1. Chapter 31: Years of Crisis

2. Section 1 Postwar Uncertainty

3. Changes in Science Einstein introduced the theory of relativity
Questioned the way we view the world. Things change based on how you view them
Freud popularized the idea of unconscious behavior
People often act irrationally (without reason)
Both of these ideas weakened the enlightenment ideals of being able to know and understand the world

4. Changes in Literature
Disillusioned by the war, people began to doubt the world they thought they understood
Writers wrote about “dark” topics
Philosophers, especially Nietzsche, embraced existentialism (life has no universal purpose)
It is up to each person to develop their own
Encouraged abandoning Western ideas

5. Changing Art Artists began to break away from traditional styles
Emphasized emotion and imagination
Ex: Picasso/Cubism
Surrealism sought to link the real world with imagination
New styles of music developed (jazz) that used irregular rhythms and combinations of sounds

6. Women’s Roles Change WWI had allowed women to take on new roles
Those new roles led to more equal rights like voting
Women began to “fight” against the societal norms
Clothing/styles
Driving
Drinking/smoking
Birth control
New careers (especially professional)

7. Section 2 A Worldwide Depression

8. Unstable Democracies
WWI had disrupted many longstanding rulers. New democracies replaced them
With little experience with democracy, many nations had dozens of political parties, lacking one clear majority to run the country
These countries has to create a coalition government, where multiple parties had to join together
This makes long term changes very difficult to achieve

9. Post WWI (1919), the Weimar Republic took control of Germany
Problems from the start
No history of democracy
Multiple parties
Took the blame for the Treaty of Versailles

10. Inflation Hits Germany
To pay the costs of the war, Germany printed more money
Value of the money dropped, extreme inflation followed
Ex: Bread in 1923 cost million times what it cost in 1918
160 to 200 billion marks

11. Dawes Plan Germany recovery was possible as a result of Charles Dawes
$200 million from American banks to back the German economy and distribute reparations payments over time
The success of the plan brought more investments and loans and by 1929, Germany was back to pre-WWI levels of production
The major nations of the world also signed a pledge not to go to war with each other again
Nobody could actually enforce this

12. Financial Collapse
In the 1920s, the US economy was the foundation of the world’s economy
The US Economy had serious problems:
Huge gap in wealth
Americans could not buy products
Overproduction
Factories and farmers
The booming market caused people to speculate (borrowing to buy stock)
Oct 29, 1929 (Black Tuesday) the market plunged and began the…

13. Great Depression
The stock market collapse led to record unemployment and huge slumps in production/wages
This period would be known as the Great Depression
Our Depression spread to other places
Americans stopped buying foreign goods and pulled their investments out/demanded repayment of debts
Protectionist policies led to a 65% drop in world trade

14. Democracies Rebuild in Different Ways
Britain enacted tariffs, increased taxes, and regulated currency to protect
They lowered interest rates to encourage investments
Worked slowly
France used government reforms to help workers
It worked but also created more socialist programs
Socialist countries (Denmark, Sweden, Norway) used cooperation to rebuild

15. The New Deal
Franklin Roosevelt (FDR) will be elected in 1932 (first post GDep election)
He will immediately enact reforms known as the New Deal
Public works
Government assistance to businesses/farms
Welfare programs

16. Section 3 Fascism Rises in Europe

17. Fascism
Looking for answers anywhere, people began to turn to the extremists
Fascists emphasized nationalism and loyalty to their leaders, who used militant policies to enact change
Very similar to communism
Used dictators
No rights/freedoms
State was supreme
The big difference is that fascism does not seek to make everyone equal

18. Mussolini in Italy
The Treaty of Versailles created anger in many Italians
Add unemployment and inflation
Benito Mussolini promised to rebuild a strong Italy
Founded Fascist Party in 1919
Using a 30,000 man army in 1922, Mussolini forced the king to give him power
He became Il Duce (the leader)

19. Il Duce’s Policies
Enacted the same reforms as the Bolsheviks/Communists in USSR
Abolished democracy
Banned other political parties
Used secret police to jail opposition
Censored radio and publications
Did some things different
Outlawed strikes
Allied with the wealthy industrialists and landholders

20. Hitler and NAzism
Hitler served in WWI and became a struggling politician immediately after the war
In 1919, he joined a right-wing group (National Socialists) that wanted to overturn the Treaty of Versailles
His speaking/organization allowed him to become the leader
He tried to lead an overthrow in but was unsuccessful and imprisoned
While in jail, he wrote Mein Kampf, where he outlined his plan to rebuild Germany

21. Hitler’s Rise to Power
Hitler espoused the idea that Germans were a master race meant to dominate others
Made a vow to recapture land given away in Versailles and to gain lebensraum (living space) by capturing new lands
When he got out of jail in 1924 (9 months), he revived the Nazi Party but had little support, until...

22. Hitler Becomes Chancellor
The Great Depression ended German recovery
The Nazi Party had become hugely popular by 1932, leading to Hitler being named Chancellor
Immediately calls for elections which they won (barely)
Hitler then turns Germany into a totalitarian state with the same restrictions Il Duce had created in Italy

23. Collapse of Democracy
Countries with little to no history of democracy gave in to dictators
Hungary, Poland, Yugoslavia, Albania, Bulgaria, and Romania
The only democracies to survive the 1920s were countries that were democracies to begin with
France, Britain, Scandinavian countries
These new dictators were eager to show their strength through military power

24. Section 4 Aggressors Invade Nations

25. Japan’s Government Struggles
Japan had democracy as long as things were good (1920s), but when things went bad (Great Depression), the military took control away
Emperor Hirohito remained as emperor but the military made the decisions
To rebuild their economy, Japan sought to expand

26. Japan Builds an Empire
Seeking resources, Japan took control (1931) of the Manchuria region of China in direct violation of the League of Nations
Nothing was done
In 1937, Japan launched an all out invasion of mainland China, easily capturing Beijing in months
Rape of Nanking: tens, and possibly hundreds, of thousands of unarmed and innocent Chinese are killed by the Japanese in the capital

27. European Aggression
The League of Nation’s weakness emboldened European Fascists
Mussolini will expand into Ethiopia, 1 of 3 free African nations
Britain and the rest of the League allowed it to happen
Hitler will continue to disobey the League when he begins rebuilding the German Army in 1935

28. Hitler Expands
Hitler used his army in March, to invade the Rhineland (buffer between Germany and France)
Britain urged appeasement (giving in to an aggressor in order to keep peace)
Result:
Hitler becomes more popular
Germany becomes stronger than neighbors
France and Britain look weak
Italy and Japan will join Hitler in to create the Axis Powers

29. Spanish Civil War
Spain had fallen into a civil war in between the liberal Socialists controlling the government and the military, who were Fascists
Hitler and Mussolini gave troops, tanks, and airplanes to the Fascists while the West remained neutral
The Soviets helped but it was not enough
In 1939, Francisco Franco (Spanish Fascist) took control

30. Attempts to Preserve Peace
America embraced isolationism (avoid political ties to other nations) – Neutrality Act banned supporting any nation at war
Hitler creates the Third Reich (German Empire) with the goal of annexing Austria
France, Britain, Italy, and Germany meet (Munich Conference) to decide the future of Czechoslovakia

31. Munich Conference Fails
Germany gets Sudetenland (Czechoslovakia) in exchange for promise not to expand further
6 months later, he expands
Mussolini then takes Albania
Hitler turns his sights on Poland, recognizing Britain and France’s desire to avoid war
Everybody wanted the USSR
Hitler and Stalin sign the nonaggression pact, promising not to attack one another
Chamberlain, Daladier, Hitler, Mussolini, and Ciano