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Viewpoint of Americans after WWI
the US had emerged as a global economic and military power
Within the US there was widespread uncertainty about the post war economic situation
America reached a large wealth gap
What was the Great Depression
a severe global economic downturn that began in 1929, triggered by the stock market crash and followed by bank failures, unemployment, and widespread poverty.
It lasted through the 1930s, devastating economies, leading to mass unemployment, and reshaping government policies worldwide.
effects of GD
overproduction and underconsumption
farmers were the most hard hit
increased wealth gap
mass unemployment
led to hunger and poverty
dust bowl led to migration and now places were overpopulated and could not keep up
what was the cause of the GD
the global economy lacked leadership
The Stock Market crash of 1929
led to bank failures
customers lost their savings
led to a chain of bank closures
international trade collapse
wealth gap meant that a large part of the population had little purchasing power
led to underconsumption
How did the U.S. try to address the Great Depression?
Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of 1930 raised tariffs on imported goods
other nations retaliated by imposing their own tariffs
sharp decline in international commerce
In what ways were the Japanese expanding during the 1920s and 30s and why?
Expansion into Manchuria
did it for natural resources, strategic considerations and more space
Expansion into China
they launched a full scale invasion into China
for imperial expansion. economic resources, and nationalist and militarist ideologies
naval expansion and military build-up
What had Japan become after WW1
they grew into a major economic and imperial power
had a growing presence in East Asia
Explain the role and influence of the zaibatsu during this time
powerful Japanese business leaders
influence and size allowed control over significant parts of the Japanese economy from the Meiji period to World War II.
Who were ultranationalists and what role did they play in leading Japan towards greater conflict with the west?
the ultranationalists condemned japanese politicians for agreeing to the western demands to stop japanese expansion
They resented the American laws that excluded Japanese immigrants.
Who were the Axis Powers and what led them to this relationship?
Japan signed the Tripartite Pact with Germany and Italy, cementing the alliance known as the Axis Powers.
did it to have alliances and gang up against US
What was life like under Stalin?
propaganda glorified Stalin
people lost almost all of their freedom
education was strictly controlled by the state
indoctrinated the youth by having them join youth organizations
What were the goals and impact of the Five-Year Plans?
The five year plan was a set of economic plans to strengthen the USSR in case of a war
Stalin brought all economic activity under government control
wanted to improve transportation to get more import and export
Goal was to ultimately collectivize the economy
There was famine in the rural areas because they were taking all of the food for the people living in the cities.
overall production increased
agriculture suffered immenselyand led to widespread famine.
The plans aimed to industrialize the USSR rapidly, but at great human cost.
What is a command economy?
all economic activity under government control
What is collectivization and how did this impact the Soviet Union?
the organization of all of a country's production and industry so that it is owned and managed by the government.
Under collectivization the peasantry were forced to give up their individual farms and join large collective farms
What were the Purges and who were affected?
stalin “purged” any groups he felt threatened by
He staged mock trials ( show trials) in order to get false confessions and used false trials as propaganda
victims of purge were experts in various fields especially in the military
Explain the various ways that the Communists attempted to control the thoughts of the people
They mainly used propaganda via state controlled media. They created a “cult of personality” which meant that leaders cultivated a powerful personal image that symbolized national strength and unity. They indoctrinated the youth, controlled religion by making atheism a state policy, and rewrote history to support the regime. Psychological manipulation through fear and oppression of dissenters was also prevalent.
Why was Italy bitter after the Great War?
Italians did not get the land that they were promised after WW1, which outrages Italian nationalists and caused chaos to erupt. This dissatisfaction led to social unrest, including land seizures by peasants and strikes by workers, while returning veterans faced unemployment. The political landscape became fragmented as the government struggled to address these issues.
Who became its new leader and how?
Benito Mussolini used dictatorship to try and revive the roman empire by creating a fascist political party and scapegoating communists while promoting national unity. He glorified the use of violence and was elected legally.
Who were the Black Shirts and what did they want?
an armed group in italy who supported mussolini and the fascist party
rejected democratic process in favor of violent action
wanted a single-party state where decisions were made by a strong, centralized authority (Mussolini)
What was the March on Rome?
to demand changes in government
King Victor Emmanuel feared a civil war so offered Prime Minister position to Mussolini
What is Fascism and why was it so popular?
Fascism encouraged extreme nationalism and loyalty to the state by putting the state above the individual. It glorified violence, war, and discipline by using a “survival of the fittest” mentality. It was anti-democratic and aggressively pursued foreign expansion. It was famous because it promised national restoration in the face of embarrassing enemies.
What tactics were used to maintain power in Italy
propaganda
often used indoctrination to create unwavering support to the regime
A cult of youth
a cult of personality
Not only a man of the people but a leader of the nation
Everything Mussolini did was seen as very grand
used the radio to connect with the entire italian public
He had a lot of control of the messaging in the educational system
What was the impact of the Treaty of Versailles and inflation on Germany?
The treaty imposed military restrictions and massive loss of territory along with a huge debt. Germany had no money to pay this off so they printed new money. This led to mass inflation and the german mark became useless
How did Hitler rise to power?
Hitler was furious with the Treaty of Versailles and, by 1919, led the Nazi Party, opposing the Weimar government. After a failed coup (the Munich Putsch), he was arrested and wrote Mein Kampf, advocating for German unity under his leadership. As the Great Depression hit, the Nazi Party grew to nearly a million members, promising jobs, to end reparations, and to defy the Versailles Treaty. He also pushed for German expansion to gain Lebensraum. Appointed chancellor in 1933, Hitler quickly became dictator and established a brutal totalitarian regime enforced by the Gestapo.
Enabling Act 1933
Fire in Reichstag (parliment) blamed on Communists. Hitler used this as an excuse to put more control over Germany. This gave Hitler absolute power for 4 years. he took over government bureaucracy installed Nazis in top positions. Strikes and unions were prohibited and he took over publishing houses and universities
Who was blamed for Germany losing in WWI?
marxist
jews
corrupt politicians
business leaders
What is the concept of Lebensraum (“living space”)?
space =power and any group that does not expand is doomed to die off
What were the Nuremberg Laws and its effects?
Made discrimination ok
Focused on prohibiting individual relationships
Further announced the superiority of the german race
What was the Night of Broken Glass (Kristallnact)?
Hitler used a minor incident as an excuse to stage an attack on all Jews and imposed a 400 million dollar fine on them for the small incident.
he encouraged people to vandalize and loot Jewish homes and businesses
Allowed Aryans to take over their businesses
additional destruction to jewish community from Kristallnact
Jewish artifacts were confiscated
Jews were arrested
Burned many synagogues
Firefighters were told to stand down
Destroyed jewish cemetery
Attacked jews and forced them to do publicly humiliating acts
Expelled jewish children
What was the “Final Solution”?
Nazi plan to eliminate Europe’s Jewish population
What were the aggressive actions taken by Italy leading up to the second world war?
they invaded ethiopia. Mussolini supported the Nationalist forces of General Francisco Franco during the Spanish Civil War, sending military aid, including troops, aircraft, and weapons. alligned with germany in 1939 which led to military alliance between Germany and italy.
why did italy join the war in spain?
This intervention was part of Italy’s broader ambition to expand its influence in the Mediterranean and align with fascist ideologies.
What were the aggressive actions taken by Germany leading up to the second world war?
Reoccupation of the Rhineland (1936) which directly violated the Treaty of Versailles, Anschluss (1938)
Munich Agreement and the Sudetenland (1938):
Invasion of Czechoslovakia (1939): this violated the munich agreement and showed that Germany was going to expand. Non-Aggression Pact with the Soviet Union (1939): This pact allowed Germany to invade Poland without fearing a Soviet intervention. invasion of Poland (1939):
Munich agreement
In September 1938, Hitler demanded the cession of the Sudetenland (a region of Czechoslovakia with a large ethnic German population). Britain, France, Italy, and Germany signed the Munich Agreement, allowing Germany to annex the Sudetenland in exchange for a promise of no further territorial expansion. This policy of appeasement failed to prevent further aggression
What were the aggressive actions taken by Japan leading up to the second world war?
Invasion of Manchuria (1931):
Second Sino-Japanese War (1937):
Expansion into Southeast Asia (1939-1941):
What was the Rome-Berlin-Tokyo Axis?
The Axis Powers, was a military and political alliance because they shared common goals of territorial expansion, challenging the post-World War I international order, and opposing the influence of democratic powers like Britain, France, and the United States. they were united by their fascist and militaristic ideologies
What was the Anschluss and why was this important?
In March 1938, Germany annexed Austria in what was called the Anschluss. he sought to unite all German-speaking people into one nation. The annexation was carried out with little resistance and was a clear violation of international agreements and showed that Hitler was not going to stop
How and why were Germany, Italy, and the Soviet Union involved in the war in Spain?
Hitler and Mussolini sent arms and forces to support Franco, while the Soviet Union sent soldiers to help the Loyalists.
By 1939, Franco had won. He created a fascist dictatorship similar to those of Germany and Italy.
The USSR sided with the Spanish Republicans to combat facism and spread communism
Guernica
Italy and Germany bombed a civilian town in northern Spain to side with the spanish nationalist
Why was the Spanish Civil war a “dress rehearsal” for WW2
It was considered a dress rehearsal because there were many similarities to WWII. There were many deaths as well as an alliance between Germany and Italy. They used this as an opportunity to find ways to do mass destruction even on civilians as well as practice bombing techniques.
What things did FDR do to try and stop the Great Depression?
He created the New Deal and the basic goal was to preserve capitalism by reforming it. It tackled mass unemployment by creating new federal programs and employing as many people as possible. However, it did not solve all of the problems
Who thought they had achieved a “peace for our time” and how?
British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain after signing the Munich Agreement with Nazi Germany.
believed that by conceding to Hitler’s demands, he could avoid war and stabilize Europe.
it failed and only delayed the inevitable
What is appeasement and why didn’t it work?
appeasement is giving the aggressor what they want in hope to avoid conflict
it didn’t work because the aggressor will keep coming back for more
What was the Nazi-Soviet Pact and why was it important?
Publicly bound them to peaceful relations
Privately agreed not to fight and divide up Poland and other parts of Eastern Europe between them
This was a shaky alliance, since neither Hitler nor Stalin trusted the other.
What marked the beginning of WWII?
germany’s invasion of Poland in 1939
ultimate aim of communism
the creation of a classless society in which everyone cooperates for the benefit of all.
ultimate goal of fascism
to have the state be as successful as possible
communism attitude towards other countries
Cooperation between countries and internationalism
fascism attitude towards other countries
Strong nationalist orientation and frequently harsh foreign policy
how control is achieved in communism
how political dominance is achieved in fascism
what did fascism place a strong emphasis on
on how one class or group is superior to all others
what did communism place a strong emphasis on
Stressing equality and getting rid of social classes
tactics dictators used to maintain power
cult of personality, eliminating opposition, control of media and propaganda, militarization, used the ideology to justify their actions
Failure of the League of Nations to avert war
did not enforce power, had no authority, failed to address aggression, appeasement, Ineffectiveness During the Pre-War Crises
ineffectiveness of the League of Nations during the Pre-War Crises
the League failed to intervene in the Spanish Civil War
Munich Agreement allowed Hitler to annex the Sudetenland (part of Czechoslovakia) without military intervention
similarities between regimes studied
Found scapegoats to blame their problems on, Authoritarian Rule, Totalitarian Control, Militarism and Expansionism, State-Controlled Economies, Persecution of Minorities and Dissenters
how did these empires find scapegoats the blame their problems on
Germany : the german jews
Italy : lenin and communism
Japan: immigration in US against Japanese people
authoritarian rule
concentrated power in the hands of one ruler
authoritarian rule in Germany
Adolf Hitler ruled as the absolute Führer, centralizing all power in his hands.
authoritarian rule in Italy
Benito Mussolini held total control over the Fascist regime, as Il Duce (the Leader).
authoritarian rule in Japan
While Emperor Hirohito was technically the head of state, real power was held by the military and political leaders, especially after the rise of militaristic factions in the 1930s
authoritarian rule in USSR
Joseph Stalin became the undisputed leader
State-Controlled Economies
State-Controlled Economies in Germany
State-Controlled Economies in Italy
State-Controlled Economies in Japan
State-Controlled Economies USSR
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