Former Modhis Student here xD
Yeah my teacher basically skimmed through this portion of the syllabus, so I taught myself this dot-point xD. Most teachers chose to overlook this dot-point, hoping that it doesn't appear as a question in the exam (the 2019 exam had a 3 marker for this).
When I was studying for this dot-point, I focused primarily on the similarities and differences of the dictatorships systems across Russia, Italy and Japan. At first glance, these similarities are pretty obvious, such as:
- extreme nationalism
- militarism
- cult of personality
- terror and repression
- expansionist goals
And so on! Don't forget to also consider the differences between these dictatorships. For example, Japan did not have a sole, definitive cult of personality, as Prime Minister Hideki Tojo and Emperor Hirohito arose as prominent individuals. Conversely, Russia and Italy had well-established leaders with pervasive cult of personalities, wielding sole authority (Mussolini and Stalin).
Keep in mind that this dot-point focuses on an 'overview', so don't overflow your notes with excessive detail. In studying for Modern History in the lead up to the HSC, I just wrote bullet points on the similarities and differences between the dictatorships.
Good Luck!!