditions that Enabled Dictators to Rise to Power

The Treaty of Versailles played a large role in helping to give rise to conditions that led to dictatorships in Italy, Japan, and Germany.

Both Italy and Japan were on the winning side of WW1 and expected to profit from the carving up of German territories and colonies. Both, in 1918, were democracies, although neither had a particularly strong tradition.

Japan wanted to gain respect from the European powers but was insulted by the Treaty’s rejection of a “racial equality” clause. Japan also had concerns about the growing influence of America in the Pacific. This would help further the cause of anti-democratic nationalistic militarism in Japan.

Italy too wanted respect from the other European allies after the war. Pre-war promises of territories were denied at the Paris Peace Conference. The feeling that Italy had fought for nothing fuelled nationalism as it did in Japan. Italy looked to an authoritarian leader in Mussolini to raise the nation’s pride.

More than any other country, Germany was deeply affected by the Treaty of Versailles. Germany was blamed for the war and told to pay reparations. Importantly the German government that signed the treaty was a newly democratic one. It was called the Weimar Republic after the German city where the government met. Germany had been led into war by the undemocratic emperor, Kaiser Wilhelm II. When German defeat seemed inevitable, he was forced to abdicate, and democracy was forced upon Germany. The democratic politicians who signed the treaty were blamed for Germany’s surrender and the conditions in the treaty. Democracy, just beginning in Germany was seen as weak, sometimes criminal, and this undermined faith in the new democracy. Soon Germans would be looking for a strong man, an autocratic leader to lift Germany out of its post WW1 misery and overturn the treaty. Ultimately they would turn to Hitler and his Nazi Party in the 1930’s.