THE RISE OF TOTALITARIANISM

Postwar Social Changes and

Trouble for Democracy

Postwar Social Changes:

WWI shattered the optimism in the West; in reaction, its society and culture experienced many changes

Changes include:New technologyWomen’s freedomJazz New literatureNew scientific theoriesModern art

Postwar Social Changes: New Technology

AutomobileRadioConsumer Appliances○ Dishwasher○ Toasters.

Women’s FreedomLabor-saving devices

lightened the burden of household work○ This freed women to

pursue work outside the home

The Flapper ○ Symbol of the liberated

woman ○ Represents the rejection

of old ways in favor of new, exciting freedom

Postwar Social Changes: Jazz

Western harmonies combined with African rhythms

1920s = The Jazz Age

New LiteratureWorks that reflected

disgust with warStream of

consciousness writing

Harlem Renaissance○ African American

cultural awakening in Harlem, NY

Postwar Social Changes:

New Scientific TheoriesEinstein’s Theory of Relativity○ Space and Time absolute

They are determined by the relative position of the observer

Discovery of Penicillin○ Alexander Fleming accidently discovers it○ Later, other scientists use Fleming’s work to develop

antibiotics

Postwar Social Changes: Modern Art

Western artists began to reject traditional styles and explore color, line and shape

Cubism

•Three-dimensional objects

painted as complex patterns

of angles and planes

•Looks very fragmented

Abstract•Composed only of lines, colors, shapes, sometimes with no recognizable subject matter at all

Dada•Rejects all traditional

conventions•Some paintings and sculptures

were intended to shock or disturb

viewers•Some of the art was made from

thrown away items

Surrealism

• Attempts to portray the

workings of the

unconscious mind

• Favors irrational ideas

Postwar Social Changes:

Cubism Abstract Dada Surrealism

Trouble for Democracy: Problems:

Postwar politicsPostwar foreign policyPostwar economicsGreat Depression

Trouble for Democracy: Postwar Politics

Britain○ Political parties fighting for control

Ireland○ Irish war against Britain for independence

France○ Political parties fighting for control

US○ “Red Scare”

Suspected foreign born radicals (communists) were expelled from the US

Limited immigration

Trouble for Democracy:

Arguing Allies○ France

Wanted strict enforcement of the Treaty of Versailles

Goal = to keep German economy weak

○ BritainWanted loose

enforcement of the Treaty of Versailles

Goal = keep German economy strong

Search for Peace○ Kellogg-Briand Pact

Called for a renouncement of war for national policy

○ League of NationsEncouraged

cooperation and commitment to stop aggression

○ Neither had enforcing power

Postwar Foreign Policy

Trouble for Democracy:

Postwar EconomicsBritain○Deep debt○ Factories out of date○Worker unrest/ strikes

France○Unstable political scene

Trouble for Democracy: The Great Depression

Cause○ Falling Demand and Overproduction

Demand falls and prices decline after WWIAs demand slowed, factories cut back on production

○ Crash and CollapseTo slow the risky investments of the 1920s, the Federal

Reserve raised interest rates- This made people nervous about borrowing money and

investingFear about the economy caused many people to sell their

stocks at once- Financial panic set in stock market crash

Trouble for Democracy: The Great Depression

Effect○ Investors $ wiped out, bankruptcy,

unemployment, etc.○ Depression spreads

The economic problems spread quickly around the world because the US was keeping Europe financially afloat after the war- Without US support, world economies

decline- Result = Loss of faith in democracy

and a turn to radical solutions