1. Interwar Years Notes

2. Treaty of Versailles Formal end to fighting of WWI
Signed June 28, 1919
Germany
given all the blame for starting the war
Loss of territory
Reduced military
Pay reparations to Britain and France
Wilson’s 14th Point outlined League of Nations
International association whose goal would be to keep peace among nations
US Congress decided not to join in order to stay out of European conflict
Lacking US support, LoN could not take action towards countries with bitterness towards treaty
“Peace built on quicksand”

3. World Wide Depression Causes High protective tariffs
Countries tax imports in order to encourage purchase of domestic goods
Excessive expansion of credit
Buy things you did not have the money for
Expansion of production capacities
US produced ½ of worlds industrial goods
Dominance of U.S. in world market
Banking and business influence
1929 stock market crash
Mass selling of overpriced stocks that caused US financial market to crash

4. Effects of Depression Effects High Unemployment Bank Failures
US: 25%
Germany: 30%
Britain: 24%
Bank Failures
People wanted their money, banks does not hold everyone’s money
Could not pay it out so had to close
Collapse of Credit
People could no longer borrow for what they could not pay
Collapse of Prices
Price had to match money that the market had, which was very little
Economic turmoil leads to unstable governments
Economic issues make people desperate (Italy/Germany)
Runaway Inflation
Price of goods and services go up, while value of money stays the same or goes down
Things cost more

5. Totalitarianism in Italy
Totalitarian Italy
Fascist Party
Militant organization that pledges allegiance to one ruler and the state
Benito Mussolini
Political leader of party
Invasion of Ethiopia (1935)
One of 3 independent nations that previously resisted Italian invasion
Emperor Haile Selassie appeals to LoN for help, who condemned the actions, but had no way to enforce
Britain and France agreed to let Italy have Ethiopia with the hope it would keep peace in Europe
Totalitarianism in Italy
Contributing Factors
Ambition to restore glory of Roman empire
Glory days
Anger over not recovering more territory after WWI
Fear of communism
USSR is close to eastern border

7. Totalitarianism in Germany
Contributing Factors
WWI
Guilt of war
Reparation payments (Dawes Plan)
German fears of communism
USSR to east
Severe inflation
During war, just printed more money and didn’t raise taxes (decreased value of currency)
Resentment over Versailles Treaty (“dictated peace”)
They didn’t have a say in compromise
Anti-Semitism
Blame the Jews for everything that is wrong in Germany
Extreme nationalism
Supreme Aryan race
Totalitarian Germany
Nationalist Socialist Party (Nazi Party)
Adolf Hitler
Chancellor in 1932

9. Totalitarianism in Japan
Contributing Factors
Rising militarism
When depression hit Japan, government was blamed
Militarists gained power, but unlike fascism worked with government and shared power with emperor Hirohito
Industrialization
Delayed from 1800s while Japan was closed to outside influences
Increases need for raw materials
Expansion was key, similar to European imperialism
Totalitarian Japan
United States as an obstacle to Japan’s expansion
Navy tried to curb expansion though Asia
Invasions of Korea, Manchuria, China
Looking for natural resources
Set up puppet governments in each
Brutal murders of civilians and captured soldiers
LoN thought Japan was threat to peace as a member, leaves LoN in 1933

11. Totalitarianism in Soviet Union
Stalin’s Policies (becomes dictator in 1929)
Five year plans
Unrealistic industrialization plans to increase output of steel, coal, oil, and electricity
Consumer goods limited, many shortages
Collectivization of farms
Government seized over 25 million private farms and combined them into large, state run farms in order to produce food for the state
State industrialization
Tough methods produced positive results for USSR, productions of each increased
Secret police
Monitored phone calls and publications and had informers to report disloyal remarks o the state
Great Purge
Stalin’s campaign of terror aimed at purging those in the communist party who were against him or posed a threat to his success
“traitors” were rounded up and either executed or sent to labor camps in Siberia
Between 8-30 million killed between

13. World Response to Totalitarianism
Depression weakens western democracies
Britain and France fight to maintain economy and maintain peace
Most of new countries created after WWI fall to dictators in 1930s due to weak economies
No challenge to totalitarian actions
Appeasement: giving into an aggressor to keep peace
Failure of the League of Nations
No power to enforce
“I can tell you not to do it, but can’t make you stop”
Italian invasion of Ethiopia
1935 Mussolini invades to avenge prior defeat
Japanese invasion of Manchuria
Area rich in iron and coal in N. China
Direct challenge to LoN
Pulled out of organization

15. Questions to Answer:
1. what impact do you think totalitarianism will on have USSR, Germany, Italy, and Japan moving forward?
2. Why do Britain and France try appeasement so often? Was it effective?
3. Explain three factors the lead the world to a second world war.

16. Propaganda Lesson What is propaganda?
What are some examples you know of?
What is the purpose of propaganda? 48