Between the Wars Depression Democracy Dictatorship Post WWI
Between the Wars Depression, Democracy, Dictatorship
Post WWI n Treaty of Versailles had left problems n Subject nationalities, border issues n League of Nations ineffective (U. S. hadn’t joined) n Germany unable to make reparation payments; France occupies Ruhr mines n Terrible inflation; German mark worthless
Post War cont. n Dawes Plan – reduces reparations; US loans to Germany, large investments in Europe n Kellogg-Briand Pact – outlawed war n Germany joins League of Nations n Peace seemed certain….
The Great Depression n Overproduction led to falling farm prices n High tariffs reduced foreign trade n Buying on credit (buy now pay later) n Investors had pulled $ out of Germany to buy stocks n Farm prices dropped; foreclosures n Buying stocks on margin (on credit) n Stock Market crash - 1929
Depression cont. n Loans can’t be repaid n Banks fail, unemployment (Europe too) n Communism gains supporters – had predicted capitalism would lead to disaster (Marxists)
Depression – U. S. n n n Hoovervilles (tents, shelters), soup and bread lines, Dust Bowl Franklin D. Roosevelt (1932) – New Deal Put people to work on roads, dams, bridges, forests, the arts, etc. (public works) Gradually pulls U. S. out of Depression People turn to leaders who give simple solutions: DICTATORS Totalitarian governments emerge (p. 875)
Italy – Benito Mussolini Formed Fascist party 1923 n Black Shirts – attacked socialists, broke up strikes n King Victor Emmanuel allows Mussolini to become prime minister n
Reasons for Success n Economic distress n Fear of communism n Appeal to nationalism n Weak government n Lack of democratic tradition n Leadership of Mussolini
Il Duce (The Leader) n One party n No civil liberties n “believe, fight, obey” n Public works created jobs n Pope sovereign ruler of Vatican
Mussolini cont. n Militarism – expanded; conscription n Imperialism – took Ethiopia 1935 n Against League of Nations n Invaded Albania 1939 n Joined Germany n Axis – Germany, Italy, Japan
End of Fascism in Italy n Many defeats n People turned against him n Captured and executed by antifascists
Russia - Stalin n Lenin dies 1924 n Joseph Stalin wins power struggle n Leon Trotsky murdered n Dictatorship
Stalin cont. n n 5 Year Plans for economic growth Heavy industry – iron, steel, elec. power Forced labor camps in Siberia for those who resisted Collective (state run) farms
Germany - Hitler n Born in Austria 1889 n Rejected by Vienna Art Academy n Anti-Semitic ideas n German nationalist n Devastated by Germany’s loss in war
Hitler cont. n Joined German Workers Party n Nazi Party n Police force - Storm Troopers (SA) (Brown Shirts) n Beer Hall Putsch (takeover) 1923
Hitler cont. n Arrested, imprisoned n Wrote Mein Kampf in prison n Nationalism, anticommunism, anti. Semitism, need for lebensraum (living space)
Hitler cont. n Expanded Nazi party n Appealed to young n Dynamic, aggressive n Gained seats gradually in the Reichstag Pres. Hindenburg appoints Hitler Chancellor in 1933 n Weimar Republic (old German republic) is now gone n 1933 -1945 – The Third Reich n
Nazism in Power n n n Der Fuher (the leader); total power All parties outlawed Heinrich Himmler ran Gestapo, secret police (SS) Concentration camps for opponents First camp – Dachau ‘ 34
Nazism cont. Propaganda Ministry n Joseph Goebbels n Censored press n Burned books n
Nazism cont. n Education – to instill blind obedience to the Fuhrer n Nazi teachers, textbooks n Taught superiority of Aryan race, evils of democracy
Nazism cont. n n n Science & Culture – Weapons of war Writers praised Hitler Jewish works banned Book burnings Attempts to scientifically prove Aryan supremacy
Nazism n n n Mass rallies especially at night Nuremberg Hitler youth
Portrayal of Jews
Persecution n n n Nuremberg Laws, 1935, stripped Jews of rights Fired from jobs, ousted from homes Physical violence Pogroms – organized attacks Kristallnacht “night of broken glass” 1938 Concentrations camps
Persecution to Holocaust Reinhard Heydrich n Final Solution n
Civil War in China n Jiang Jieshi – nationalist leader of KMT (Kuomintang) n Mao Zedong – communist leader – Long March – fighting nationalist forces – Gained many new followers – Civil war suspended when Japan attacks in 1937 (fought together against Japan WWII) n After the war China becomes communist
India n Mohandas K. Gandhi promotes civil disobedience against British rule n Boycotts, strikes, demonstrations n Salt march to demonstrate hated salt tax & monopoly n Limited self rule n Ultimately gains independence from GB in 1947
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