The Years Between the World Wars Postwar Problems Initially, the most pressing problems were finding jobs for the returning Veterans, rebuilding the

The Years Between

the

World Wars

Postwar Problems Initially, the most pressing problems were finding jobs for the returning Veterans, rebuilding the infrastructure destroyed by the war, and Repayment of the huge war debts lead to

economic problems

Postwar Problems

The Russian Revolution led to fears of the spread of communism, especially in light of the economic problems facing the post war world.

Postwar Problems

Post War Europe lacked strong leadership in a period where they were most needed. The war had killed many potential leaders that may have helped solve pressing world problems.

Pursuing the Peace

The Spirit of Locarno, in 1925 7-European nations signed a series of treaties. These treaties settled:

Pursuing the Peace

Germanys boarders with France, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, and Poland

Became the symbol of a new era

Pursuing the Peace

The Spirit of Locarno was echoed in the Kellogg-Briand Pact of 1928 – which renounced war as an instrument of national Policy.

Pursuing the Peace

Germany and the Soviet Union would be admitted into the League of Nations.

Pursuing the Peace

Disturbances to the Peace – there was no way to enforce the Kellogg-Briand pact and the League of Nations was powerless to stop acts of aggression

Recovery and Collapse

Europe made a shaky recovery, Vet found work and the middle class generally enjoyed a rising standard of living.


The U.S. emerged as the world’s leading economic power, American banks and businesses controlled a global network of trade and finance.


As long as the American economy was healthy the world economy would remain relatively prosperous


A Dangerous imbalance – a major problem was an over production of goods and food supplies, falling demand and rising wages resulted in an imbalance.


Falling farm incomes resulted in lower demand for manufactured goods.

Higher wages paid to industrial workers and continued industrial output led to the Crash of 1929


The Stock Market Crash of 1929 led to the Great Depression of the 1930’s

Banks failed and businesses closed

Soup kitchen emerged, and


Unemployment reached 20% for whites and about 40-50% for blacks

Global Impact

As the depression continued many people lost their faith in the democratic system and increasingly turned to Totalitarian regimes.

Global Impact

In a totalitarian Government 1 political party or group maintains complete control under a dictatorship and bans all others

Global Impact (Italy)

The Fear of Communism caused people in Italy to support Benito Mussolini and his political Ideas, known as fascism


When Mussolini came to power in 1922 he put his ideas into actions:

Established himself as dictator and banned all opposition parties,


Abolished labor unions, forbid strikes, and

Silenced political opponents

All this stopped the communist threat


Mussolini’s government preserved a capitalist economy and pursed increased military power for Italy


These actions brought stability that was important to business leaders, the Roman Catholic Church, and the military.


As dictator of Italy from 1922-1945, Mussolini transformed the state into a militaristic and nationalist instrument of conquest

Global Impact (Japan)

In 1926, Hirohito was placed on the Japanese throne and claimed Showa or enlightened peace as the theme of his reign


In 1927 Baron Tanaka Giichi, an aggressive military general became the prime minister


In 1931 the Japanese Army, without any authority from the government occupied Manchuria.


As a result, military leaders in Japan established their own national cabinet and dispensed with Democracy

Global Impact:Germany

Germans turned to the National Socialist AKA the NAZI Party during the Great Depression


The party’s leader or “Fuhrer” Adolf Hitler preached a message of racist fascism


Hitler claimed the Aryan race, Blue-eyed, blonde-haired, and non-Jewish whites were superior and deserved to conquer other nations


Hitler blamed the Jews and harsh war reparations for the economic problems of Germany


This is known as Scapegoating and it attracted many Germans who were suffering economic and patriotic hardships


In 1933, Hitler was elected as chancellor of Germany and in a series of political moves declared himself as dictator


Hitler rebuilt Germany’s economy by violating the Treaty of Versailles by:

Rejuvenating the military

Creating a new air force


Reestablishing the draft, and

Increasing the size and capability of the navy

Hitler created the Gestapo or secret police to help suppress dissenters

Global Impact: USSR

In 1928 with poor farm production Joseph Stalin forced many peasants from their land and created collective farms and sent many to work in the Factories

Global Impact: USSR

Stalin’s efforts failed and the USSR produced even less food leading to a period of Famine and millions died as a result

Global Impact: USSR

Stalin held to power with brutal violence, between 1934-1938 he purged the military and Communist Party leadership of anyone he considered disloyal to him

Global Impact: USSR

Between 1.5 million and 7 million Soviet citizens were arrested and executed.

Japanese Aggression

Following its occupation of Manchuria, Japan continued to extend its power in China

Japanese Aggression

Eventually, China realized that it could not defy Japan and they signed a peace treaty formally giving Japan Manchuria

Japanese Aggression

The League of Nations ordered Japan to leave Manchuria, Japan responded by announcing it would leave the League of Nations in 1935

Japanese Aggression

In 1937 Japan began military operations to seize the rest of China

Japanese Aggression

By the end of 1938, Japan controlled most of the major cities along the coast up to the Himalayan Mountains

Italian Aggression

Mussolini attacked Ethiopia in 1935 and he helped right – wing rebels in the Spanish Civil War

Italian Aggression

Signed an anti-communist pact with Germany and Japan creating the Rome-Berlin-Tokyo Axis, this group became known as the Axis Powers

Italian Aggression

In 1939, backed by the Axis powers Italy invaded Albania

German Aggression

In 1936, Hitler continued to violate the Treaty of Versailles by moving German Troops in the Rhineland

German Aggression

In 1938 Hitler again tested the will of the Allies by annexing Austria into Germany, (A move he convinced other countries was an internal German Affair.)

German Aggression

In September 1938, he demanded the right to annex the western border of Czechoslovakia known as Sudetenland, because of the 3.5 million ethnic Germans living there

Munich Conference

Because of this action, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain called the Munich Conference in 1938.

Munich Conference

They agreed to allow Hitler to annex Sudetenland into Germany with the promise Hitler would not take any more land in Czechoslovakia. This became known as the police of Appeasement.

Munich Conference

Additionally, Italy, Germany, Great Britain, and France agreed not to wage war on each other

Chamberlain declared “Peace in our time” after the Munich Conference

The Road to War Hitler’s War Aims:

Unite all German Speaking people

Living Space (Lebensraum)

Domination of Europe and the World

The Road to War Hitler’s Belief’s:

Very Anti Semitic

Believed in elimination of the disabled (euthanasia)

Get what he could from the occupied areas and then kill them

The Road to War End of WW 1 the German government used the “stab in the Back” excuse for the rebuilding of German strength

Documents

The Years Between the World Wars Postwar Problems Initially, the most pressing problems were finding jobs for the returning Veterans, rebuilding the