After the deaths of almost 10 million people, society is shaken Some proclaim Western Civilization’s collapse A “lost generation” of war veterans

The Interwar Years

An Uncertain (and unhappy?) Peace

After the deaths of almost 10 million people,

society is shaken

• Some proclaim Western Civilization’s collapse

• A “lost generation” of war veterans creates two different

types of vets:

Pacifists

Those who see no problem in use of violence


Many nations, most notably Germany, are unhappy with the peace treaty

League of Nations fails to assure security with absence of US


US also fails to

honor a promise to

form a military

alliance with

France:

• Leaves a fear of

vulnerability from

Germany


France seeks

alliances to

substitute for US

and Russia

• Little Entente

consists of

Czechoslovakia,

Romania,

Yugoslavia, and

Poland


Germany manages 1 payment of reperations

• After missed payment, France sends troops to Ruhr

valley

• Germany prints more money

• Leads to inflation

Inflation: an increase

in prices and fall in the

value of money


Economic disaster leads to political upheavals in Germany• Growth of Nazis and Communists

France and Germany agree to more conciliatory terms in 1924

The Great Depression

The prosperity of the twenties was fragile

Based mostly on growth of US credit

In Europe, depression came from decreases in domestic

production and collapse of American stock market


• Increase in use of oil and hydroelectricity,

lead to slump in coal industry

• Europe’s agriculture and industry returns to

prewar levels

• Overexposure and lower prices follow

• Prosperity in Europe built on American

loans, when stocks collapse in October

1929

• American money is pulled out of Europe


Unemployment

skyrockets

In worst year (1932) one

in four British workers

are unemployed and

40% of German workers

US and German

production go down

50%


Unemployment and difficult times lead to people being more open to communists and fascism

Democracy on the defensive in Europe in 1930s

Democracy in the West

Women, who had won

the right to vote and

began to be involved

in politics, see a

decrease in roles in

government

Especially Germany


In Britain, control of nation switches between

Conservatives, Liberals, and new political party

Labour Party

British economist John Maynard Keynes argues that

deficit spending should be used to stimulate economy

France also goes through many governments

All fail to stave off (stop) great depression

Leads to decline in confidence in government, leaving them

vulnerable


In US, Depression leads

to election of Franklin

Delano Roosevelt (FDR)

FDR’s policy, the New

Deal brings relief,

recovery, and reform

New Deal provides a

safety net, but

unemployment remains

an issue until WWII


In former colonies (Turkey, India and Africa) there are movements for freedom

Turkey United by

Mustafa Kemal, who takes the name Atatürk: “father Turk”


India

Mohandas

Gandhi leads

protests of British

control via civil

disobedience


Pushes for

independence

increase in Africa as

well

Pan-African

movement inspired

by Americans W.E.B.

Du Bois and Marcus

Garvey

Fascism rises in Italy

Fascism – a government ruled by a dictator

Nazism in Germany

Totalitarianism in the Soviet Union

Government where the state or governing body

holds all power

Authoritarian & Totalitarian States

All have strong dictators who use mass

propaganda to conquer minds of their people

Causes of authoritarian governments are

Postwar conditions

Depression


War costly in lives and debt for Italy

See themselves cheated out of territory

Benito Mussolini

A failed teacher and socialist politician sees

opportunity in being anticommunist,

antistrike, nationalist, using force

Fascist militant groups called squadristi are crucial to

Mussolini’s rise in power

After threatening to march on Rome, Mussolini is made

prime minister on Oct. 29, 1922


Authoritarian & Totalitarian StatesMussolini passes Acerbo

Law

Saying that winning

party gets 2/3 of seats in

government

A secret police, the

OVRA, is established and

Mussolini takes name “Il

Duce”: The leader

After war, Germany’s government was known as the

Weimar Republic headed by war hero Paul von

Hindenburg

Adolf Hitler

Born in Vienna, Austria and failed as a student and art

He succeeded in WWI and decided to enter politics

Joins a right-wing Workers’ Party and quickly takes

power, changing its name to the National Socialist

German Workers’ Party (NAZI)


Authoritarian & Totalitarian StatesForms a militia known

as Strumabteilung, or

the SA

Hitler fails to overthrow

the Weimar Republic at

Beer Hall Putsch

Hitler is sentenced to 5

years in prison, where

he wrote Mein Kampf

Hitler then decides to win control via

elections, runs Nazi party with an iron fist

Führerprinzip – leadership principle

“A good National Socialist is one who would let

himself be killed for his Führer at any time.” –

Hitler


Economic difficulties

help Nazis

Under pressure

President Hindenburg

makes Hitler Chancellor

on June 30, 1933

Hitler passes the

Enabling Act, suspending

constitution for 4 years

and making him dictator


When Hindenburg dies in 1934, Hitler

becomes Germany’s sole ruler

Public officials and soldiers required to take

oath of loyalty to the Führer


Under regime, unemployment falls

Those who oppose Nazi policies must deal with secret

police/body guard force the Gestapo

Headed by brutal Heinrich Himmler

To continue indoctrination, the Hitler

Youth and German Girls Association

are formed


Authoritarian & Totalitarian StatesAnti-Semitism is a

constant part of life in

Nazi Germany

Anti-Semitism – the

prejudice, hatred of or

discrimination against Jews

as a national, ethnic,

religious or racial group

Gets violent in 1938

and 1939, after

Kristallnacht, the night

of shattered glass

Russia was on the brink of collapse because

of famine and industrial collapse between

1920-1922

Lenin pulls Russia from the abyss with his

New Economic Policy (NEP) in 1921

Modified capitalism

After a serious of strokes, Lenin dies in 1924,

opening a power struggle between Leon

Trotsky and general-secretary Joseph Stalin


Authoritarian & Totalitarian StatesBecause of his

connections, Stalin

consolidates power

and Trotsky is

expelled from Russia

Stalin grows economy,

at expense of peasants

(killings and artificial

famines kill millions

Authoritarian & Totalitarian StatesStalin purges old

Bolsheviks who may

not be supportive

Some good does come

from his policies,

higher education up

Much of eastern Europe falls under

authoritarian control, limiting participation of

masses

In Spain, General Francisco Franco takes

power sparking a civil war


Europeans sign a non-intervention agreement

Germany and Italy intervene on behalf of Franco

Soviets and volunteers from West intervene on

behalf of Republicans

Franco wins out and begins a brutal

dictatorship that lasts until 1975


Documents

After the deaths of almost 10 million people, society is shaken Some proclaim Western Civilization’s collapse A “lost generation” of war veterans