CHAPTER 15
POSTWAR UNCERTAINTY
section 1

 How did the following challenge deeply rooted ideas & traditions?
1. Theory of Relativity ----• Shattered the belief that the world operated
according to absolute laws of motion and gravity.
2. Freudian Psychology ----* This theory hypothesized that much of human
behavior is irrational, it weakened faith in reason
3. Existentialism -------* Taught that life had no universal meaning,
leaving people to find their own meaning in life
4. Surrealism --------* inspired by Freud’s ideas, sought to link world
of dreams with real life in art.
 How did the following demonstrate the independent spirit of the times?

5. Jazz -------* Composers moved away from traditional styles.
The jazz beat was uninhibited and energetic, fitting
the freedom and spontaneity of the times.
6. Women -----* Abandoned restrictive clothing and styles.
Argued that they should be equal partners with men.
 How did the following change ways of life?

7. Automobiles -------* Created new manufacturing jobs & new
businesses to serve car owners. Expanded
recreational travel. Led to the growth of suburbs and
commuter population.
8. Airplanes ---------* Improvements in aircraft made possible
commercial passenger service and international travel
9. Radio ---------* Expanded audiences for news, plays, and
sporting events. Helped bring world in closer touch.
10. Movies ----------* Movie-making became a serious art form in
Europe and a major industry in Hollywood. Movies
became a popular escape from daily hardships.
A WORLDWIDE DEPRESSION
section 2
1.

In new postwar democracies, there were frequent changes in gov’t.
* Many citizens of the new democracies had little experience
with representative gov’t. Some countries had many political
parties, which made effective gov’t difficult and led to the
formation of coalition gov’t that often unraveled.
2. In Germany, the Weimar Republic was weak from the start.
* Germany lacked a strong democratic tradition; postwar
had multiple political parties. Many Germans blamed
the Weimar gov’t NOT their wartime leaders for the
country’s military defeat & humiliation at Versailles.
3. Postwar Germany suffered from severe economic inflation.
* The German gov’t printed money for war expenses
and reparations. This devalued the mark (German
dollar) to the point where people needed
wheelbarrows full of money to buy food.
4. The United States had a flawed economy.
* Uneven distribution of wealth, overproduction by
businesses and agriculture (farms) led to lessened
demand for consumer goods.
5. On October 29, 1929, the U.S. stock market crashed.
* Believing that the prices would drop, investors tried
to sell high-priced stocks that they had bought on
margin, but no one wanted to buy.
6. A long depression followed the crash in the United States.
* Unemployment rates rose as industrial production,
prices, and wages fell. Businesses failed. Individuals
lost their savings when banks closed, and farmers lost
their land.
7. Collapse of the U.S. economy affected countries worldwide.
* Some countries had war debts and were dependent
on American loans and investments. Worried
American bankers demanded repayment for their
overseas loans, and American investors withdrew
their money from Europe. American market for
imported goods dropped sharply. Raising of tariffs
led to decrease in world trade and market demand.
8. In Britain, the National Government rescued the economy.
* Passed high protective tariffs, increased taxes,
regulated the currency, and lowered interest rates to
encouraged industrial growth.
9. In France, the Popular Front was formed as a coalition gov’t.
* Economic crisis in France led to political instability and
leaders feared the growth of antidemocratic forces.
10. Socialist gov’ts in Scandinavian countries dealt with the
economic crisis successfully.
* Relied on existing tradition of cooperative community
action & gov’t sponsored public works programs to keep
people employed and producing food. Raised pensions
for the elderly and benefits for those in need.
FASCISM RISES IN EUROPE
section 3
CAUSE
• Italians were disappointed by
terms of Versailles &
distressed by social unrest,
rising inflation, & high
unemployment
• Mussolini promised to rescue
Italy by reviving its economy
& rebuilding armed forces
• He founded the Fascist party
& rapidly gained popularity as
economic conditions
continued to worsen

1. Mussolini
EVENT
gains
popularity
EFFECTS
• Mussolini publicly
criticized the
government
• Fascists promoted a
campaign of terror
and gained support
of middle classes,
industrial leaders, &
aristocracy
CAUSE
EVENT
EFFECTS
• The king decided that
Mussolini was the best
hope for his dynasty to
survive
2. King Victor
Emmanuel III
puts Mussolini
in charge of the
government
• Mussolini abolished
democracy
• outlawed all political
parties, but his
Fascist party
• Imposed censorship
• Had opponents
jailed
• Outlawed strikes
• Made allies of
industrialist & large
landowners
3. Hitler is
chosen leader of
the Nazi party
• The Nazis became
a growing
political force
• He was a successful
organizer and
speaker

CAUSE
• Inspired by Mussolini’s
march on Rome, Hitler &
the Nazis tried to
overthrow the gov’t and
seize power in Munich.
• When the depression ended the
nation’s brief postwar recovery,
the German economy collapsed
• Civil unrest broke out & people
looked to Hitler for strong
leadership
• Conservative leaders, believing
they could control Hitler,
advised Pres. to name Hitler
chancellor
EVENT
EFFECTS
4. Hitler is tried
for treason and
sentenced to
prison
• In jail, he wrote Mein
Kampf, which set
forth his beliefs and
goals for Germany

5. President
Paul von
Hindenburg
names Hitler
chancellor in
1933
• Hitler acted quickly
to strengthen his
position
• He won a
parliamentary
majority in elections
he called
• Turned Germany
into a totalitarian
state
CAUSE
EVENT
• Anti-Semitism was a
key part of the Nazi
ideology
7. Nazis
passed law
depriving
Jews of their
rights
• Nazis used Jews as
the scapegoat for
Germany’s troubles

EFFECTS
• Violence
against Jews
increased
• Kristallnacht
signaled the
real start of the
process of
eliminating
Jews from
German life
AGGRESSORS INVADE NATIONS
section 4

1931 – Japan
Invades
Manchuria
1. Why did the Japanese invade Manchuria?
1935 – Mussolini
invades Ethiopia
2. Why did Britain and France take no action against Italian
aggression?
* To solve its economic problems &
protect Japanese business interest
* Britain and France hoped to keep the
peace in Europe
1935 – U.S.
Congress passes
first of three
Neutrality Acts
3. Why did isolationists want these laws passed?
* They hoped to keep the U.S. out of
another war
1936 – German
4. What were some effects of appeasing Hitler after his invasion of
Troops move into the Rhineland?
the Rhineland
• Strengthened Hitler’s power in
Germany
• Tilted the balance of power in
Germany’s favor
• Encouraged Hitler to speed up military
& territorial expansion

1937 – Japan
invades China
Hitler plans to
absorb Austria &
Czechoslovakia
into the Third
Reich
5. What were the immediate results of this invasion?
• The Chinese retreated and set up a new
capital
• Chinese guerrillas continued to fight in
the occupied area.
1938 – Munich
Conference is
held
6. Why was the Munich Conference unsuccessful?
• The Czechs were not invited.
•

British prim minister Neville
Chamberlain believed he could preserve
peace by giving into Hitler’s demands
• When Hitler’s troops took over
Czechoslovakia, it was clear that the
agreement had failed to stop Hitler from
occupying Czechoslovakia and then
demanding Danzig, Poland
7. How did other countries help Franco’s Nationalist forces bring about the
1939 – Franco
becomes Spanish collapse of Republican resistance?
dictator
• While the Western democracies remained
neutral, Hitler and Mussolini sent troops,
tanks, and airplanes to Franco in Spain

1939 - Germany
and Russia sign a
nonaggression
pact
8.
Why did Stalin sign an agreement with Fascist
Germany, once a bitter enemy?
• Stalin wanted to avoid war with
Germany