Between the Wars

POSTWAR ISSUES

• UNEMPLOYMENT – RETURNING VETS

• DEBT – NATIONS

• FEAR OF COMMUNISM

• GRUMBLINGS - VERSAILLES TREATY

• AMERICANS DIVIDED (LEAGUE OF NATIONS)

Effects of Treaty of Versailles• Disarmament

• Reparations

• Loss of land, colonies

• Accept blame

• Many blamed government for signing

• “Lost generation” of WWI vets

Weimar Republic• 1919 – German leaders sign

V. T. under protest• Set up democratic gov’t

– Women vote and bill of rights

• Blamed gov’t -“war-guilt clause” and reparations

• Bitterness = scapegoats– Many blamed German-Jews

• 1923 – Inflation = economic turmoil

• France occupies Ruhr region of Germany– Reparation payments were late– Workers refused to work– Gov’t supports = prints more

money• The Mark = virtually worthless• (Inflation) 100 marks = ~950,000

marks

– American loans helped Germany recover

• Great Depression sends them back to misery

1920’S

• AMERICAN ECONOMY BASED ON 3 C’S

• CARS

• CONSTRUCTION

• CREDIT

PROBLEMS• 1920’S • FEW BECAME WEALTHY• MANY COULD NOT EARN

A LIVING• STRUGGLING

INDUSTRIES– FARMERS – RAILROAD INDUSTRY– MINING

• UNEVEN DISTRIBUTION OF WEALTH

PROBLEMS

• 1929 – HOOVER PRESIDENT• DURING 1920’S – STOCK PRICES ROSE• BUYING ON SPECULATION

– BOUGHT STOCKS & BONDS ON A CHANCE OF GETTING RICH QUICK

• BUYING ON MARGIN– SMALL DOWN PAYMENT – BORROWING

REST

• TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1929- STOCK MARKET CRASH– BLACK TUESDAY– SIGNALED GREAT

DEPRESSION

• PANIC– WITHDREW MONEY FROM

BANKS– MANY BANKS INVESTED IN

STOCKS– OVER ½ U.S. BANKS CLOSED

• FELT WORLD-WIDE

HOOVERVILLES

HOOVERVILLES

POLITICS OF 1920’S

• 1921 – WARREN G. HARDING PRESIDENT

• 1923-1929 CALVIN COOLIDGE

• SHOULD THE U.S. GET INVOLVED IN WORLD AFFAIRS?

ISOLATIONISM

• AVOID INVOLVEMENT WITH OTHER NATIONS

• 1920’S – GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS BELIEVED IN THIS

• FEAR OF INVOLVEMENT – KEPT U.S. OUT OF THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS

INTERNATIONALISM

• U.S. – SHOULD NOT “DIVORCE” ITSELF FROM WORLD AFFAIRS

• “GREAT POWER” – ASSUME RESPONSIBILITIES FOR EVENTS ABROAD

• “WE MUST DEAL WITH THE WORLD AND THE WORLD MUST DEAL WITH US”

• PROMOTE PEACE

TOTALITARIAN STATES

• GOVERNMENT CONTROLS ALL ASPECTS OF A PERSON’S LIFE

JOSEPH STALIN

• RUSSIA• MAN OF STEEL (TOUGH) • 1924-1953• CIVIL WAR IN RUSSIA – ESTABLISHED A

COMMUNIST STATE – SOVIET UNION• PRIVATE BUSINESS / AGRICULTURE –

GOVERNMENT OWNED• FIVE YEAR PLANS• 1937 – SOVIET UNION 2ND LARGEST

INDUSTRIAL POWER• GREAT PURGE : 8-13 MILLION DEAD

STALIN

BENITO MUSSOLINI

• ITALY• PROBLEM CHILD

– KICKED OUT OF CHURCH (PINCHING – STONE THROWING)– EXPELLED SCHOOL – STABBING STUDENT

• SOLDIER IN WWI• FASCIST PARTY – 1921 (1ST EVER TOT. STATE)• INTERESTS OF THE COUNTRY BEFORE INDIVIDUAL• 1922 – MARCH ON ROME• KING OF ITALY APPOINTED HIM HEAD OF

GOVERNMENT (TO AVOID CIVIL WAR)

MUSSOLINI

FASCISM

• AUTHORITARIAN GOV. THAT IS NOT COMMUNIST

• EXTREME NATIONALISM

• NATION COMES FIRST

• GLORIFY ACTION, VIOLENCE, DISCIPLINE

• PURSUE AGGRESSIVE EXPANSION

• BASIC FEATURES (PAGE 760)

ADOLF HITLER

• BORN IN AUSTRIA 1889

• JEWISH GRANDFATHER?

• ARTIST IN VIENNA (20’S)

• HOMELESS SHELTER

• MOVED TO MUNICH

• SOLDIER IN WWI

HITLER

• NATIONAL SOCIALIST GERMAN WORKERS PARTY (NAZI PARTY)

• POWERFUL PUBLIC SPEAKER• 1923 – BEER HALL PUTSCH• MEIN KAMPF – IDEAS AND BELIEFS FOR

GERMANY’S FUTURE• BLAMED JEWS• GREAT DEPRESSION• LEADER OF THE “3RD REICH”

Hitler established a common enemy/outside threat

• Jewish population– Blamed for Germany’s economic crisis– Blamed for spread of communism– Hitler played on existing anti-Semitism

• Threat of communism– 1917 Russian Rev. established communism in

Russia

Hitler’s personality & charisma

• Brought Germany out of its depression – Gave people hope– Many joined Nazi party for employment

• Nationalistic (Aryans vs sub-humans)– Encouraged German superiority, pride

Propaganda

• “Aim it at the stupidity of the masses, rather than the intellectuals.” – Adolf Hitler

• Common themes and forms– Anti Semitism/Communism– Loyalty to state and Hitler– Accomplishments of German state– Mass rallies, literature,

education, films

• Depression played into Hitler’s hands

• Division in gov’t – Communist vs. Conservative– Conservatives turn to

Hitler– Thought they could control

him (oops!)

• 1933 – elected chancellor – Gestapo- Secret police –

rooted out opposition– Large public works

programs– Re-arm Germany –

(violated Versailles)

Social Policies• Women’s roles limited• Hitler Youth

– Lost upper level jobs, college opportunities

– Rewarded “Aryan” mothers for having children

• Culture Purge– Education – molded minds– Book burning– Modern art and jazz –

denounced (Wagner)– Replace religion with his racial

creed

• Nuremberg Laws– Jews can’t marry non-Jews– Can’t attend or teach at German schools– No publishing books – No law or medicine

• Kristallnacht (“Night of Broken Glass”)

Joe Louis vs. Max Schmelling

1936 Olympics

FRANCISCO FRANCO• SPAIN

• 1936 – SPANISH CIVIL WAR

• U.S. SENT 3000 TROOPS

• HITLER / MUSSOLINI – SUPPORTED FRANCO’S REBELLION

• SOVIETS – SENT EQUIPMENT TO SUPPORT U.S.

• U.S. WITHDREW

JAPAN

• MILITARISTS – OVERTHREW IMPERIAL GOVERNMENT

• 1926-1945: HIROHITO (EMPEROR)

• HIDEKI TOJO – GENERAL (PRIME MINISTER 1941-1945)

• ATTACKED MANCHURIA – 1931 (LEAGUE OF NATIONS)