Mr. Anderson World History

POST WAR

France’s agriculture and industry had been destroyed and a large number of France’s young men had died in the war.

High prices hurt the industrial workers and the lower middle class. France owed money to its citizens and to the United States for war materials. France had to pay this on

debt. Military security was another major expense for France. France built the Maginot Line.

Maginot Line-France’s fortifications along the borders of Germany and Luxembourg.

In 1925 Belgium, Czechoslovakia, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, and Poland met in Locarno Switzerland. They signed the Locarno Pact and pledged to peacefully to settle

all future disputes. They also guaranteed existing boundaries between France and Germany.

FRANCE’S POSTWAR DIFFICULTIES

Easter Rising- April 24, 1916 Ireland revolted against Britain, because they wanted complete independence from Britain. In 1918 Sinn Fein (Irish political party) refused to take their seats in parliament. They declared themselves a new government and when Britain refused to acknowledge this, the Irish Republican Army starting fighting the British. It ended with Ireland being split. Catholic Southern Ireland

and Protestant Northern Ireland.

FRANCE’S POSTWAR DIFFICULTIES

With western Europe trying to recover from the war, new nations in eastern Europe built new governments. The instability and cultural tensions that led to WWI in eastern Europe did not go away, instead

they reappeared in new political conflicts among nations that had little experience with democracy.

Breakup of Austro-Hungarian and Russian Empires disrupted old trading patterns.

1. Broke up estates owned by old aristocracy and redistributed to the peasants

2. Peace treaties prohibited countries from uniting (ex. Germany and Austria)

3. Conflicts between socialists and conservatives weakened efforts to create democracy

4. Opposing groups created private armies, leading many people to desire authoritarian rule.

EASTERN EUROPE

By 1926 Bulgaria, Romania, and Yugoslavia had replaced their democratic governments with conservative military

dictatorships or monarchies.

EASTERN EUROPE

Fascism- Governmental doctrine that relies on dictatorial rule and totalitarian regime, in which the state maintains rigid control of the people through force and censorship.

Fascism- developed by Benito Mussolini

Fascism- appealed to the upper class and middle class. It promised to preserve existing social classes and the

ownership of private property.

Communism- appealed to workers and promised ultimately to achieve a society without social classes in which all

property is shared communally.

Fascist broke up strikes, intimidated voters, and drove elected socialist officials from office.

ITALY

In 1925 Mussolini was made the “head of the government” and the king was allowed to rule as a figure head. The

government suspended basic liberties, such as freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and trial by jury. He

introduced a corporatist state.

Corporatist state- Nation in which the major economic activities, such as agriculture, transportation,

manufacturing, and commerce, are organized into syndicates that resemble corporations.

Son’s of the Wolf- organization for young people in which the children were taught Fascist ideas.

ITALY

Many Germans considered the Weimar Republic to be a traitor to Germany’s interests. Money lost value so bad that they stopped printing numbers on the bills. In 1923

the Beer Hall Putsch occurred in Munich. Adolf Hitler was a member of this group. Was arrested and wrote Mein Kampf

(My Struggles) This book expressed the spirit of the Nazi movement and outlined his plan for racial purity through the total elimination of all the Jews and other “impure”

peoples.

Nazi Party (socialist German workers party)- it was extremely nationalistic, anti-Semitic, and anticommunist.

Nazi Party- promised to protect Germany from communism

GERMANY

Hitler’s emotional speeches attracted many listeners. He pledged to repeal the Treaty of Versailles, restore

Germany’s military power, recover lost territory, build a “Greater Germany” and describe his master race.

GERMANY

1925- Nazi Party had just 25,000 members

1929- Nazi Party had 180,000 members

1930- civil unrest caused many workers and middle-class voters to turn to the Nazi Party.

1932- Nazis won 230 seats in the Reichstag, which held more seats than any other party in the Reichstag

1933- president of the republic appointed Hitler as chancellor

1933- someone set fire to the Reichstag building. Hitler blamed the communists and received emergency powers to

deal with the communist. He used these powers to make himself a dictator.

NAZIS IN POWER

Hitler takes title of der Fuhrer (leader), makes Jews wear a six point star and called his rule the Third Reich. He said it

would last a thousand years.

1930’s Germany rebuilds its military and in 1936 Hitler violated the Treaty of Versailles by sending his troops in the

Rhineland.

France or Britain did nothing.

Rome-Berlin Axis- 1936 signed a treaty with Italy.

HITLER

Between 1918-1921 Vladimir Lenin followed War Communism.

This is where Lenin nationalized Russian industries. It did very little to improve the Russian economy.

By 1920 Russian farmers produced significantly less grain than before WWI and factory production was less than 1/6 of its prewar

levels. In response, Lenin announces the New Economic Plan (NEP). Major industries, heavy industries, communications, transportation,

and the credit system all stayed under the government’s control. Free enterprise was limited. (private business among peasants was allowed, individuals could buy, sell, and trade farm products. The

government also tried persuade peasants to form collective farms.

Nepmen- group of small businessmen who traded in domestic goods and helped manufacturers secure needed materials.

SOVIET UNION

Communist claimed that men and women should be equal. 1917 women received equal pay for equal work. Women

were granted maternity leave and also the Soviet government made it easier to get a divorce. (Soviet Union had the highest divorce rate at this time) However, many male Communist Party members and peasants who were

traditionalist tried to limit women. Women received lower pay than men and also they faced high unemployment

rates. Only a few held positions of authority in the Communist Party.

Education

Soviet leaders emphasized education, but they lacked the resources needed to be effective and by 1925 Soviet

students averaged fewer than 3 years.

SOVIET UNION (WOMEN’S ROLES)

Lenin died in 1924 which led to a power struggle within the Communist Party. Leon Trotsky and Joseph Stalin were the

two main rivals.

Trotsky- almost single-handedly created the Red Army that defended the Bolshevik Revolution. Followed the viewpoint

of Karl Marx and believed this Marxist revolution should take place all over the world.

Stalin- Leader of the Party. He argued for “socialism in one country” and once socialism succeeded in the Soviet Union,

then it would spread to the rest of the world. Stalin has Trotsky exiled to Mexico and then later murdered.

STALIN VS TROTSKY

Peasants were refusing to sell wheat at the low prices set by the government and in 1928 Stalin ended the NEP and returned to a

command economy (government controlled all economic decisions).

5 year plan- Stalin wanted to double the production of oil and coal, and triple the output of steel. He hoped that collective farming

would produce the food needed to support the people and have a surplus. Excess money would be there to pay for the machines.

This plan caused hardships for the Soviet People and when the peasants would not voluntarily join the collective farming, the

government force them to. If the peasants refused then they faced execution, exile, or imprisonment. 90% of the land became

collective farms.

5 YEAR PLAN

Steel production did increase under the 5 year plan and in 1933 another 5 year plan was issued. This plan was to

increase in consumer goods or food supply as reward for their hard work. Production of consumer goods actually

decreased and the government focused its efforts on expanding heavy industry and the military

5 YEAR PLAN

Orthodox Church was basically done away with and art was wiped out, unless you produced works of “socialist realism”

1934 Stalin calls for a purge

1936 new Soviet Constitution was written

Comintern- organization who worked to overthrow democracies.

STALIN’S DICTATORSHIP