Transcript Slide 1

An Age of Uncertainty- The 1920s
1) Albert Einstein’s theory
of relativity shattered
the belief that the
world operates on
absolute principles of
motion and gravity.
Freud Museum
Sigmund Freud saw
patients and lived in
this apartment in
Vienna until he
emigrated to London
in 1938.
An Age of Uncertainty- The 1920s
2) Because Freud’s theory
hypothesized that much
of human behavior is
irrational, it weakened
faith in reason.
An Age of Uncertainty- The 1920s
3) Because existentialism
felt that life had no
universal meaning, it
led to doubts about
existing religious beliefs
and rational philosophy.
An Age of Uncertainty-The 1920s
4) Proponents of Dadaism
felt that established
values had been made
meaningless by the
savagery of World War
I, so they depicted
objects in an absurd,
nonsensical, and
meaningless way.
Cut With the Kitchen Knife.
Hannah Hoch 1919.
The Dada movement defied conventions in
art to protest against the bourgeois and
capitalist interests they felt led to the war.
An Age of Uncertainty-The 1920s
5) Surrealism, inspired by Freud’s ideas, sought to
link world of dreams with real life in art.
An Age of Uncertainty-The 1920s
• 6. Functionalist architects
rejected ornamentation
and designed buildings
that reflected their use.
• “Form ever follows
function.”
• Frank Lloyd Wright is the
best known architect in
functionalism.
An Age of Uncertainty-The 1920s
7. Jazz composers moved
away from traditional
styles. The jazz beat was
uninhibited and energetic,
fitting the freedom
and spontaneity of the
times.
jazz age
An Age of Uncertainty-The 1920s
8) Flappers abandoned
restrictive clothing and
styles; feminists argued
that women should be
equal partners with
men.
An Age of Uncertainty-The 1920s
9. Automobiles
• created jobs
• expanded travel,
• led to the growth of
suburbs
early automobiles
An Age of Uncertainty-The 1920s
10. Improvements in
aircraft made possible
• airmail,
• commercial passenger
service,
• and international air
travel
• lucky lindy
An Age of Uncertainty-The 1920s
11. Radio expanded
audiences for news,
plays, and sporting
events; helped bring
world in closer touch
radio babies
An Age of Uncertainty-The 1920s
• motion pictures
11. Movie-making
became a serious
art form in Europe
and a major
industry in
Hollywood, and
movies became a
popular escape
from daily
hardships.
A Global Depression
Cause
Many citizens of the new
democracies had little experience
with representative government.
Some countries had many
political parties, which made
effective government difficult and
Led to the formation of coalition
Governments that often
unraveled.
Effect
• 1. In new postwar
democracies, there were
frequent changes in
government.
Signing of the
Treaty of Versailles,
1919
A Global Depression
Cause
2. Germany
• lacked a strong democratic
tradition;
• postwar Germany had
multiple political parties;
• many Germans blamed the
Weimar government, not
military defeat and
humiliation at Versailles.
Effect
• 2. In Germany, the Weimar
Republic was weak from the
start.
A Global Depression
Cause
Effect
3. The German government had
printed money for war expenses • Postwar Germany suffered
from severe economic
and reparations, devaluing the
mark and causing millions of
inflation.
people to lose their life savings.
German marks swept away as rubbish.
Children playing with stacks of German marks.
A Global Depression
Cause
4. The United States had
• uneven distribution of
wealth
• overproduction by business
and agriculture
• lessened demand for
consumer goods
Effect
• 4. The United States had a
flawed economy.
A Global Depression
Cause
5. Believing that prices would
drop, investors tried to sell
high-priced stocks that they
had bought on margin, but no
one wanted to buy.
6. Unemployment rates rose as
industrial production, prices,
and wages fell;
• businesses failed,
• individuals lost their savings
when banks closed, and
• farmers lost their land.
Effect
5. On October 29, 1929, the
U.S. stock market crashed.
6. A long depression followed
the crash in the United
States.
A Global Depression
Causes
• Some countries had war debts
and were dependent on
American loans and investments.
• Worried American bankers
demanded repayment for their
overseas loans,
• American investors withdrew
their money from Europe.
• American market for imported
goods dropped sharply.
• Raising of tariffs led to decrease
in world trade and market
demand.
Effect
• Collapse of the U.S.
economy affected countries
worldwide.
A Global Depression
Causes
Great Britain
• passed high protective
tariffs,
• increased taxes,
• regulated the currency,
• and lowered interest rates
to encourage industrial
growth
Effects
8. In Britain, the National
Government rescued the
economy.
A Global Depression
Causes
9. Economic crisis in France led to
political instability and leaders
feared
the growth of anti-democratic forces.
10. Socialist countries relied on
existing tradition of cooperative
community action and governmentsponsored public works programs
to keep people employed and
producing; raised pensions for the
elderly and benefits for those in
need
Effects
• 9. In France, the Popular
Front was formed as a
coalition government
• 10. Socialist governments in
Scandinavian countries
dealt with the economic
crisis successfully
• FDR
FDR inaugural address