Unit 8 Post-WWI Europe Study Guide

James Joyce

When? 1882 - 1941

Who? Irish novelist

What? Wrote “Ulysses”, the most famous stream-of-consciousness novel. Once of the most disturbing novels of the generation. Intended to mirror modern life: a gigantic riddle impossible to unravel. About the parallels of an Irish man’s life to Homer’s hero Ulysses. Novel contained sexual thought and encounters so was banned in the US and Great Britain until the 1930s. One of the new creative writers experimenting with stream-of-consciousness technique to explore the human psyche.

Dawes Plan

When? 1924

Who? Accepted by France, Germany, and Britain

What? War reparations agreement that reduced Germany’s yearly payments, made payment dependent on economic prosperity, and granted large US loans to promote recovery. German republic experienced a shaky economic recovery.

Labour Party

When? 1920s

Who? Determined champion of the working class and greater social equality (Britain)

What? Replaced the Liberal Party as the main opposition to conservative smaller Liberal Party. Marked the decline of liberal ideals of competitive capitalism, limited government control, and individual responsibility.

Kapp Putsch

When? 1918 - 1919

Who? Germany

What? A right-wing military takeover that was suppressed by the central government. An example of the turmoil Germany experienced after WWI..

Georges Clemenceau

When? Post/during WWI

Who? Prime minister of France

What? Worked on peace terms after WWI. Unenthusiastic about the League of Nations. Wanted Germany to pay for its aggression. Wanted revenge, economic retribution, and lasting security for France. Wanted a buffer state between France and Germany, the permanent dematerialization of Germany, and vast reparation payments.

war guilt clause

When? 1919

Who? The Allies

What? An article in the Treaty of Versailles that declared that Germany (with Austria) was solely responsible for the war and had to pay reparations equal to all civilian damages caused by the fighting. Created a crippling financial burden for the Germans.

Balfour Declaration

When? 1917

Who? British foreign secretary Arthur Balfour

What? Announced that Britain favored a “National Home for the Jewish People” in Palestine, but without discriminating against the civil and religious rights of the non-Jewish communities already living in the region. Caused strife within the Arab peoples.

Mustafa Kemal

When? 1881 - 1938

Who? Turkish

What? Led by Kemal, the Turks refused to acknowledge the Allies’ dismemberment of Turkey. He led a successful Turkish defense against the British, and later Greece. Led to Britain and Greece recognizing the territorial integrity of Turkey. Established a republic and became president. Limited the influence of religion on daily fairs. Gave women rights.

Friedrich Nietzsche

When? 1844-1900

Who? German philosopher

What? Wrote as a prophet in a provocative and poetic style. In “Untimely Meditations,” he argued that since classical Athens, the West had over-emphasized rationality and stifled the authentic passions and animal instincts that drive human activity and true creativity. In “On the Genealogy of Morals,” he claimed that Christianity embodied a “slave morality” that glorified weakness, envy, and mediocrity. Said Western society was entering a period of life without meaning. Said all moral systems were invented lies, and liberalism, democracy, and socialism were corrupt systems designed to promote the weak at the expense of the strong. Said the only hope for individuals would be to accept the meaninglessness of life and make it a source of self-defined personal integrity and therefore liberation. His ideas were popular after his death and were fundamental to the rise of existentialism.

Existentialism

When? 1920s

Who? In continental countries (not English-speaking)

What? A philosophy that stresses the meaninglessness of existence and the importance of the individual in searching for moral values in an uncertain world. United highly diverse thinkers in search for usable moral values in a world of anxiety and uncertainty. Many existentialists were atheists. Placed great stress on individual responsibility and choice, on “being in the world” in the right way. Provided answers to the profound moral issues and crises of the first half of the 20th Century.

Freudian Psychology

When? Beginning in late 1880s

Who? Sigmund Freud

What? Basing his insights on the analysis of dreams and hysteria, Freud concluded that human behavior was basically irrational, governed by the unconscious, a sort of mental reservoir that contained vital instinctual drives and powerful memories. Three parts of self: id, ego, superego. Came up with “talking cure.” In “Civilization and its Discontents,” he argued that civilization was possible only when individuals renounced their irrational instincts in order to live peaceably in groups. Led to growing sexual experimentation. Weakening of the old easy optimism about the rational and progressive nature of the human mind.

Modernism

When? late 1800s early 1900s

Who? US and Europe

What? A label given to the artistic and cultural movements of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, which were typified by radical experimentation that challenged traditional forms of artistic expression. Influenced architecture, art, literature, and music.

Dadaism

When? 1916 - 1930s

Who? A group of artists and intellectuals in exile in Zurich

What? An artistic movement that attacked all accepted standards of art and behavior and delighted in outrageous conduct. Did performances of “anti-art.” Said life was meaningless so art should be, too. Spread to Berlin and Paris.

What government took power after Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicated?

A republic.

What did Kaiser Wilhelm II think would happen after his abdication?

Thought that power would eventually be returned to him.

What happened when the Treaty of Versailles was presented to Germany?

The first democratically elected chancellor refused to sign and resigned.

How did the Allies force Germany to sign the Treaty of Versailles?

Allies maintained their naval blockade of Germany.

How many German civilians died in result of WWI?

750,000.

Who from Germany signed the Versailles Treaty?

New German president, Friedrich Ebert, signed under protest.

What was the constitutional convention meeting in Weimar?

Where Germans drafted the first democratic constitution of a united Germany, creating the Weimar Republic.

What caused political chaos in the early years of the Weimar Republic?

Marxist rebellions in 1919 and 1922. Deep resentment over Treaty of Versailles and reparations payments, which cripple the economy and cause extreme inflation.

What was the Ruhr Valley Crisis?

In January 1923, the Weimar Republic missed a reparation payment. In response, France and Belgium moved to take the Ruhr Valley, the German industrial heartland. The Weimar government paid workers to stat home in protest, just printing more money, but this leads to hyperinflation that wipes out families’ resources.

What were themes of Weimar art?

Futuristic, desperate, depressing, war.

Why were French leaders acting like such jerks to the Weimar Republic?

France was suffering from a horrifying period known as the “Hollow Years.” Population was decimated by WWI and would remain under-populated for the next 20 years. Because of this dilemma, France was constantly looking for security.

What economic event allowed for totalitarianism regimes to thrive?

The Great Depression.

What is totalitarianism?

A radical dictatorship that exercises “total claims” over the beliefs and behavior of its citizens by taking control of the economic, social, intellectual, and cultural elements of society.

What is fascism?

A movement characterized by extreme, often expressionist nationalism, antisocialism (against communism), a dynamic and violent leader, and glorification of war and the military.

What is the horseshoe theory?

Far left and far right are very similar.

What was Mussolini like?

A great orator who roused audiences.

When did Mussolini take power?

After Italy was left in financial ruin after WWI.

What did Mussolini appeal to within Italian people?

National pride.

What did Mussolini promise?

To restore the glory of the Roman Empire, revive the economy, rebuild the army, and restore order.

What party did Mussolini found in 1919?

Fascist Party.

Who were the Black Shorts?

Mussolini founded them. Attacked Communists and socialists because they believed political violence against enemies was okay.

What happened in 1922 in Italy?

30,000 fascists marched on Rome and demanded that King Emmanuel II put Mussolini in charge of the government. Threatened with armed uprising, Victor Emmanuel II agreed to make Mussolini in charge of the government.

What does Il Duce mean?

The Leader.

What are the common traits between fascism and Bolshevism?

• Opposition to liberal democracy

• unity through hatred (common enemy)

• government by a small party elite

• The cult of the leader

• Primacy of the state (over the individual)

Who were the small party elite of the Bolsheviks?

The Politburo.

What is the cult of the leader?

Emergence of artwork, propaganda, political cartoons, and posters that venerate the leader in a ridiculous way.

What does primacy of the state mean?

Goodness of the state is more important than the goodness of the person.

What is the Bolshevik internationalist goal?

Worldwide communist revolution.

What are the main differences between Bolshevism and Fascism?

• Bolshevism: internationalist goal, class hatred rather than racial hatred

• Fascism: nationalist goal, master race ideologies

In what sense was Mussolini expansionist?

Said fascism was “not for export.” Expansionist in the sense that they want more land, but for the sake of it just being land.

What is the ethnic makeup of the Soviet states?

Ethnically diverse.

What is master race ideologies?

The enemy = outsiders and ethnic minorities.

What were the causes of the Great Depression in Europe?

• War debt

• nationalist tariff policies

• deflation after WWI

• American stock market collapse/ speculation

What were nationalistic tariff policies?

Countries raise tariff policies and cut down on free trade.

Why did prices decline after WWI?

Overproduction of food and supplies during WWI, prices fell after the war with less demand.

Why is deflation bad?

Means the businesses are not making enough money.

When did the American Stock Market collapse?

Black Tuesday - October 24, 1929.

Why did the American Stock Market Collapse affect Europe?

European investors had money in American banks.

Who did Herbert Hoover lose re-election to?

Franklin Roosevelt.

What economic policies did FDR and the US follow in the Great Depression?

Keynesian economic policies.

What were the economic reforms in the US in response to the Great Depression?

New Deal, public works program.

What was the Scandinavian response to the Great Depression?

• Welfare state and cooperatives

• Tried to walk the line between socialism and capitalism, government intervention and laissez faire

• some form of government support for everyone

What was the French response to the Great Depression?

The Popular Front - radical leftist parties.

What effect did the Great Depression have on women in democratic nations?

More women working outside the home.

What is Keynesian Economics?

Increases purchase power —> Enhances total spending —> increases consumer demand in the market —> production increases to increase supplies —> more employment —> increases purchasing power (circle)

Have more government intervention to make up for the loss of private sector intervention.

What type of government was most of Europe under in the 1930s?

Authoritarian leader.

Who was under Hitler’s rule?

Germany and much of the surrounding territories that it covers.

How fast did Germany recover from war debts and Great Depression?

Quickly.

Who did Mussolini rule?

Italy.

Who did Franco rule?

Spain.

Who did Stalin rule?

The Soviet Union.

When and where was Hitler born?

1889 in Austria.

Who rejected Hitler as a painter twice?

Art academy in Vienna.

What was Hitler awarded after WWI?

The Iron Cross.

How did Hitler feel about Germany’s surrender in WWI?

Stunned because he thought Germany was winning.

What was the National Socialist German Workers’ Party?

• Nazi party

• fascist

• created by Hitler and others in 1919

• Led by Hitler after 1921

When did Hitler gain notoriety?

After the failed Beer Hall Putsch.

When did Hitler get out of jail after the Beer Hall Putsch?

By 1924.

What was the Beer Hall Putsch?

A coup attempt in Munich led by members of the Nationalist Socialist German Workers’ Party.

How many Nazis were killed in the Beer Hall Putsch?

16 Nazis.

Why was Hitler pardoned in 1924?

As part of a general amnesty for political prisoners.

What was “Mein Kampf”?

The book Hitler wrote in prison. Identifies Aryans as “genius” race and Jews as “parasites.”

What skill did Hitler have in his rise to power?

Public speaking skills.

What was the impact of the Great Depression in Hitler’s rise?

He took advantage of the people’s anger, offering convenient scapegoats and a promise to bring Germany back to its former greatness.

How did Hitler take advantage of the Reichstag fire?

Used it to convince the government to grant him emergency powers. Used this power to abolish freedom of the press and other political parties, and make antisemitic laws.

What was the Reichstag?

German Parliament.

Who did Hitler persuade to suspend all German civil rights?

President Paul von Hindenburg.

How did Hitler gain power to make all laws without Reichstag consent?

False promises and violence.

How did Hitler increase his power in June 1934?

Made it so that all members of the military must wear personal allegiance to Hitler.

How did Hitler increase his power in August 1934?

Hindenburg dies and Hitler abolishes the office of the president.

What title does Hitler give himself?

Fuhrer (supreme leader) of the German Empire (the Third Reich).

What is a plurality?

The largest single portion.

Who had a plurality in Germany after 1932?

The Nazi party.

When did Spain become a republic?

When the Spanish king abdicated at the start of the Great Depression.

Who overthrew the unstable Spanish republic?

The Popular Front.

Which group refused to accept the Spanish Popular Front government?

The army, the Catholic church, and aristocracy.

Who was Francisco Franco?

Spanish general that led the army against the Popular Front government. Conservative, wasn’t happy with the abolition of the monarchy. Developed a cult of personality during his rule.

What was the Spanish Civil War a precursor to?

WWII.

Who did Franco and the Nationalists receive money and weapons from in the Spanish Civil War?

Italy and Germany (nazis).

Who supported the Popular Front in the Spanish Civil War?

The Soviet Union, 40,000 volunteers from Western government.

How many died in the Spanish Civil War?

500,000.

Who won the Spanish Civil War?

Franco.

How long did Franco remain in power?

Until 1975.

What is “Guernica”?

• Modernist painting by Picasso

• inspired by the German bombing of Guernica

• Everyone is screaming in it, limbs in random parts of the painting

What is cubism?

Pioneered by Picasso. Emphasized the 2d nature of the canvas by flattening everything, giving it multiple perspectives.

What position did Lenin appoint Stalin to?

General Secretary of the Communist Party.

How did Lenin feel about Stalin?

He doubted Stalin’s ability to succeed him.