Chapter 17: The West Between the Wars

Uneasy Peace, Uncertain Security Settlements at the Peace of Paris had hoped to fulfill the dream of creating nation-states Many Germans were upset w/ the unfair treatment they had received in the Treaty of Versailles The newly formed League of Nations was plagued by weak organization & was not able to maintain peace –The U.S. did not join the League because Americans did not want to get pulled into European affairs –Nations involved could not agree when use of force was necessary Germany was forced to pay $33 billion in reparations according to the Treaty –Since war manufacturing was illegal, many German factories closed –Economic difficulties caused Germany to have problems paying

France occupied the Ruhr Valley (Germany’s industrial center) & planned to take the reparations by running the industries themselves. –In response, German workers resisted & went on strike Due to inflation, the German govt. printed more paper money to pay workers salaries –This devaluated the German mark & it quickly became worthless – $1 = 4.2 marks; $1 = 4.2 trillion marks Germany’s economy collapsed & other countries began to scramble to save the world economy The Dawes Plan revised the reparations total & adjusted the payment schedule –It also allowed for a $200 million loan for Germany & led to great American investing in German industry This led to better relations between Germany & France.

1925 – Treaty of Locarno: guaranteed Germany’s western border (gave the Ruhr Valley back) 1926 – Germany joined the League of Nations 1928 – 63 nations signed the Kellogg-Briand Pact, essentially denouncing war –Germany had been forced to reduce their military, but no other country volunteered to do the same Just as life began to return to normal in the mid-1920s, the Great Depression hit –depression – a period of very low economic activity & high unemployment The Great Depression was world-wide and had 2 causes: –The downturn in many nations’ economies in the –Crash of the U.S. stock market in 1929 Hope & Depression

Many nations economies suffered in the mid 1920’s, as prices for goods decreased from overproduction. Germany had been borrowing heavily from American banks to make reparation payments since –1928 – the stock market was booming, American investors pull money our of Germany to reinvest in stocks –October 1929 – the U.S. stock market crashes, American investors pull out even more money in a panic Trade & industrial production slowed, huge numbers of people lost their jobs –Governments tried lowering wages & increasing tariffs (only made things worse) –Some governments (U.S.) became more involved in the economy –Communism becomes more popular in many places Democracy was challenged world-wide by leaders promising simple economic solutions for complete power

Democratic States After the War Germany Weimar Republic created when Willem II left the country Paul von Hindenburg elected president, but he was a military leader, not a politician By 1929, millions were unemployed & looking for a solution France After WWI, France was the strongest power on the European continent The Great Depression was avoided until 1932, then there was political chaos Communists, Socialists & Radicals formed the Popular Front

Great Britain Power shifted from the Labour Party to the Conservatives John Maynard Keynes argued that depression resulted from a decrease in demand, not overproduction –If people went back to work, demand would increase –proposed govt. funded work projects to get people jobs –Govts. should finance projects even if it meant going into debt United States United States greatly affected by the Great Depression –Industrial production fell almost 50% between –1932 – Franklin Roosevelt elected president –By 1933, more than 12 million people unemployed In FDR’s New Deal, the govt. created jobs by funding public works programs –The Social Security Act created a pension system –The US didn’t fully pull out of the depression until WWII

Rise of the Dictators : all European countries but Great Britain & France adopt some form of dictatorial govt. These totalitarian govts. wanted to control the hearts & minds of everyone. –Mass propaganda techniques & modern communication allowed this –Modern technology also provided these states w/ such ability to impose their wishes on their subjects There was one leader & one party. –Rejected the idea of limited government & guaranteed freedoms –individual will was subordinate to the collective will of the masses –The collective will was subordinate determined by the leader The totalitarian state expected the active involvement of the masses in whatever direction the leader decided.

Fascism in Italy In the early 1920’s, Benito Mussolini founded the 1 st European fascist movement in Italy –fascism –glorifies the state above the individual by emphasizing the need for a strong central government led by a dictatorial ruler After post-WWI economic problems, the middle class feared Communist take-over, like in Russia : Mussolini formed a group of armed Fascists called “Blackshirts” –These thugs attacked socialists, used violence to break strikes to gain support for his party –Disappointed by the settlement Italy received after WWI, Mussolini promised to rebuild the Roman Empire Mussolini forced the king to name him Prime Minister & set up a dictatorship Mussolini never achieved the level of total control like Hitler & Stalin

The Soviet Union & the Rise of Stalin 1921 – The civil war is over & the Communists controlled Russia, but agricultural/industrial production was 20% of 1913 March 1921 – Lenin implements the NEP (New Economic Policy) –Revised version of capitalism –Peasants could now sell their produce openly –Businesses under 20 people are privately owned 1922 – formal creation of the Union of Socialist Soviet Republics (USSR) 1923 – agricultural output 75% of Pre-WWI levels – Lenin suffers a series of strokes, dies 1/21/24 Politburo divided over direction of the nation –Left – led by Leon Trotsky (Commissar of War) wanted to continue the revolution world-wide –Right – Joseph Stalin (general secretary) wanted to concentrate on building a strong socialist state

Trotsky & Stalin had been political rivals since the Communists gained control –Stalin won out because of his influence as secretary –By 1929, Stalin had rid the Politburo of revolutionary Bolsheviks –Trotsky kicked out of party in 1927, assassinated in Mexico – announces his 1 st 5 Year Plan –Aimed to make the Soviet Union from an agricultural economy into an industrial power –Emphasized capital production not consumer goods To finance this shift in policy, govt. spending on housing & wages was cut –Wages decreased 43% –Laws passed restricting worker travel –Propaganda stressed personal sacrifice for the good of “Mother Russia” – 1 st Purge, anyone Stalin sensed as a threat placed on trial & executed or sent to prison camps in Siberia

Rise of Hitler & Nazi Germany A failure in secondary school, made his way to Vienna to become an artist –failed as an artist, but this is where he picked up views that would shape his views for life 1913 – moved to Munich w/ no real purpose –1914 – joined the Austrian army in WWI – returned to Munich & entered politics Joined the German Workers’ Party –1921 – assumed control of the party & renamed it National Socialist German Workers’ Party (Nazi)

Hitler’s oratorical skills responsible for attacking an increasing # of followers Nov. 8, 1923 – Hitler tries to start a revolution called the Munich Beer Hall Putsch, complete failure Hitler arrested, tried & convicted of treason, got 5 yrs. in prison –trial & imprisonment reinforced his faith in himself & his mission –occupied himself in prison by writing Mien Kampf (My Struggle) –Hitler’s biggest advantage was that no one took his ideas seriously When Hitler was released in prison, the Nazi party was in shambles –Reorganized the party in late ’20s & expanded to all parts of Germany –By 1929, it was a national party organization –Enrollment grew – 1925: 27, : 178,000 –Mostly young & fiercely committed –Hitler’s fiery speaking style exited the young followers

1928 – only won 2.6% of votes focusing on urban workers (12 seats in Reichstag) 1929 – shifted focus to rural middle & lower class people 1930 – won 18% of votes & 107 seats in parliament By 1930, the Reichstag was totally ineffectual –relied on emergency decrees from President Hindenburg to rule Hitler’s rise from late 1930 to 1933 depended on political maneuvering around Hindenburg 1/30/33 – Hindenburg names Hitler Chancellor & forms a new government 8/2/34 - Hindenburg dies 8/15/34 - Hitler abolished presidency & becomes sole ruler of Germany, Third Reich begins Indoctrination to Nazi ideas at a young age necessary, Hitler Youth & other groups created

Hitler did not rule solely through fear, everything had a glimmer of democracy –Hitler implemented programs that would be popular w/ Germans –The people feared communism & he was an opponent of communism –The German people accepted Hitler & the Nazis because they thought he was responsible for ending the economic depression –Anti-Semitism was very bad in Germany/Austria & Hitler used this to his advantage 4/1/33 – Nazi govt. initiated a 2-day boycott of Jewish businesses –Followed by laws excluding “non-Aryans” from important positions (lawyer, govt., doctor, teacher, etc.) 1935 – unleashed a new round of anti-Semitic laws w/ the “Nuremberg Laws” –excluded German Jews from citizenship –forbade marriages & extramarital relations between Jews & Germans more violent phase of anti-Jewish activity took place in 1938 –11/9 &10/38, Kristallnacht (Night of Shattered Glass) –More drastic prohibitions resulted, Jews “encouraged” to emigrate