Create a three minute video where you answer the following questions verbally with no notes. Reading will NOT be allowed here, and will result in an incomplete. This is ONLY you speaking to the screen directly.

Question

Who is to blame for the rise of fascism and why? Your answer should reflect your own thoughts, what you learned, and what we know now looking back. The blame can fall to any combination of: Fascist dictators, the people who lived in the authoritarian countries, Western leaders, the people in Western countries who did not want to engage, economic realities, the failures of the League of Nations, the failures of the Treaty of Versailles, or any other options you come up with.

Put yourself in the shoes of one of the leaders of the time in the west. What would you have done differently and why? How would your actions have affected your own people, and how would you have explained your reasoning to your people? Would you have kept your political position and power with your actions? Explain.

What is one key lesson we should learn from this time period and why? Are we showing as a country and as a world that we learned this lesson today? Why or why not?
make the answers short and make it sound like a grade 10. try to not make it look ai too

Answer 1

[Begin Video]

Hey everyone! Today, I want to talk about the rise of fascism and who really should be blamed for it. It’s a complex issue, but I believe there are multiple factors at play. First, we have the fascist dictators themselves, like Mussolini and Hitler, who actively manipulated people's fears and prejudices to gain power. They offered simple solutions to complex problems, which appealed to many during tough economic times.

But it’s not just them. The people living in those authoritarian countries also share some responsibility. Many supported these regimes, either out of fear or a belief that they were the best option for stability and security. They ignored the warning signs and, in some cases, even embraced oppressive policies because they believed they were necessary for the greater good.

Then there are the Western leaders and countries. I think their failure to engage early on, or to take decisive action against rising fascism, allowed it to flourish. The League of Nations really dropped the ball. They were supposed to prevent aggressive actions, but they lacked real power or commitment from major nations. Plus, the Treaty of Versailles created resentment in Germany, which fueled extremist ideologies. All these factors combined created a perfect storm for fascism to rise.

Now, putting myself in the shoes of a Western leader at that time, I would have advocated for stronger actions against these dictators early on. I would have pushed for a united front among democratic countries to support economic stability in places like Germany so that people wouldn’t turn to radical solutions. I’d explain to my people that this approach is essential not just for global stability but also for our own safety. By standing united, we could have potentially prevented the spread of fascism altogether.

Of course, there would be risks. Some people might have disagreed with my stance, fearing it would lead to conflict. But I believe that ultimately, confronting these threats head-on could unite the populace in the face of a common enemy. I think this would have increased public trust in my leadership and possibly solidified my political position, depending on how well I communicated our goals.

Finally, one key lesson we need to learn from this time is that silence and inaction in the face of extremism can lead to disastrous consequences. We can see parallels today with rising authoritarianism around the world. There are still leaders who manipulate fear and division, and sometimes, people choose complacency over engagement.

As a country and as a global community, I think we still have a long way to go. While many are aware and actively fighting against these threats, others remain passive and unaware of the dangers. It reminds us that we must always be vigilant and proactive against any ideology that undermines democracy and human rights.

Thanks for listening!

[End Video]