Instability Between the Wars 1919 1939 Europe 1914

Instability Between the Wars 1919 - 1939

Europe 1914 Europe 1919 New Countries: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, German Republic, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Ukraine, Republic of Turkey, Armenia, Georgia, Ireland

§ Only twenty years after World War I and the Treaty of Versailles, the world was at war again… § The peace was not a lasting one § Social, political and economic instability § Leading to the rise of Totalitarian leaders

SOCIAL INSTABILITY § Disillusionment – loss of life & destruction for what? § U. S. turned to a policy of isolationism § Hope for reforms, but reforms did not happen § Optimistic about new era of peace § BUT League of Nations – ineffective § Germany – blamed, guilt of war damaged the sentiment/morale of the people

ECONOMIC INSTABILITY § Destruction of the European continent § Need to rebuild & repair (expensive!!) § National war debts (borrowed $ to pay for war) § Germany suffering – due to reparations § Inflation § Severe depression leads to starvation § Great Depression 1929 § Collapse of U. S. stock market § Leads to an international financial crisis § American loans to help rebuild ended

POLITICAL INSTABILITY § Nationalism high for Allies § No self-determination – ethnic minorities still ruled by others § Political democracies in Great Britain, France, Scandinavia § Russian Revolution 1917 – established communist rule – Soviet Union § Fear of communism spread around the western world § First “Red Scare” § Rise of Totalitarian Regimes in Italy, Germany, Spain, and Soviet Union

TOTALITARIANISM § Situation was perfect for the rise of leaders who could “solve all the problems” of the country § Leaders with total control of the people § Soviet Union (Lenin – Stalin) § Italy (Mussolini) § Germany (Hitler) § Spain (Franco) § Leaders were welcomed and given total control…