Western Civilization Chapter 26 The Illusion of Stability

Western Civilization Chapter 26 The Illusion of Stability 1919 -1930

� World War I took its toll on many different parts of the world � Parts of the colonial world were drawn into the fight simply because of their association with the colonizing nation � This led to unrest against Western political domination � During the war, people of the colonies were equal enough or good enough to fight and die for Britain, France, or Germany

� After the war, they were supposed to go back to their subordinate positions in society – life as usual � They did not want to � They protested � Some countries gave their colonies concessions just to quiet them � They gave them constitutions and some representation � It only worked for awhile

� President Woodrow Wilson’s ideal of selfdetermination and democracy were greeted enthusiastically by those outside of the West � Some were enamored with the Russian Revolution � Many wished to throw off their colonizers or their absolute rulers � Sun Yat-sen in China, Gandhi in India worked to do just that � There were insurrections in Egypt against the British

� Western-educated Africans wanted representation in government � The British gave a constitution to Nigeria in 1923 and to the Gold Coast in 1925, but they didn’t ask the natives for any input � British also gave them more schools that taught agriculture and African languages � African leaders wanted a more Western education taught

Communism � The Bolsheviks in 1917 were hoping their revolution would spark other worker rebellions � By 1929, there had been none � There was also a split between Marxist and Leninist socialism � Other political movements were attracting attention, ex. : Fascism begun by Benito Mussolini in Italy in 1919

� Communism was still in power in the USSR � Bolsheviks renamed themselves Communists � They were a minority in the newly elected assembly, so the Communists broke up the assembly using force in January of 1918 � They slowly established themselves as the Power � It took 4 years of civil war to establish this power � White Army vs. Red Army

� In 1922, Russia changed its name to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics – USSR � There were no real republics � There was one centralized government located in Moscow � During these early years and still hoping for communist revolutions worldwide, the Soviets began “Communist International” or the Comintern in March 1919 � Not successful

� They tried to incite rebellion anywhere they could � They did form communist parties in some countries � There were bigger problems, however � There were disagreements between Socialists and Communists in many areas of Europe that weakened both

� Lenin was succeeded by Joseph Stalin, a brutal leader � Joseph Stalin killed more of his own people than Hitler killed Jews � Communism is no longer in power in Russia as of 1991

Totalitarianism, Fascism, and Authoritarianism � Totalitarianism – total control ◦ Single party system ◦ Revolutionary ideology ◦ Total control of government ◦ Dictatorial leader ◦ Wants active support from masses ◦ No opposition is tolerated To get control, it uses: propaganda force terror technology organization modern communication

◦ Wishes to control: �Economy �Religion �Cultural life �Society They hate: liberal ideologies limited government individual rights & freedoms

� Fascism ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ is a form of totalitarianism Wants total control, in your face control Anti-liberal Anti-democratic Anti-individualistic Anti-communist Ultra nationalistic Militaristic Mussolini began Fascism in Italy in 1919. Nazism is a form of totalitarianism and fascism. It took over government in Germany in the 1930 s.

� Authoritarianism ◦ Less ideological than fascism ◦ Did not try to control all aspects of life ◦ Primarily a dictatorship backed by military conservatives ◦ Most concerned with keeping order and protecting the status quo ◦ Against: liberal democracies, socialism, and communism

Mussolini Creates the First Fascist State � After World War I, Italy was battered and humiliated � Italy’s army was proved ineffective � It had been given the adjacent Italian-speaking areas of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire, but wanted more � Its economy was weak � Its national debt was huge � The treasury was empty � There were many workers on strike � Marxism was beginning to get popular � There was inflation

� Italy needed strong leadership and a strong government � Into this walked Benito Mussolini ◦ ◦ ◦ Son of a blacksmith Journalist Nationalist – later a violent nationalist Pacifist socialist Organizer and leader After World War I, he began organizing unemployed veterans into a political action group with a socialistic and extremely nationalistic program

� Labor disturbances in Italy increased 1919 - 1921 � When the radical workers looked like they were losing, Mussolini and his black-shirted terror squads stepped in to restore order � By doing this, he gained the support of the frightened: the capitalists and thelanded aristocracy � He was saving them from Communism

� In 1922 the weak king of Italy, King Victor Emmanuel III, named Mussolini Premier � He chose Mussolini because he thought Mussolini was the lesser of the other evils � Between 1924 and 1926, Mussolini made himself dictator ◦ ◦ All opposition was silenced Only one political party allowed Press and schools were used as propaganda tools Secret police

� Mussolini had control of economic life in his Corporate System ◦ Unions were abolished, except those controlled by the fascists ◦ Planned economy that was to modernize, coordinate, and increase Italy’s industrial and agricultural output Mussolini did balance the budget. Italy had the highest taxes in the world

� Although Fascism ran the economy, it remained primarily an ultra-nationalistic system ◦ Not an anti-Semitic police state ◦ But was a disciplined police state It concentrated on building a powerful army and navy to recapture Italy’s lost prestige However, in 1935 it still needed Germany’s help to take over Ethiopia

Weimar Republic in Germany � After World War I, Germany was defeated and humiliated � It had been forced to sign a stringent peace treaty � It set up a liberal democracy in 1919, but they were inexperienced with this type of government � They had difficulty handling all of Germany’s problems after World War I ◦ There were competing parties & little cooperation ◦ There was high inflation and a paralyzed economy

� Germany was unable to make the first reparations payment � Through a deal with the U. S. in the form of loans, Germany made its subsequent payments � In August of 1923, Gustav Stresemann became the German head of government � Through his efforts and loans from the U. S. , the German economy began to recover

� In 1925, he signed the Treaty of Locarno with former enemies France Great Britain, Italy, and Belgium guaranteeing the existing borders between Germany, France, and Belgium � In 1926, Germany was admitted into the League of Nations and Stresemann became its leader � Those in Germany who didn’t appreciate Stresemann’s efforts to settle things with former enemies peacefully began moving towards extremists in society

� One of these was Adolf Hitler, head of the National Socialists Son of an Austrian customs official Artistic temperament Left for Vienna as a teen to get into art school He was denied entry; not enough formal training Lived in Vienna, mostly in poverty There he learned of German master race theory and anti-Semitism ◦ Joined German army in World War I and rose to the rank of corporal ◦ ◦ ◦

◦ After World war I, he frequented beer halls and eventually began organizing the unemployed veterans, the frustrated, and the disenchanted that he found there ◦ He organized them into the National Socialist Party or Nazi Party ◦ Hermann Goering was second in command ◦ Rudolf Hess was head of the political section ◦ Paul Joseph Goebbels was the chief Nazi propagandist

� In 1923, Hitler tried to take over the government of Bavaria in the Beer Hall Putsch ◦ It failed ◦ He was jailed for less than a year ◦ While in jail, Hitler wrote Mein Kampf that became the Nazi Bible �It was the German variety of Fascism �The book laid out Hitler’s plan for taking over Europe �It was poorly written �People who read it thought he was crazy ( a good argument for trusting your first instincts)

� Hitler’s philosophy was based on the belief of a German Master Race ◦ They represented the pure Nordic race ◦ They were superior to all others ◦ Germans were destined to conquer and rule all other peoples ◦ Its virtues were militarism, indomitable will, pride, aggressiveness, and brute strength ◦ Its vices were gentleness, peacefulness, tolerance, pity, and modesty

� Foreign Affairs Policy Repudiate the Treaty of Versailles All-out rearmament Recovery of lost territories Annex all neighboring German-speaking territories like Austria, the Netherlands, and Switzerland ◦ Acquire more living space – eventually taking over the Soviet Union and enslaving them ◦ Ultimate Goal: World Domination ◦ ◦

� Domestic ◦ ◦ Policy was vague and contradictory Stores were to be nationalized Communism destroyed Labor unions controlled Persecute Jews �Legal discrimination �Economic exploitation �Violence �Extermination

� National Socialists grew slowly and steadily appealing to displaced veterans, youths, and those who felt insecure and threatened by change � The Nazis promised a lot and seemed to have a clear cause and direction � They offered simple solutions to difficult problems � When Germany was led by Stresemann, Nazi membership grew from 27, 000 in 1925 to 178, 000 in 1929

� It increased even more with the Great Depression in 1929 � Nazi seats in Reichstag grew from 12 to 107 by 1930 � In 1932, Nazi seats increased to 203 � Nazis ha more seats than any other party although it was no majority � There were 608 seats in the Reichstag in total � As the Depression deepened, President Paul von Hindenburg began ruling through emergency powers, challenged by the problems his country faced and challenged by Adolf Hitler

� In 1933, von Hindenburg offered Hitler the Chancellorship of Germany and Hitler accepted & industrialists backed him � Nazis used great skill and propaganda in moving the country towards dictatorship which Hitler soon claimed after the death of von Hindenburg

Nazi Germany � Hitler adjourned the Reichstag � All political parties were disbanded except for the Nazi Party � Freedom of speech, press, and assembly were abolished � The Gestapo, secret police, was established under Heinrich Himmler to spy and destroy opposition � Jews were subjected to every humiliation: driven out of public and professional life; then 6 million exterminated

� Nazi activities were to mold and control thought � Goebbels, the propaganda minister: ◦ used the press and radio for his releases ◦ made it a crime to read foreign newspapers or listen to foreign radio ◦ Waged a hate campaign against democracies

� Unsympathetic teachers were dismissed and punished � Nazi Youth organizations spied on parents and teachers � Textbooks were rewritten � The sole function of education was to create more Nazis � The arts were “Nazified”; only party members or sympathizers could publish, exhibit, or perform

� Nazis took over the Lutheran Church and made it the state church � Nazis had a rough relationship with Catholics � 1933 – Hitler removed Germany from the League of Nations and from disarmament talks � 1935 – Hitler began rearming Germany � 1936 – Hitler re-militarized the Rhineland gave aid to the Spanish Fascist Francisco Franco � 1937 – Germany in an alliance with Japan and Italy called the Tri-Partite Pact

Other Authoritarian Regimes in Europe � They were in Hungary, Poland, Yugoslavia, Romania, and Austria in Eastern and Southeastern Europe � Czechoslovakia remained free until 1938 when Hitler began to take it over � In Western Europe, authoritarian governments were in Portugal and Spain � All these authoritarian regimes stressed militarism and nationalism

Triumph of Authoritarianism in Japan � Three different groups tried to get power in Japan in the 1920 s � #1 – Great Industrialists ◦ ◦ 5 families Known as Zaibatsu Had stranglehold on economy & politics Didn’t want Japan to be democratic because they’d lose power

� #2 – The Liberals ◦ University professors and students ◦ They wanted to �broaden suffrage �unionize labor �Diminish the power of the military They did so in 1925.

� #3 – Military ◦ Schemed to get back their lost power ◦ Attacked Manchuria, China in 1931, then Shanghai in 1932 ◦ War fever and patriotism swept through Japan ◦ Government officials were assassinated ◦ Liberal university professors were accused of disloyalty and were silenced, dismissed, or imprisoned ◦ Schools and press were used as propaganda tools ◦ Democratic government and civil rights were destroyed

◦ Military and State police were given unlimited authority ◦ 1937 – Japan joined with Germany and Italy in an alliance, the Tri-Partite Pact

Work, Leisure, and the New Popular Culture � Work ◦ Industry needed workers ◦ There was also labor unrest ◦ Workers wanted a different relationship with authority ◦ Businessmen wanted efficiency in production ◦ Henry Ford said that in exchange for workers doing repetitive tasks, he would pay them well, so they could buy a car if they wanted

� Women’s Suffrage was granted in the U. S. , Britain, Germany, and in much of Europe in part because of their efforts during World War I � There was a more open and tolerant attitude towards sexuality ◦ Birth control was more accessible because of the efforts of Margaret Sanger ◦ More open talk about sexuality

� There were new electrical gadgets : radios, phonographs, cars, fans, toasters, and artificial silk � Vacations, Soccer, Beach, Baseball, Football � Movies were silent at first � Airplane: Charles Lindbergh � New cultural tradition: there were more women writers like Virginia Woolf

� Surrealist Movement in literature and in art ◦ Begun by Andre Breton ◦ Surrealists believed in expressing the unconscious mind that gave a deeper truth Bauhaus was a German school of architecture. It was industrial, efficient, and modern. It was architecture for the masses. They adopted contemporary materials. Page 908, picture