Which statement best describes a factor that helped lead to WWII in relation to fascism and Nazism?

• A. They supported multiparty democracy.
• B. They promoted a belief in a master race and used propaganda to gain support.
• C. They promoted peaceful coexistence.
• D. They rejected militarism.

Answer: (B)

Fascist and Nazi regimes relied on a racial hierarchy and intense propaganda to win support, consolidate power, and justify aggressive plans. The belief in a master race gave them a pseudo-scientific rationale for discrimination, conquest, and ethnic cleansing, while propaganda molded public opinion, silenced dissent, and created a unified, militaristic national mood. That combination made it possible to pursue expansion and war with broad popular backing and minimal internal opposition, which helped drive the outbreak of World War II. The other statements don’t fit because these regimes did not support multiparty democracy, did not promote peaceful coexistence, and did not reject militarism; rather, they dismantled democracy, rejected peace in favor of conquest, and built a highly militarized state.