LEAGUE OF NATIONS  Following World War I, international organizations and agreements were established to avoid future conflicts.  The League of Nations was international cooperative organization that was established to prevent future wars.

League of Nations  The League of Nations was proposed by President Woodrow Wilson, but Congress would not accept his plan because they did not like the United States’ foreign policies being made by an international organization.  The United States did not become a member. The League failed because it did not have the power to enforce its decisions.

The Mandate System  During WWI, Great Britain and France agreed to divide large portions of the Ottoman Empire in the Middle East between themselves  After the war, the “mandate system gave Great Britain and France control over selected lands.  Great Britain- Iraq, Transjordan, and Palestine  France- Syria and Lebanon  The division of the Ottoman Empire through the mandate system planted the seeds for future conflicts in the Middle East.

World Depression  A period of uneven prosperity in the decade following World War I (1920s) was followed by worldwide depression in the 1930s.  Depression weakened Western democracies, making it difficult for them to challenge the threat of totalitarianism.

Causes of worldwide depression  German reparations  Expansion of production capabilities and dominance of the United States in the global economy  High protective tariffs  Excessive expansion of credit  Stock Market Crash (Oct.24,1929)

Impact of World Depression  High unemployment in industrial countries  Bank failures and collapse of credit  Collapse of prices in world trade  Nazi Party’s growing importance in Germany  Nazi Party’s blame of European Jews for economic collapse

Impact of world depression  High unemployment in industrial countries  Bank failures and collapse of credit  Collapse of prices in world trade  Nazi Party’s growing importance in Germany; Nazi Party’s blame of European Jews for economic collapse  The depression weakened western democracies making it difficult for them to challenge the threat of totalitarianism

Dictators After World War I  Economic dislocations following World War I led to unstable political conditions. Worldwide depression in the 1930s provided opportunities for the rise of dictators in the Soviet Union, Germany, Italy, and Japan.  A communist dictatorship was established by Vladimir Lenin and continued by Joseph Stalin in the Soviet Union. The Treaty of Versailles worsened economic and political conditions in Europe and led to the rise of totalitarian regimes in Italy and Germany.  Japan emerged as a world power after World War I and conducted aggressive imperialistic policies in Asia.

Germany during the Interwar Period—Adolf Hitler  Hitler promised to improve the economic conditions in Germany  Inflation and depression  Democratic government weakened  Anti-Semitism (anti-Jewish)  Extreme nationalism  National Socialism (Nazism)  German occupation of nearby countries

Expanded Information- Germany  In Germany, economic chaos was the result of the Treaty of Versailles. With the American stock market crash, the world and especially Germany sank into hopeless economic depression.  The democratic government of Germany (the Weimar Republic) was unable to cope with the hardships suffered by their citizens.  Adolf Hitler rose to power on promises to ignore the Versailles Treaty and return Germany to its former glory. The National Socialist Worker’s Party (Nazi Party) grew increasingly popular among Germans.

Expanded Information- Germany  Hitler became Chancellor (president) of Germany in 1933 and seized all power in the country. Hitler began to convince Germans that Jews were to blame for the nation’s problems (anti-semitism).  Hitler soon began to take territory surrounding Germany. Austria an Czechoslovakia were soon taken over by Nazi Germany.  The League of Nations took no action as all this happened.

Japan Interwar Period-Hirohito and Hideki Tojo  Militarism  Industrialization of Japan, leading to drive for raw materials.  Invasion of Korea, Manchuria, and the rest of China.  Hirohito- Symbolic Leader  Hideki Tojo- Military Leader

Expanded Information- Japan  Tojo was the military leader of Japan while Emperor Hirohito was the symbolic leader of the nation.  Japan had become extremely militaristic. Extreme nationalism fueled imperialistic tendencies.  Japan’s industrial expansion increased demand for raw materials Japan invaded Manchuria (a northern providence of China which was rich in natural resources) and other parts of China, Korea, and French Indo-China to secure needed resources.

Italy during the Interwar Period—Benito Mussolini  Rise of fascism (fascism is characterized by attempts to impose state control over all aspects of life: political, social, cultural, and economic.)  Ambition to restore the glory of Rome  Invasion of Ethiopia

Expanded Information- Italy  Mussolini founded the Fascist movement a militaristic form of dictatorship in Italy.  Mussolini promised his people a return to the glory of the Roman Empire.  In an attempt to focus attention away from economic problems at home, Mussolini ordered the invasion of Ethiopia.

U.S.S.R. during the Interwar Period—Joseph Stalin  Entrenchment of communism  Stalin’s policies (five-year plans, collectivization of farms, state industrialization, secret police)  Great Purge: where Stalin began to kill his military commanders

Expanded Information- U.S.S.R  Stalin took over from Lenin and increased the strength of the Communist government of the U.S.S.R.  Stalin created new policies to improve industrial production (Five Year Plans) and consolidated farms, bringing them under government control (Collectivization).  The government made wide use of secret police to put down political opponents.  Stalin began to arrest and execute his rivals (Great Purge).