Transcript Europe between the Wars

Europe between the Wars
Recovery from World War I
A. Economic Problems
1. Europe near bankruptcy
2. Japan and US in good shape
a) US expected debt to be repaid
B. End of Absolutism
1. Austria-Hungary, Germany, Russia
2. New democracies unstable
Germany and the Weimar Republic
A. Weak government
B. Had to sign the Treaty of Versailles
A. Took responsibility for war, had to pay
reparations, lost territory
B. Unpopular with people
C. Article 48 – allowed for a dictator in times
of crisis
D. Economic crisis
1. Did not raise taxes to pay for war
2. Printed more money to pay reparations
a) Caused massive inflation
i. 1914 – 1 dollar = 4.2 marks
ii. 1921 – 1 dollar = 64 marks
iii. 1924 – 1 dollar = 800,000,000 marks
3. Dawes Plan – US plan to loan money to
Germany
The Rest of Europe
A. France – wanted reparations and to limit
Germany
B. Great Britain – was dealing with colonial
issues (Ireland, India, the
Commonwealth)
C. United States
1. Wanted to be isolated
Post-War Treaties
A. Locarno Pact (1924)
1. Germany, France, Belgium, Italy, Great
Britain
2. Promised that France and Germany would
never fight another war
3. Germany promised to respect existing
borders of Belgium and France
4. “Spirit of Locarno” - optimism
B. Kellogg-Briand Pact (1928)
1. 32 countries signed
2. Each country pledged to ‘denounce war as
an instrument of national policy’
3. No enforcement possible
Italy under Mussolini
Post World War I
A. Italy joined to gain territory, but only
gained a little
B. Peasants and workers upset because
expected more
C. Created a strong Communist party
Fascism
A. Features
1. Anti-democratic, anti-Marxist / antiCommunist, anti-liberal
2. Supported by the ‘little guy’ - middle class,
small businessmen, small farmers
3. Strongly nationalistic and militaristic
Benito Mussolini
A. Early Life
1. Socialist
2. Fought and
wounded in WWI
3. After war, organized
Fascists (Italian for
‘Bands of Combat’)
B. Rise to Power
1. Created a group of
men called the
“Black Shirts” – antiSocialist thugs –
made him popular
with people
2. Black Shirt March
(1922)
A. Led March on Rome
B. Government
resigned
C. King appointed
Mussolini Prime
Minister and given
dictatorial power for
one year
C. Mussolini in Power
1. 1924 – abolished
freedom of the
press, arrested
political opponents,
fixed elections,
created a Fascist
youth group
2.
Lateran Agreement
(1929) – Vatican
recognized as
independent state
A.
3.
4.
Made popular with
church and Catholics
Women expected to be
mothers – Bachelors
taxed
No ill treatment of Jews
until Hitler in power
Hitler and the Nazis
Hitler - Early Life
A. Austrian
B. Dropped out of high school – moved to
Vienna to pursue art school – rejected
and moved to Munich
C. World War I
1. Joined war
2. Wounded
3. Said the war gave his life meaning
Hitler – Post-War
A. Stayed in Munich and joined German
Workers Party (later National Socialist
German Workers Party – Nazi)
B. Blamed Jews, Marxists, and democrats
for losing war
Beer Hall Putsch (1923)
A. Inspired by Mussolini’s March on Rome
B. Hitler and Nazis tried to take over the
government of Bavaria
C. Put on trial where he denounced the
Weimar Republic and gained a lot of
sympathy from the judges and the press
D. Received a light sentence – 5 years –
but only served nine months
Road to Power
A. In prison
1. He decided to take power legitimately
instead of through a coup
2. Wrote “Mein Kampf” (My Struggle)
A. Race
B. Lebensraum – Living Space
C. Fuhrer – leader/dictator with unlimited power
B. 1924 – 1929
1. Built up party membership but never widely
popular
The Nazis
A. Mass political movement
1. Flags, badges, uniforms
2. Youth Group
3. SA – Stormtroopers (Brown Shirts)
Build Up to World War II
Timeline
• 1933
– Hitler named Chancellor
– Germany withdrew from League of Nations
• 1935
– Hitler announced rearmament and creation of an air
force (Luftwaffe)
– Italy invaded Ethiopia and League of Nations did
nothing
• 1936
– Hitler remilitarized the Rhineland
– Best chance to stop Hitler
• 1936
– Spanish Civil War
• Spain a republic since 1931
• General Francisco Franco led Nationalists in revolt
against government
• Italy and Germany helped Nationalists
• USSR supported Loyalists (left), but no help from
Great Britain or France
• Guernica
• Nationalists won by 1939
• 1936
– Rome-Berlin Axis Pact
• Mussolini drew closer to Hitler because of Spanish
Civil War
• 1938
– Anschluss (annexation) of Austria
• Austrians voted to join Germany
• Violated Treaty of Versailles – nothing done
– Czechoslovak Crisis (1938)
• Many Germans live in Sudetenland in
Czechoslovakia – Hitler wanted them to join
Germany
• Hitler threatened to annex Sudetenland and
Czechololooslovakia
• Munich Conference (Sept 1938)
– Hitler, Mussolini, Neville Chamberlain (Great Britain),
France – no Stalin
– Choice – war or sacrifice Czechoslovakia
– Hitler allowed to annex Sudetenland if promise not to
take Czechoslovakia
• 1939
– Hitler took Czechoslovakia (March)
– Mussolini conquered Albania
– Hitler demanded access to E. Prussia and
Danzig, Poland returned to Germany
– Nazi-Soviet Non-aggression Pact
• August 1939
• Promised not to fight each other
– Germany invaded Poland (Sept 1, 1939)