POST WORLD WAR I EUROPE

Great Depression and the New Political Experiments

Major Generalizations

  Europe struggled to maintain peace and democracy.

Rise of Totalitarianism to solve economic and social problems.

 Use of Mass Communication to mobilize populations.

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WWI Aftermath

France tried to enforce the Treaty of Versailles League of Nation lacked muscle Ethnic minority problems in eastern Europe Short trend toward democracy in Eastern Europe; moved slowly   Women’s rights increased Conservatives & socialist tried to eliminate democracy

GREAT DEPRESSION CAUSES:

  Global economy Disrupted Markets  High inflation  Agriculture Depression  Reparations  Credit Financing

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Great Depression Effects

35% were unemployed in U.S. & Germany Global Bank Failures Currency depreciation; all states off the gold standard Democratic countries hurt the most John M. Keyes-said gov’t needs to aid needy, cut taxes and work on the deficit finances; called ‘Keynesian’ economics…flourished starting in 1945.

United Kingdom- Ireland & Egypt become independent United States- FDR creates ‘New Deal’; WWII will bring U.S. out of depression Scandinavia- Used a mixture of socialism and democracy to improve economy

The Great Depression [1929-1941]

London in 1930 Paris in 1930

Maimed German WW I Veteran

German Unemployment: 1929 1938

The Great Depression [1929-1941]

German-Weimar Republic

   Faced economic & political problems Influential Germans HATED government Several attempts by extremist to overthrow government; not working class   Blamed government for ‘Diktat’ of Treaty of Versailles Reparation payment falls behind;  France decides to invade Ruhr Valley for steel and coal as payment; workers passively resist  Dawes Plans created by U.S.

Dawes Plan

European Debts to the United States

Weimar Government

 Hyperinflation- overnight, value of mark collapses    Beer Hall Putsch- Hitler tries to overthrow gov’t; failed, jailed & writes Mien Kampf(1924) which outlined racial ideas and goals of Germany Locarno Pact- (1925) truly ends WWI;  establishes western (w/o Alsace-Lorraine) & eastern border (Czech. & Poland);  allows Germany into League of Nations Kellogg-Briand Pact- (1928) denounces war by League of Nations

Aristide Briand (Fr.)

Locarno Pact: 1925

Austin Chamberlain (Br.) Gustave Stresemann (Ger.)

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Guaranteed the common boundaries of Belgium, France, and Germany as specified in the Treaty of Versailles of 1919.

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Germany signed treaties with Poland and Czechoslovakia, agreeing to change the eastern borders of Germany by arbitration only.

Totalitarianism

   Exploited mass media to mobilize public to create support for new government Differed from past absolute monarchs Controlled all aspects of society; lacked individuality

Left & Right Political Systems

Economic Politics

Rise of the Nazi’s

Why?       Economic distress Weakness of Weimar government Appeals to Nationalism Fear of Communism Anti-Semitism views Leadership of Hitler (State based on race)

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Hitler

Hitler- Hated Jews & ‘Mongrels’ (Hapsburg empire-due to its diversity) Called for Lebensraum- living space in the east After WWI, joined National Socialist Party (Nazi’s) Blamed problems on Treaty of Versailles; vowed to restore honor Used propaganda and speeches to get the younger Germans on Nazi side.

By 1932, Nazi’s were majority of Reichstag Hitler is seen as best hope for defeat of communism By 1933, Hitler is appointed as Chancellor

Hitler and the Nazi’s

     Banned all political parties (except Nazi’s) Used violence and intimidation Enabling & Civil Service Acts (1933)-makes Hitler dictator; enforces all gov’t employees to swear an oath to Hitler Blood Purge- (1934) killed opposition leaders Gestapo & SS(Schutzstaffel)- secret police; arrested opposition, ran concentration camps to create Aryan race

Hitler continued

      Helped economy by becoming self sufficient & created public works Hitler’s Youth (boys) & League of German Maidens (girls) created.

Nuremburg Laws- (1935) defined who a Jew was; stripped citizenship; prohibited sexual relations with ‘Aryans’.

Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass)-1938 Violence toward Jews; synagogues, business’s and houses torched; Jews killed and arrested Sterilization- killing those that are mentally ill, physically unfit, etc.

T-4 Program- Killing of 200,000 between 1939-41 in Genocide program based on Mein Kampf