DEMOCRACY

BY: FRANZI TRILSE ALEX GILLES

America and DemocracyFranklin D. Roosevelt & Woodrow Wilson

Woodrow Wilson and Democracy

President 1913 - 1921Woodrow saw the war as a battle between ideologiesHe believed that the victory of WWI had made the world safe in order for democracy to emergeThe treaties assumed that democratic regimes were established within the new nations However some did not find favour with democracy New ideologies were then developed such as Communism and Fascism

Wilson and Democracy Continued

For many other countries democracy did not seem worthwhile, because other democratic states had economic and social problems While fascists and communist states seemed to have more conviction and energyFascist leaders appeared to be more decisive and successful than the democratic politiciansPeople were left to question democracy

Woodrow Wilson

http://www.biography.com/video.do?name=politicalfigures&bcpid=1740037438&bclid=1774292798&bctid=1738706925

Franklin D. Roosevelt & DemocracyPresident 193 – 1945

Roosevelt had the difficult task of governing the United States at the depth of the Great DepressionHe brought hope back to America“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself”Suffers from poliomyelitis at age of 39During his first “100 days” there are 13,000,000 unemployedHe wants a sweeping program to recover business and agricultureBy 1935 there is some recovery

Franklin D. Roosevelt Continued

Businessmen and bankers begin to turn against Roosevelt’s “New Deal” –programThey feared his experiments, were shocked because he had taken America off the gold standard, etc. He was re-elected president in 1936Roosevelt developed a new program: Social Security heavier taxes on the wealthy new controls over banks and public utilities work relief program for the unemployed

o He is re-elected president in 1936

Franklin D. Roosevelt

http://www.biography.com/video.do?name=politicalfigures&bcpid=1740037438&bclid=1768641472&bctid=173013480

Great Britain in the 1920’s

Great Britain in the 1920’s

The most serious issue in Britain was unemployment, 10% of England’s labour force are unemployed Goods produced in Britain were not in demand as much as they were before the warBritain was slow I replacing machinery The British government still wanted free trade, even if the other countries had protectionists policies In 1925 coal mine owners have to announce longer hours and lower wages for the workers

Britain and 1920’s Continued

In 1926 there is a general strike, were 1/6 of England’s workers participated, this lasted all of 9 days

the participants of the strike were so numerous in numbers that some feared a revolution

some violence occurred, but no attempt to over throw the government

the government insisted on an unconditional surrender

Britain and 1920’s Continued

In 1927 the government chose to retaliate with the Trade Disputes and Trade Union Act

this prohibited sympathy strikes & and limited the political activities of unions

France in the 1920’s

France in the 1920’s France had recovered rapidly from WWI The major problem was repaying the war debts and supporting the rebuilding processThe occupation of the Ruhr fails and weakens the French francAn inflation grows at an alarming rate

by mid 1926 the franc had fallen from 20 cents to 2 cents

France in 1920’s Continued

The Chamber of Deputies gave permission to Premier Raymond Poincare, resorting to the Napoleonic Traditions

this meant that Poincare could take stern measures in areas such as tariffs and taxes

because of this he was able to stabilize the currency and restore prosperity

The 1930’sBritain & France

The 1930’sIn the 1930’s the depression came and caused economic misery, which created a political crisis

In Germany this helped the Nazis to come into power

Russia which had a controlled economy seemed unaffected

many concluded that this was the end of democracy

Britain and the 1930’sBy 1931 Britain had a lot of problems with its economy The leader of the labour party Ramsay MacDonald forms a national government with Stanley Baldwin as second in command who was part of the conservative partyLabour opposed the new government and expelled MacDonald and his partyThe government cut unemployment benefits, raised taxes, and in mounts of British currency took Britain off of the gold standard

Britain & 1930’s Continued

After 1935 the national government charted a middle course and won a lot of public support from the peopleThere was never any danger that political extremists would take over the British government

France in 1930’sIn 1934 the growing strength of rightists in Europe was one of the reasons that brought the French left together In the meantime the policy of forbidding communists to join other parties in popular fronts to oppose fascism was reversed by the Comintern In January 1936 left parties put forth a common program

political demands: dissolution of semimilitary formations; application and observance of trade union rights for all

France in 1930’s Continued

In May 1936 popular front won the election with the new Premier Leon BlumBlum is hated by businesses because of his socialism and by the Fascist leagues because he was Jewish He was a moderate when new ideologies such as Fascism and Communism came out He reorganized the bank of France He also helped the French agriculturalHe devalued the Franc

France in 1930’s Continued

Even though the government was trying to improve different conditions, the economy continued to declineAfter the fall of Blum’s government, the French population is divided: workers turn to communism the right demands a strongly nationalist and authorized regime

• Slogan: “Better Hitler than Blum.”

This slogan shows how fragile French Democracy was

Democracy in 1939

Democracy in 1939In comparison with authoritarian regimes, democratic states seemed to be doing badlyExcept for America under Roosevelt no democratic state was able to get a reform programNone of the major democratic states had recovered by 1939The smaller democratic states manage to get intact systems

Democracy in 1939 Continued

Belgium, Holland, Switzerland

Belgium, Holland and Switzerland were usually governed by Conservatives in this periodIn Holland and Switzerland the Central government was more powerful preserving traditional democratic systemNeither of the above countries had serious political problems

Democracy in 1939 Continued

Denmark, Norway, Sweden

Democratic Socialism came throughThey were still careful to preserve civil and political rightsMost comprehensive social insurance plans in the world

Democracy in 1939 Continued

Democracy and the public

Democratic governments are answerable to the public and subject to public opinionWith freedom of the press, misery of Depression in the United States, England, France, Weimar Germany became a matter of public recordIn Fascist and Communist regimes opinion, press, etc was under state control

Democracy in 1939 Continued

Italy

Didn’t do better than a lot of the other states during the depressionMussolini replaced accomplishment with rethoricMany believed him

Germany

Pulled out of the depression with a policy of massive public expenditure end of freedom

Democracy in 1939 Continued

Soviet Union

Stalin managed to collectivize and industrialize at a terrible human cost

BibliographyThe West and the world by Arthur Haberman, Adrian Shubertwww.biography.comwww.whitehouse.gov