Interwar Period Thursday Quiz

What was the “big picture” goal of the peace settlement at the end of WWI?

Return to 19th century dreams of nationalism

Why were the dreams never fulfilled?

Border disputers & Germany’s anger with the Treaty of Versailles.

Why did the U.S. refuse to ratify the Treaty of Versailles?

A weak League of Nations

How much money did Germany owe post-war?

132 billion German marks (33 billion U.S. dollars)

Why was the Ruhr Valley important to Germany?

It was their chief industrial & mining center.

How did Germany add to its already rising inflation after the war?

The government mainly paid salaries by printing more paper money.

What were the 3 parts of the Dawes plan?

• Reduced reparations

• Coordinated Germany’s annual payments

• Granted initial 200 million dollar loan for Germany recovery

What was the purpose of the Treaty of Locarno?

To guarantee Germany new western borders of France & Belgium

What was the Kellogg-Briand Pact? What was missing from the pact?

It renounced the war as an instrument of national policy (63 states signed it). No one said what would be done if the pact was violated.

What were the 2 main causes of the Great Depression?

A series of downturns in the economics of the individual nations during the second half of the 1920s and the international financial crisis involving the U.S. stock market.

How did Germany play a role in contributing to the Depression in the United States?

U.S investors pulled money out of Germany (Dawe’s Plan) to invest in the stock market.

What were some easy governments to attempt to deal with the crisis? Did they work?

Lowered wages & raised tariffs. Initially, did not know how to respond.

How did the Great Depression impact the works of Karl Marx?

Marx believed capitalism would destroy itself through OVERPRODUCTION. Reviewed interests in his work, especially among workers & intellectuals. 

Mexico

Experienced challenging government for improved conditions. Industrial Revolutionary Party (PRI). Democracy, but only in appearance. Single party. Lázaro Cárdenas elected. Worked to stop economic imperialism.

Brazil

Democratic in appearance only. Getulio Vargas takes power through military coup; mixed improvement results. Eliminates political opposition, fascist, use of secret policy, etc. Military ousts him from power.

Argentina

Workers turn on Irigoyen & Radical Party. Go on strike. Military overthrows Irigoyen. Group of U.S. officers seize control, and run like a dictatorship/oligarchy.

Economic effects on Germany

• High & uncontrolled inflation

• Over 4 million people unemployed

Political effects on Germany

Weimar Republic

Attempts to fix problems in Germany

Overprinting paper currency

Social effects in Germany

• Families suffered loss of wages

• Rise of fear & anger would lead to growth of extremist parties

economic effects in France

• More balanced economy so it did not get hit as hard/so quickly

political effects in France

• Instability- 6 different cabinets in 1.5 years

• Led to formation of Popular Front 

attempts to fix problems in france

French New Deal

social effects in france

• Rise in Communism, Socialism, & Radicals 

• Increased workers rights

economic effects in great britain

• Declines in coal, steel, & textile industries

• 2 million people unemployed

political effects in great britain

political shift from Labour Party to Conservative Party

attempts to fix problems in great britain

• Used traditional policies of balanced budgets & tariffs

• Ignored ideas of John Maynard Keynes 

social effects in great britain

there are no social effects in great britain

economic effects in united states

• Industrial revolution dropped 50% 

• 12+ million people unemployed

political effects in united states

election of Franklin D. Roosevelt as president of the United states

attempts to fix problems in united states

New Deal (3 R’s):

Relief

Recovery

Reform

social effects in united states

Social reform elements of New Deal