The Interwar Period Between WWI and WWII Recall
The Interwar Period Between WWI and WWII
Recall Activity Causes of WWI: MAIN Alliances Lusitania/Zimmerman Telegram Two-Front War New Weapons Trench Warfare
The Treaty of Versailles A Peace Built on Quicksand • Treaty of Versailles (1919) – Created a League of Nations – Punished Germany/Article 231 – “War Guilt Clause” • Restricted Military, Lost Territory Major Problems of Treaty 1. 2. 3. 4. The US does not approve Treaty Colonies wanted Independence (i. e. India) Germany is ANGRY for taking FULL blame Japan and Italy feel slighted for not getting any of the “spoils of war. ”
Provisions of The Versailles Treaty with regard to Germany v Forced to give up colonial possessions. v Alsace-Lorraine was returned to France. v The German army was limited to 100, 000. v The Rhineland was demilitarized and occupied by allies for 15 years. v. Submarines and military airplanes were banned. v. The manufacture of war material was banned. v$33 billion dollars in reparations v. Germany was blamed completely for the war.
The Great Depression (1929 – 1940 s) The Great Depression begins in US but spreads throughout the world WWI is a major cause Depression causes many COMPLEX problems: Unemployment, inflation, devaluation of currency, poverty, corruption, etc. People Seek: SIMPLE SOLUTIONS TO COMPLEX PROBLEMS.
GREAT DEPRESSION HITS THE WORLD!
Interwar Germany The Weimar Republic
Major Problems in Germany 1. WEAK GOVERNMENT (Weimar Republic fails to meet the needs of the people. ) 2. Rising Debt (Reparations) 3. Hyper Inflation 4. GREAT DEPRESSION spreads to Germany
How much would this cost in a Germany experiencing hyper-inflation?
German Marks needed to buy a $170. 00 i. Pod • • Jan 1919 Jan 1921 Jan 1923 Sept 1923 Oct 2, 1923 Oct 30, 1923 Nov 5, 1923 Nov 30, 1923 170. 00 1, 349. 00 372, 477. 00 269, 439, 000. 00 6, 631, 749, 000. 00 1, 347, 070, 000. 00 8, 700, 000, 000. 00 87, 000, 000. 00
The German people respond to these problems by looking for Scapegoats (someone to blame for their problems) The people blame the government (WEIMAR REPUBLIC) and vote for the Nazi Party - Hitler blames the Jews. Hitler and the Nazi Party rise to power by offering people SIMPLE SOLUTIONS TO COMPLEX PROBLEMS.
Misery loves company…
Major Problems in Italy 1. 2. 3. 4. Increasing Inflation Increasing Unemployment Increasing Taxes Class Tension
WWI: Soldiers come home to NO JOBS with NO BENEFITS from the war for Italy. Benito Mussolini pledges to rescue the people (meet their needs) by: 1) Restoring the economy 2) Re-building a powerful army He blamed the Government for problems in Italy
Adolf Hitler, Der Fuhrer NAZI (National Socialist German Workers Party) GOALS 1. Overturn Treaty of Versailles 2. Combat Communism 3. Establish powerful Totalitarian State
Benito Mussolini, Il Duce The Fascist Party Motto: “Believe, Obey, Fight” Mussolini consolidates power and organizese supporters into “Combat Squads”
What are the features of Fascism? 1) Totalitarian State (one party) 2) Non-Communist 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8) Policies Glorify the State over Individual Extreme Nationalism Action, Violence and Discipline Foreign Expansion – “Survival of the Fittest” Indoctrination of Youth Propaganda, Censorship
Hitler Becomes Dictator Turns Germany into a TOTALITARIAN state 1) 2) 3) 4) Nazi Secret Police (Gestapo) Banned Strikes, Dissolved Unions Massive Public Works (Reduce Unemployed) Censorship/Book burning, EXTREME PROPAGANDA 5) INDOCTRINATION: Youth had to join HITLER YOUTH
Mussolini, Dictatorship of Terror 1. 2. 3. 4. CENSORSHIP Rigged Elections Secret Police Propaganda State Control of the Economy 1. End class conflicts 2. Increase Economic Growth (Production Increased) 3. Workers Became Oppressed
INTERWAR THEMES • WWI, Treaty of Versailles, DEPRESSION caused many problems in EUROPE • POLITICAL, ECONOMIC and SOCIAL PROBLEMS create TURMOIL in RUSSIA, ITALY, GERMANY • PEOPLE SEEK SIMPLE SOLUTIONS TO COMPLEX PROBLEMS RISE OF DICTATORS • TOTALITARIAN STATES ARISE OUT OF CRISES – PEOPLE EXCHANGE FREEDOM FOR ORDER
“Healthy Parents have Healthy Children”
Mein Kampf – Hitler’s Book 1) Germans (Aryans) were master race 2) Non-Aryans (Jews and Gypsies) were inferior 3) Germany was overcrowded – Needed Lebensraum (Living Space)
Anti-Semitism: Hatred of Jews • • Scapegoats for Germany’s trouble (1% of Pop) Nuremberg Laws – Deprived Jews of Rights Kristallnacht – Night of Broken Glass “Final Solution” – Extermination of all Jews
Interwar Period Review RUSSIAN REVOLUTION • Czarist Russia/Bloody Sunday: Czarist rule FAILS TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE PEOPLE Bloody Sunday • Bolshevik Revolution: “Peace, Land Bread”=Basic needs • Communism in the Soviet Union: 1 st Communist country, “classless” society • Causes of RR: GFMNP, Autocratic rule, WWI, Unemployment, no representation • Effects of RR: Communism, Representative Gov’t (Duma), Totalitarian State
The Great Depression • Stock Market Crash of 1929: Start of the Great Depression. • German Currency Printed: To pay reparations, leads to inflation. • Overproduction: Leads to surplus, prices decrease, leads to inflation. • Decline in World Trade: Economic instability decreases global economic interactions. • Worldwide Economic Problems: Contribute to social and political instability Rise of dictators.
The Rise of Dictators • Reasons why dictators come to power: Political, social, economic instability. • Dictators Offered: “Simple solutions to complex problems” • Totalitarian Governments: Have complete and total control over the people. One Party dictatorships. • Suppress all dissenters/opposition: Dictators try to eliminate anyone who represented a “threat” to power. • Soviet Union’s Government/Party: One Party Dictatorship , Bolsheviks (Communists)
The Rise of Dictators • Reasons why dictators come to power: Political, social, economic instability. • Dictators Offered: “Simple solutions to complex problems” • Totalitarian Governments: Have complete and total control over the people. One Party dictatorships. • Suppress all dissenters/opposition: Dictators try to eliminate anyone who represented a “threat” to power. • Soviet Union’s Government/Party: One Party Dictatorship , Bolsheviks (Communists)
The Rise of Fascism/Nazism • Conditions in Germany after WWI: Inflation, Unemployment, weak government (Weimar Republic) • Fascism: Nationalism, Action/Violence, Devotion to the State, Totalitarian Governments. • Economic Problems after WWI: Unemployment, inflation, decreased trade. • Fascist Rulers Offer: Hope, Pride in Nation (Simple Solutions: Freedom for Order)
Characteristics of Fascist Governments • “State” or party more important than: INDIVIDUAL • EXTREME Nationalism/Racial Superiority: “Survival of the Fittest” • Promotes Imperialism and extreme: MILITARISM • Censorship: Government control of media • Propaganda: Government advertising • Secret Police: Used to eliminate opposition • Youth Groups: Indoctrination (Brainwashing) • Rule By Terror: Blind devotion out of fear • Benito Mussolini: Fascist party leader in Italy • Treaty of Versailles: Root cause of problems
One Party One Dictator • Joseph Stalin in the Soviet Union (Communist) • Benito Mussolini in Italy (Fascist) • Adolf Hitler in Germany (Nazi)
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