The Interwar Years: 1919-1939

The Interwar Years: 1919-1939

Post-WWI Problems

  • Only Japan and the USA were in good shape after WWI.
  • New democracies struggled.
  • France had 40 government changes (1919-1939).
  • Widespread dissatisfaction and suffering led to a desire for change.

Economic Problems in Germany

  • The Weimar Republic was blamed for WWI defeat and signing the Treaty of Versailles.
  • Germany owed 3333 billion in war reparations.
  • Printing more money to pay reparations led to hyperinflation.
    • Example: Bread prices soared from 11 Mark (1918) to 200200 billion Marks (1923).
  • Life savings became worthless.
  • The US Dawes Plan bailed Germany out with loans, but this was a temporary fix.

League of Nations Ineffectiveness

  • Lack of control over major conflicts.
  • No progress in disarmament.
  • Absence of an effective military force.

Fascism in Europe

  • Fascism: Extreme nationalism, denial of individual rights, dictatorial rule.
  • Promises: Revive economy, punish scapegoats (Jews in Germany), restore national pride.
  • Attracted those angered by WWI treaties and the Depression.
  • Key tenets: Ultra-nationalism, belief in struggle, loyalty to a strong leader.
  • Loyalty to state and obedience to dictator.
  • Opposite of Communism.
  • Took power in Italy, Germany, and Spain.

Benito Mussolini in Italy

  • Fascism's appeal: Bad economy, fear of communism, disappointment over territory gained at ToV.
  • Mussolini's rule: Abolished parties, jailed opponents.
  • Alliance: Mussolini and Hitler formed a Fascist alliance.

USA: 1920s Boom to Bust

  • Wages up 40% after WWI, but wealth unevenly distributed.
  • Richest 5% earned 33% of the income in 1929.
  • 60% of families made less than 2,0002,000 a year.
  • Overproduction by factories and low income led to layoffs.
  • Stock Market soared, many investing.
  • 80% of population had no savings.

Economic Danger Signs

  • Uninsured banks.
  • No government oversight of banks or Stock Market.
  • Market value based on borrowed money and speculation.
  • Increase in personal debt.
  • Buying Stocks on Margin - borrowed money to purchase Stocks.

Stock Market Crash

  • October 24, 1929 (Black Thursday): Stocks fell drastically.
  • October 29, 1929 (Black Tuesday): Stock Market Crash.
  • Over 3030 billion lost by end of October.
  • Millions lost everything, marking the start of the Great Depression.

Immediate Crash Effects

  • Loss of life savings.
  • Banks called in loans, people had no money.
  • Hundreds of banks closed due to lack of funds for withdrawals.
  • 9 million savings accounts vanished.

Democracy in Crisis

  • Worldwide Depression created opportunities for dictators.
  • Germany was hit hardest due to dependence on US loans.
  • People lost faith in governments.
  • Totalitarian and Militaristic Dictatorships took over.

Hitler in Germany

  • Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party established a Totalitarian Dictatorship in the 1930s.
  • Hitler ruled with an Iron Fist.

Hitler's Rise to Power

  • Exploited the depression to gain power.
  • 1932: Nazis became largest political party.
  • 1933: Hitler became Chancellor.
  • Eliminated political opponents.
  • Took control of all aspects of German life.

Nazi Military State Key Terms

  • GESTAPO: Secret State Police.
  • SS (Schutzstaffel): Defense Corps.
  • SA (Sturmabteilung): Stormtroopers.
  • Lebensraum: Living space.
  • Wehrmacht: German army.
  • HJ (Hitler Jugend): Hitler Youth.
  • Einstazgruppen: Nazi Death Squad; mobile killing units
  • Volk: Concept of nation, people and race, implying the superiority of German culture and race; led to policy of Volksgemeinschaft.

Joseph Goebbels

  • Nazi Minister of Propaganda.

Empire of Japan

  • Military takes over Japan and felt they could solve problems by conquest.
  • Military General Hideki Tojo truly controls Japan

Japan's Issues

  • Japan lacked raw materials and farmland.
  • Began aggressive empire building, invading Manchuria in 1931.
  • Allied with Germany and Italy in 1940.
  • Sought total control of the Pacific.

Early Aggressions

  • 1935: Italy invaded Ethiopia; the League of Nations did nothing.
  • 1935: Hitler violated the Treaty of Versailles by building army and navy.
  • 1936: Germany reoccupied the Rhineland.
  • Allies resorted to Appeasement.

The Axis Powers

  • Germany (Hitler) and Italy (Mussolini) formed an alliance.
  • Japan joined in 1940.

Spanish Civil War (1936)

  • Fascist Francisco Franco revolted against the democratic government.
  • Germany and Italy aided Franco, testing military tactics.
  • Western Democracies remained neutral.

US Isolationism

  • Focused on Great Depression issues.
  • Adopted a policy of non-interventionism.
  • ”America First”

German Expansion

  • 1938: Hitler annexed Austria (Anschluss).
  • Munich Conference: Britain and France appeased Hitler by giving him the Sudetenland.

Czechoslovakia

  • 1939: Hitler took over the rest of Czechoslovakia.

Russo-German Non-Aggression Pact (1939)

  • Stalin and Hitler agreed not to attack each other.
  • Poland was divided into a buffer zone.

WWII Begins

  • September 1, 1939: Germany invaded Poland using Blitzkrieg.
  • Britain and France declared war on Germany.
  • USSR remained neutral until 1941.
  • America Just Watched.