AP European History: Chapter 16

The Interwar Period

The period between the 1919 end of WWI and 1939 beginning of WWII, shaped by the results of WWI and Great Depression

The Great Depression

the period from 1929-1940 in which the economy tanked and unemployment skyrocketed to 18%

October 29, 1929

Black Tuesday, Stock Market Crash--- banks fail

war economy

the phenomenon of war boosting economic productivity and employment, particularly in capital and labor intensive sectors such as industrial production

- this led to the post-WWI Great Depression in the US

Farm sector crisis

grain/wheat is produced in the US at a high level in the plains region of the US, depleting the soil and leading to the dust bowl

dust bowl

Region of the Great Plains that experienced a drought in 1930 lasting for a decade, leaving many farmers without work or substantial wages.

middle class

disappears as a result of people losing their farms and factory jobs--- thereby causes the Great Depression, as these people are meant to be buying in the general market, but no longer exist

Dawes Plan

A plan to revive the German economy, the United States loans Germany money which then can pay reparations to England and France, who can then pay back their loans from the U.S.

- US gives Germany $2.5B in loans

- Allies give US $2.6B in war debt payments

- Germany gives Allies $2.0B in reparation payments

this plan fails when the US goes into the Great Depression and cannot pay Germany

- German currency linked to the US Dollar

Hawley-Smoot Tariff (June 1930)

charged a high tax for imports thereby leading to less trade between America and foreign countries along with some economic retaliation

totalitarianism

a political movement that exercises "total claims" over the beliefs and behavior of its citizens by taking control of the economic, social, intellectual, and cultural aspects of society.

- created by Hannah Arendt in her Origins of______

Hannah Arendt (1906-1975)

created Totalitarianism in her Origins of Totalitarianism (1951)

Origins of Totalitarianism (1951)

written by Hannah Arendt describing totalitarianism

focus on the state rather than the individual, distrust of democracy, chauvinism, militarism, racism

5 common traits of totalitarianism

"banality of evil"

ordinary people will do bad things simply because they are asked to by a person in an authoritative position

- they put the state over people

Fuhrerprinzip

Nazi leadership principle; entitled a single-minded party under one leader

- there are too many people with too many different agendas--- a state should come together under one person with one agenda in order to maintain order

Chauvinistic

this trait leads men who seek to be seen as "strong males" to promote war

- men lose their jobs after the Great Depression and look to leaders like Stalin to restore their "masculinity"

Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR)

Federal system of socialist republics established in 1922 in various ethnic regions of Russia; firmly controlled by Communist party; diminished nationalities protest under Bolsheviks; dissolved 1991.

Communist Party

the only party established in the USSR

New Economic Policy

policy created by Lenin

- allowed private ownership, small factories, small businesses/farms

- allowed international investments

- "Leninism"

- lasts until 1924 when Lenin dies of a stroke

Leninism

the political, social, and economic theories developed from Marxist theory--- separate in Lenin's (slightly capitalist) conduct of a "communist" USSR

- lasts until 1924, when Lenin dies of a stroke

Leon Trotsky

man that Lenin selected to succeed him

- exiles himself to Mexico and is stabbed by Ramon Mercader, who was awarded for the act

Joseph Stalin

successor to Lenin as the head of USSR

- had the support of the Russian army over Trotsky

wanted to focus more on heavy industry, collectivization

- installed the 5 year plan

- died in 1953

Ramon Mercader

Stabbed Trotsky with an axe when he exiled himself to Mexico; received an award from the act from Stalin, but Stalin denied hiring him to

heavy industry

promoted in the USSR by Stalin by building factories and farm equipment

STEM fields/education

promoted for all citizens including women under Stalin

collectivization

large, government-owned farms where hundreds of families are forced to work on producing food for the state

- no more private ownership

- instituted by Stalin

kulaks

wealthy farmers/peasants, eliminated by Stalin through collectivization

The Five-Year Plan

Stalin's economic policy to rebuild the Soviet economy after WWI. tried to improve heavy industry and improve farm output, but resulted in famine

1st two sets of 5 years (1928-1932, 1933-1937)

section of the 5 year plan that focused on building farm equipment

third 5 years (1938-1942)

section of the 5 year plan that focused on militarism (building weapons for WWII)

fourth 5 years (1946-1953)

section of the 5 year plan that focused on manufacturing nukes and the space race during the Cold War

the Great Plague and Soviet Famine (Holodomor) (1932-1933)

a manmade famine/genocide of mostly Ukrainian peoples in the USSR

- forced collectivization decreases agricultural production

- government demands more grain from farmers, so farmers in Ukraine have less for themselves

- 8-13M people in Ukraine die

- propaganda used to cover it up

gulag

Russian prison camp for political prisoners

- 20M(?) Soviet citizens in these labor camps by 1939

Cult of Personality

uses mass media, propaganda, spectacle, "patriotism", and a big lie rally to create a heroic, idealized leader

- idea from Nikita Khruschev's secret speech (On the Cult of Personality and its Consequences)

Nikita Khruschev

spoke on the cult of personality in his speech, On the Cult of Personality and its Consequences

middle class economic frustrations, upper class fear of socialism, anti-republicanism, aggressive nationalism, belief/value in a "strong man"

5 factors contributing to an environment that resulted in Mussolini and Hitler

anti-republicanism

many people realize that democratic systems are not working for them

- corrupt politicians, struggle to stay afloat

fascism

a political movement that promotes a(n):

- extreme form of nationalism

- denial of individual rights

- hostility to communism

- dictatorial one-party rule

Benito Mussolini (Il Duce)

The Italian founder of the Fascist party who came to power in Italy in 1922

- former journalist whose family supported socialism

- inspired by Nietzche

- inspired by economic misfortune in Italy

staggering inflation, raise in taxes, land grabs

3 economic misfortunes in Italy leading to the rise of Mussolini

National Fascist Party (1919)

Italian party established soon after WWI; wealthy people supply this party with weapons to prevent socialism

- squandri beat up opposition

- claque spread the "goodness" of this party

Squandristi (blackshirts)

National Fascist Party; went in the streets and beat up people who opposed fascist ideology

claque

spread the "greatness" of the fascist party

coup d'etat

led by Mussolini in 1922; he seizes power

wealthy (own factories), Catholic church, mafia

3 groups Mussolini sought not to disturb

Lateran Accords (1929)

Agreement in which Mussolini recognized the sovereignty of Vatican City and established Catholicism as the state religion; in return, the papacy recognized the Italian state and encouraged Italians to support the Fascist regime

Weimar Republic

unsuccessful German state that replaced the German Empire after WWI

Reichstag

German Parliament

Wolfgang Kapp Putsch

an overthrow of the Weimar Republic in 1920 that was stopped by the government

putsch

a violent attempt to overthrow a government

Walter Rathenau

hired to grow the Weimar Republic's economy

- believes they should make deals with USSR

- Jewish

- the German people hate him--- fuels anti-semitism

coal

what the Weimar Republic offers to France and Belgium instead of money to pay war reparations

Franco-Prussian War

ended with France having to pay Prussia reparations--- therefore, France refuses to let the Weimar Republic pay WWI reparations in coal

Invasion of the Ruhr (1/1923-8/1925)

France invades the Ruhr region in the Weimar Republic due to the Republic's refusal to pay reparations (not in coal)

- Weimar Republic begins to pay workers in the Ruhr region not to work, leading to hyperinflation

hyperinflation

created by the Weimar Republic paying workers in the Ruhr region not to work to hinder France's efforts

Gustav Stresemann (1878-1929)

German Foreign Minister who assumed leadership of government and got the French to move out of the Ruhr

- believed the Dawes Plan would fix inflation

National Socialist German Workers Party

(Nazi Party) was a far-right, racist political party in Germany between 1920 and 1945

Sturmabteilung (SA) (brown shirts)

went around beating people up

- knew Hitler from his army days and agreed with his ideas that Germany and the West as a whole is "losing its way"

Beer Hall Putsch (Nov. 1923)

Hitler's attempt, in 1923 (lasting 1 day), to overthrow the Weimar Republic when he fired his pistol in the ceiling of a Munich beer hall

- Sturmabteilung accompanied him

- 16 of them died

- makes a speech on promoting national socialism, then is put in prison where he writes "Mein Kampf"

National Socialism

Hitler makes a speech claiming that Germany should promote this, entailing:

- protectionist politics

- somewhat anti-capitalism

- not accepting minorities/those who are not in the "norm"

protectionist politics

protect domestic economy by placing tariffs

- Hitler promotes this

Mein Kampf "My Struggle" (1923)

book written by Hitler during his 5y prison sentence arguing that we must "save the West" as it is "in decline"

Oswald Spengler

an obscure German high school teacher who wrote Decline of the West, said the west was about to be conquered by Asians

- created a backbone for nazi ideology

Treaty of Locarno (1925)

gives land in the Weimar Republic to the allied powers

- solidifies Hitler's popularity

political musical chairs

leaders are swapped around in an unstable, unruly manner

- occurs in the Weimar Republic, with leaders who were supposed to rule for 7y ruling for 1 month-2y

coalition governments

one party helps another gain power

- created by Weimar Republic's political parties

chancellor

position Hitler is a appointed to on January 23, 1933

The Third Reich

The Third Republic of Germany which began Hitler's rule in 1933 and ended with his defeat in 1945

Reichstag Fire (February 1933)

arsonist attack on Reichstag Building (German Parliament); Hitler used to promote anti-communism + Reichstag Fire Decree limiting free speech

- 2 weeks before elections for Parliament

- Hitler sees this as an attack on the "national rebirth"

- Enabling Act

Enabling Act (March 1933)

gave Hitler unlimited emergency powers to "protect the state"

- all political parties except the nazi party are banned

- strikes/protests forbidden

-establishment of the racial state

Night of the Long Knives (June 1934)

Hitler uses Shutzstaffel and Gestapo (new followers) to assassinate Sturmabteilung

Shutzstaffel (SS)

An elite, black uniformed that was loyal to Hitler. They arrested and murdered hundreds of Hitler's enemies. This brutal action and the terror applied by the Gestapo, shocked most Germans into total obedience.

Gestapo

Nazi German secret police

Socio-Cultural Exclusion

first stage of the racial state

Jewish Businesses Boycott (March 1933), Jewish citizens are banned from holding teaching positions

occurs in the socio-cultural exclusion stage of the racial state

Civic Exclusion

second stage of the racial state

Nuremburg Laws

1935 laws defining the status of Jews and withdrawing citizenship from persons of non-German blood

- Jewish former citizens no longer have rights

- fleeing to other countries requires citizenship

- occurs in the civic exclusion stage of the racial state

Economic Exclusion and Expulsion

third stage of the racial state

Kristillnacht (Nov. 1938)

planned attack on synagogues

Kristillnacht, aryanization, emigration

occurs in the economic exclusion and expulsion stage

aryanization

confiscation of Jewish property/businesses

emigration

Jewish former citizens in Germany go to ghettos in Germany or in other German-allied countries

ghetto

where Jewish individuals in Germany were often sent, whether it be within germany or a german-allied country

Extermination

fourth stage of the racial state

Final Solution

Hitler's program of systematically killing the entire Jewish people