lesson 1

postwar uncertainty

new revolution in science

• albert einstein

  • german physicist

  • theory of relativity

    • time and space are not constant

      • only constant is the speed of light

• sigmund freud

  • austrian physician

  • human behavior - irrational

    • “unconscious”

literature in the 1920’s

• horror of war → question traditional ideas

• new movements: modernism and expressionism

  • dark, dismal future

    • ts eliot

    • william butler yeats

writers reflect society’s concern

• horror novels emerge

  • “nightmare you can’t escape”

  • influenced by freud’s “unconscious”

thinkers react to uncertainties

• existentialism - no universal meaning to life

  • everyone creates own (choices and actions)

  • jean-paul sartre

    • leader of movement

• friedrich nietzsche - german philosopher

  • western ideas block creativity

  • return to ancient, heroic values (go backwards in time)

artists rebel against traditional

• cubism - natural shapes in geometric forms

  • pablo picasso

• surrealism - link dreams with real life

  • freud’s “unconscious”

new musical style

• jazz emerged in the us

  • primary african american musicians

  • sound symbolic of new age

women’s role changes

• active role in ww1 → improvements at home

  • women’s suffrage

• lifestyle changes

  • clothing, hair, makeup, etc

  • flappers

• new careers

the great migration

• african americans migrate north

• opportunity and escape discrimination

automobile alters society

• war inventions → consumer improvements

• car production in britain":

  • 1913 - 34,000

  • 1937 - 500,000

• leisure travel, work commute

airplanes transform travel

• 1927 - charles lindbergh: solo flight (ny to paris)

• passenger airlines begin

• 1932 - amelia earhart

  • first woman solo flight across atlantic

radios and movies

• expands advertising and propaganda

• 1920’s - movie industry boom

  • hollywood = 90% of film production

lesson 2

a worldwide depression

postwar europe

• rise of democratic governments

  • many political parties → not effective

• coalition government

  • temporary alliance of parties - unsuccessful

the weimar republic (1919)

• germany’s democratic government

• problems

  • no democratic traditions

  • too many political parties

  • blamed for post ww1 problems

inflation in germany

• economic problems from ww1

  • “war guilt clause” - reparations

• hyperinflation

attempts at economic stability

• dawes plan - $200 million loan from US to germany

  • stabilize currency and strengthen economy

  • set more realistic reparation timeline

efforts of lasting peace

• german and france truce

  • germany allowed into the league of nations

• kellogg-briand pact = worldwide peace?

flawed us economy - problem 1

• uneven wealth distribution

  • richest 5% make up 33% of all income

  • 60% earn less than $2000 a year

• can’t sell products → cut production → workers laid off

flawed us economy - problem 2 overproduction

• new farming methods = huge surplus → low cost

• farmers unable to repay bank loans

stock market

• stock prices going up

• middle class buying “on margin”

stock market crash

• investors start selling stocks

• black tuesday (oct 29, 1929)

the great depression

• stocks worthless → can’t pay back loans

• unemployment skyrockets

  • production, prices, wages fall

the great depression

• bank closures → people lost savings

  • over 9000 banks closed

• 1933 - 25% unemployed

  • hoover administration provides little relief

  • “hoovervilles” (places where the unemployed live, homeless)

isolationist policy

• us focus on recovery after depression

• president FDR (1932) begins to shift to interventionism

a global depression

• us economic collapse - global impact

• high tariffs placed on imports (smoot-hawley act)

  • goal = keep money in us

• other countries follow

  • world trade drops by 65%

recovery in the us

• new deal - government reform program

  • provide jobs for unemployed

  • government provides financial support

lesson 3

rise of fascism in europe

introduction

• depression causes millions to lose faith in democracy

• fascism - extreme system of government

  • loyalty and obedience to leader

  • appeal of leader’s message

fascism defined

• extreme form of nationalism - authoritarian leader

  • uniforms

  • salutes

  • rallies

rise of fascism in italy

• treaty of versailles (signed in 1919) - successful?

• growing social unrest

  • democracy ineffective

mussolini takes control

• benito mussolini

  • promise - revive economy, rebuild army

  • gains support of middle class/aristocrats

• 1922 - took power of italy

mussolini’s leadership

• il duce (nickname) - leader

  • abolished democracy

  • ban all political parties

  • terror, violence, censorship

hitler’s beginning

• received medal of bravery (iron cross) in ww1 twice

• joined nazi party

  • overturn versailles treaty

  • fight against communism

hitler’s rise to power

• hitler given title - der fuhrer

  • overthrow attempt → failed

• book written in prison mein kampf - my struggle

  • aryans = master race

  • vowed to undo versailles treaty

the great depression

• many germans felt the depression was even worse than hyperinflation

• huge numbers of businesses collapsed, hurting rich germans and increasing unemployment

• as well as job levels falling, homelessness and poverty levels greatly increased

hitler’s rise to power

• great depression’s impact on germany

  • desperate for strong leader

  • us stop loans → german economic collapse

• lebensraum: living space

  • hitler claims that the country is overcrowded and it is the cause of the problems so they turn to get more land

  • return to imperialism

hitler becomes chancellor

• turned germany into totalitarian state

  • totalitarian: government controls all aspects of life

• created ss and gestapo

  • arrest/murder enemies

  • fear → total obedience

hitler’s germany

• nazi’s control all aspects of life

• unemployment drops from 6 million to 1.5 million

war on the jews

• antisemitism - jews inferior to aryans

• jews = scapegoats

  • made up only 1% of the population

kristallnacht “night of broken glass” nov 9, 1938

• nazi’s attack jews and destroy buildings

• hitler’s “final solution”

• holocaust - over 6 million jews killed

lesson 4

aggressors invade nations

introduction

• italy and germany - intentions of conquest

  • world democracies (us - britain - france) desire peace

• league of nations able to prevent war?

  • no

  • us and russia are not in the league of nation

1922 - japan and china peace treaty

1928 - kellogg-briand pact

• war is the thing of the past

• an agreement in which signatory states promised not to use war to resolve conflicts

militarists take control of japan

• depression → blame government

• militarists gain power

  • emperor hirohito = symbolic figurehead only

militarists’ control of japan

• militarists = extreme nationalists

  • goal = solve economic problems

  • method = imperialism

• desire pacific empire

  • land, resources, market

japan invades china

• japan - outnumbered but better equipped/trained

• rape of nanjing

  • 300,000 chinese killed

mussolini attacks ethiopia

• 1935 - invasion of ethiopia

  • league of nations - no help

  • britain and france - stay out of conflict

hitler defies treaty of versailles

• hitler disregards treaty

  • league of nations - no help again

• hitler moves into rhineland

hitler invades the rhineland

• british urge appeasement

  • france give in to keep peace

• turning point toward war

  • hitler’s power/prestige increases

  • balance of power → germany

  • britain/france - no response

    • encouraged hitler more

us isolationism

• most americans support

• 1935 - neutrality acts

  • no selling arms to nations at war

german reich expands

• hitler’s 3rd reich

  • plan to take austria, czechoslovakia

• prohibited by versailles treaty

munich conference (sept 28, 1938)

• mussolini proposed meeting

• neville chamberlain - british prime minister

  • give in to hitler = peace

  • hitler promise to respect border

nazi and soviet - nonaggression pact

• britain/france seek help from stalin

  • stalin bargaining with hitler too

• nazi and soviet agreement