Looking back on history, we can often see patterns emerging just before dangerous or terrible events occurred. One example is the Holocaust during the Second World War. It's obvious to us—now—that the rise of authoritarianism, including fascism, was paving the way for leaders in many countries to command the obedience of whole populations, even when these leaders began to order the killing of civilians. We can see how Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, and others began to attack journalists, control the flow of information, and stir up nationalism by persecuting ethnic minorities or invading desirable lands. In some ways, their actions were like experiments, pushing the boundaries of authoritarian rule to see what they could get away with. When nobody stopped them, they became bolder and more aggressive. This article details some of those experiments.
