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Introduction
| Communism | Liberalism Did you know?• The Latin word propaganda, first coined by Pope Gregory XV in 1622, means 'spreading the faith in heathen lands'. • In 1836, Karl Marx became secretly engaged to Jenny von Westphalen, whose grandfather Philipp Westphalen was confidential secretary to Duke Ferdinand of Brunswick. • José Antonio Primo de Rivera, the founder of the Falange (Spanish Fascist party) in 1933, was the son of General Primo de Rivera, Spain's dictator from 1923 to 1930. • The Nazi swastika was originally a symbol of good luck in ancient India and China. The name is derived from the Sanskrit word svastikah, which means 'being fortunate'. • The motto of Hitler's SS élite bodyguard was Meine Ehre ist treue (Honour means unquestioned obedience). • In Fascist Italy, women were discouraged from working, horse-riding and wearing trousers. Instead, they were encouraged to stay at home and have as many children as possible. • Benito Mussolini had photographs taken of himself flying an aeroplane, driving a racing car, playing the violin, winning a chess game and even jogging. Many of these were faked. • The name Stalin means 'Man of Steel'. • When Stalin forcibly collectivised (nationalised) Soviet agriculture in 1932-34, about 5,000,000 people starved to death. • As well as writing philosophical tomes and political tracts, Jean-Paul Sartre also wrote novels, such as La Nausée (Nausea) in 1938. See also Women's liberation/feminism |
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