Years of Crisis 1900 1939 Beloved Stalin is

Years of Crisis 1900 – 1939

“Beloved Stalin is the people's happiness!”

Totalitarianism • Joseph Stalin • Government has COMPLETE control over people • Stalin’s Five Year Plan • Command economy

The Years of Crisis • Why study the years of crisis? • Events led the world into a second world war • Great Depression affected people’s faith in government • Changes in communication changed this era forever • Scientific discoveries changed the world forever

Post War Uncertainty • Civil war in some nations… • Russia • China • Changes in ideas • Lost faith in reason and progress • People began to experiment with modern values

New Discoveries • Albert Einstein • Theory of Relativity • As moving objects neared the speed of light, space and time changed. • Assembly line • Automobile is affordable • Changes in air travel • Radio

Setting the Stage • Unstable Democracies • Little experience with representative government • Some countries had a dozen or more political parties making it impossible for one party to win • Coalition governments formed but there were too many disagreements among them

Setting the Stage • Frequent changes in government made it hard for democratic countries to develop strong leadership • OR move toward long-term goals • Several countries were then willing to sacrifice democratic government for strong authoritarian leadership

The Weimar Republic • Germany’s new government • Serious weaknesses • Lacked a strong democratic tradition • Several major political parties and many minor ones • Millions blamed the Weimar gov’t, not the wartime leaders, for the country’s defeat and postwar humiliation

Understanding Inflation • Germany had huge war expenses • Government spends more money than it takes in • Germany then prints more money • Values of money goes down • Prices go up • Government prints more money • Cycle continues • Economy is in danger of collapsing

Dawes Plan • Germany recovered thanks to an international committee • Dawes Plan: provided $200 million loan from American banks to stabilize Germany currency and strengthen its economy • Also set a more realistic schedule for Germany’s reparations payments

Efforts at a Lasting Peace • As prosperity returned, Germany and France tried to improve relations • In 1924 signed a treaty promising that they would never make war against each other • In 1928 Kellogg-Briand Pact: almost every country in the world pledged to “renounce war as an instrument of national policy”

Depression hits… • U. S. economy enjoyed a boom in the 1920 s • Hid problems • Overproduction • Credit • Agriculture fails • Stock market finally crashes in 1929… • Worldwide depression • Trade between nations dropped • Unemployment rose

The Great Depression • Thousands of businesses closed • Many lost everything • Unemployment • World trade decreased

The Rise of Fascism https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=7 CYUx. Lbl_PM • What is it? • A political movement that promotes an extreme form of nationalism, a denial of individual rights, and a dictatorial one-party rule. • State is supreme • Why? • Many people lost faith in democratic governments • Economic depression

Fascism Rises in ITALY • Caused by bitter disappointment over failure to win territory after WWI • Rising inflation and unemployment contributed to social unrest • Democratic gov’t seemed helpless to deal with problems

Fascism Rises in ITALY • Benito Mussolini, promised to revive economy and build armed forces • Founded the Fascist Party in Italy • Publicly criticized Italy’s gov’t • Oct. 1922 – 30, 000 Fascists marched on Rome demanding that King Emmanuel put Mussolini in charge of gov’t • The King gave in and Mussolini took power “legally” – Il Duce (the leader) • https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=l 7 lw 30 q. KFLw

Fascism Rises in GERMANY • 1919 Hitler joins a right wing political group: the Nazis • Goals: to overturn the Treaty of Versailles and combat communism • Private militia called the Brown Shirts • Hitler chosen as der Fuhrer (the leader)

Fascism Rises in GERMANY • Nazis tried and failed to seize power in 1923 • Hitler arrested – jailed for 9 months where he wrote Mein Kampf (My Struggle) • Germans or Aryans were a master race • Jews, Slavs and Gypsies were inferior • Germany overcrowded and needed lebensraum or “living room” • Promised to conquer eastern Europe and Russia

Fascism Rises in GERMANY • Great Depression ended loans to Germany and German economy collapsed – civil unrest • By 1932 Nazi party the largest political party • Conservatives felt they could control Hitler and advised President Hindenburg to name him chancellor • He came to power legally

Fascism Rises in GERMANY • Hitler turned Germany into a totalitarian state • Banned any other political parties • Opponents arrested • Formed an elite military guard, the SS, who were loyal only to Hitler • Gestapo – Nazi secret police • Citizens shocked into obedience

Fascism Rises in GERMANY • Took control over the economy • Banned strikes, labor unions • Put millions of Germans to work • Unemployed dropped from 6 million to 1. 5 million in 1936

Fascism Rises in GERMANY • Hitler wanted to control every aspect of life • Press, radio, literature, painting and film turned into propaganda tools • Forbid criticism of the Nazis and the gov’t • Children had to join the Hitler Youth • Jews made scapegoats for all of Germany’s problems • The Clouds of War • https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=es. REMYc. Yks