Both Adolf Hitler in Germany and Benito Mussolini in Italy believed in the political system called fascism. In a fascist government system, total power is given to a dictator. Individual rights such as freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and freedom of the press are denied. The nation and its power are what counts, not the life of the individual. In Japan, a form of fascism also took hold in the 1920s and 1930s. Japan had an Emperor named Hirohito. Most of the real power in Japan, however, was in the hands of a group of military leaders. Hideki Tojo was a Japanese general who became a fascist dictator. He pushed Japan to join the Axis Powers of Germany and Italy. He also helped Japan plan for war with the United States. Hitler's Nazi Party took an ancient religious symbol from India called the swastika, changed it slightly, and made it their official symbol. During the 1930s, enormous outdoor rallies like the one in the photos below helped Nazi leaders build up more followers in Germany. For many people who attended these rallies, it seemed that fascism and Adolf Hitler might be the answer to Germany's problems.