THE YEARS BETWEEN THE WARS 1918-1939

Unemployed: George Grosz

Consequences of WWI

 Cost $200 billion  Only US and Japan were in better financial shape in 1919  Decline of European dominance in world affairs  Rise of new democracies:  Hohenzollerns  Hapsburgs  Romanovs…all overthrown

WEIMAR REPUBLIC

 Had serious weaknesses  Few democratic traditions  Many political parties  Bore the burden of defeat  Enormous economic problems  Germany had not increased taxes during the war   Simply printed paper money Skyrocketing inflation  Most Germans blamed the Weimar government for Germany’s problems

THE DAWES PLAN

• Enabled Germany to recover from hyperinflation • Provided a $200 million loan from American banks to stablize the mark • Set more realistic reparations payments • Put into effect in 1924

THE RISE OF FASCISM

• A political movement that believed in an extreme form of nationalism • Denied individual rights • Insisted on the supremacy of the state • Advocated dictatorial one party rule • Did not seek a classless society

Italy and Benito Mussolini

• In 1919, Italians felt betrayed – 650,000 dead and 1 million wounded in vain • Severe economic crisis • Mussolini, a newspaper editor, promised to rescue Italy • Organized the Fascist party • Used Blackshirts to terrorize Communists and Socialists • Won support of middle class, aristocrats and industrialists

Il Duce

Italy under Mussolini

• October 1922: became prime minister • Abolished democracy and outlawed all other political parties • Secret police • Censorship • Set up 22 corporations to run the economy • “Mussolini is always right.”

The Rise of Nazi Germany

ADOLF HITLER

• • •

A failure as an artist Soldier in WWI: awarded Iron Cross Believed that Germany had been betrayed at Versailles

• • •

1920: joined the National Socialist German Workers party in Munich German brand of fascism Private army of Brownshirts/the S.A.

Munich 1923

• Beer Hall Putsch…attempted coup failed • Hitler sent to jail for 9 months

Mein Kampf

• Book written while Hitler was in prison • Set forth his goals and ideas – Germans were the master race: all others should be destroyed, including Jews, Slavs, and gypsies – Treaty of Versailles was a outrage – Germany needed

lebensraum

Hitler became Chancellor

• 1929 depression ended German economic recovery • Germans listened to the Nazi message of hate • 1932: Nazi party was largest in Germany • 1933: President von Hindenburg forced to appoint Hitler chancellor

ABSOLUTE POWER

       Reichstag fire Enabling Act: gave Hitler absolute power for 4 years All political parties banned except the Nazis Total control of economy, culture and religion Secret police: Gestapo SS: elite protection squad Jugend: Hitler Youth

Der Fuhrer

JEWS WERE PERSECUTED • Only 1% of Germany’s population was Jewish • Included many distinguished scientists, businessmen and academics • Anti-Semitism began in earnest in 1933 – Laws forbade Jews from holding public office • Nuremberg Laws – 1935 – Deprived of German citizenship – Required to wear yellow Star of David

KRISTALLNACHT • November 9-10, 1938 • “night of broken glass” • Destroyed 7500 Jewish shops and businesses • Burned 275 synogogues • Thousands were rounded up and sent to concentration camps

• November 10, 1938

The World Drifted Towards War

• League of Nations was weak • Britain and France followed policy of appeasement • Japan invaded Manchuria in 1931…League did nothin • 1937: War between China and Japan • Mussolini attacked Ethiopia 1936 • Hitler scrapped the Versailles Treaty 1935

Expansion of Nazi Germany

ROME-BERLIN AXIS

Spanish Civil War 1936-1939

• Spain had been a monarchy until 1931, when a democratic gov’t was established • July 1936: Generalissimo Francisco Franco led a revolt against the government (the Nationalists/Falange…fascists) • Franco supported by Mussolini and Hitler • Republicans (the gov’t.) supported by Stalin

Guernica…April 1937

Pablo Picasso’s Guernica

ANSCHLUSS: MARCH 1938

ANNOUNCING THE ANNEXATION OF AUSTRIA

APPEASEMENT: SEPTEMBER 1938 • The Sudetenland: home to 3 million Germans within Czechoslovakia • Hitler demanded the Sudentenland • Czechs refused • Called upon France for help • Hitler called Neville Chamberlain, Britain’s PM, to meet in Munich on September 29

“I believe it is peace for our time.” • Neville Chamberlain September 1938