With reference to the rise of dictatorship in Europe after the First World War, answer the following questions:

(a) How did class conflicts lead to the rise of dictatorship that emerged in Italy and Germany after the First World War?

(b) How did the decline of democracy help in the rise of dictatorship in Italy and Germany?

(c) What was the reason for the failure of the League of Nations?

(a) Class conflict increased in many countries after the First World War.

1. The real issue in most parts of continental Europe was whether control of government and economic systems would continue in the possession of aristocracies or would be in the hands of less privileged majorities.
2. The common man had been promised, during the War, that he would be rewarded by greater attention to his economic needs.
3. These promises were ignored and the common man was embittered.

(b) Democracy was introduced in Italy for the first time in 1919.

1. Elections failed to give a clear majority to a single party.
2. As a result, there was complete instability in the country and between 1919 and 1922 six coalition governments were formed in Italy.
3. The various political parties had different policies and programmes and there was no continuity in their policies.
4. They were unable to deal effectively with the problems of unemployment, strikes and riots which took place during 1921-22.
5. This situation was fully exploited by the Fascists under the leadership of Mussolini, who promised the people a strong national government.
6. The rise of the Nazi Party in Germany was facilitated by the absence of any strong opposition party.
7. As a result, the Nazi Party did not encounter any effective resistance and its popularity achieved great heights.

(c) The failure of the League of Nations can be attributed to the following reasons-

1. United States of America was not a member of League of Nations.
2. Big nations of the League of Nations, who were the Super Powers in the world, were very self-seeking.
3. The League of Nations had no such powers as to get its edicts enforced.
4. In the absence of any sovereign power, the League of Nations was unable to take any effective action against the aggressor, and this became the main reason behind the failure of the League of Nations.
5. The League of Nations did not have its own army and hence, it could not prove to be effective.