The World in the 1920s
Challenges to European Dominance
3 Major Patterns
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Incomplete recovery of W. Europe after
WWI- economies and politics in disarray
Growing industrial strength of the U.S. and
Japan
Results of major revolutions
Western Europe after the War
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Mid-1920s a period of stability and calm
Kellogg-Briand Pact of 1928 outlawed war
forever
Political calm- fewer extremist groups and
polarization of existing politics
Cultural creativity (Cubist movement in artPicasso)
Mass consumption up
Women gain suffrage (U.S., Britain, Germany)
Fascism in Italy
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1919 Benito Mussolini formed “union for
struggle”
Italians upset at terms at Versailles (they gained
little)
Fascism promoted the building of a strong state
under a strong leader and the need for an
aggressive, nationalist foreign policy
1922 Italian king asked Mussolini to form a new
government
1926 suspended elections and began propaganda
campaign about the glories of conquest
New Nations of East Central
Europe
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Modeled politics after the west
Nationalist assignment
Primarily agrarian societies that wouldn’t
undertake serious land reform
Industrial Societies Outside
Europe
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1921 imperial conference determined that
self-governing dominions (Canada,
Australia, New Zealand) considered
coequals
1926 resolution defined them as
autonomous communities
Canada developed vibrant economy,
become destination for immigrants
Rise of America
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U.S. tradition of isolationism
Communist scare
Presence in world economics- U.S. corporations
grew rapidly in the 1920s partly due to
organization and innovation of U.S. businesses
Exported U.S. culture- first mass-consumer
society led to marketing and advertising
developments. Dance, music, fashion, movies
Japan
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Japan’s commitment to parliamentary democracy
challenged after the war (Japan had a parliament modeled
on the German parliament). Experimented with liberal
dem. All adult males got suffrage.
Military leaders tried to take a greater role at expense of
civilians and politicians
Economy- agricultural production increased. 1905-1918
industrial boom- increased population
Consumer culture emerged
Education advanced
Vulnerable economy because still importing a lot
Mexican Revolution- Causes
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Porfirio Diaz (in power since 1876)
increased the economy but with foreign
investment, thus upsetting the peasantry
Dictator who stifled dissent
Peasants want political and land reform
Education
Nationalism
Players in the Revolution
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1910- Diaz is open to allowing someone to take over
but then rigs the election
Francisco Madero called for revolt and assumes
leadership
Pancho Villa led rebellion in the north
Emilio Zapata led a peasant-based guerilla movement
for “Land and Liberty”
General Huerta tried to impose a Diaz-type
government
Leadership went back and forth and eventually
End of the Mexican Revolution
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1917 constitution promised land reform, limited
foreign ownership of key resources and
guaranteed the rights of workers
One-party system created with PRI dominating it
(Party of Industrial Revolution)
PRI dominated Mexican politics but incorporated
many groups and had some limits with the new
term limits on the presidency
Russian Revolution: The
Beginning
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March 1917 strikes and food riots break out
in St. Petersburg spurred by wartime
misery, food shortages, incomplete rural
reform, and unresponsive political system
Council of workers (soviet) took over
Tsar abdicated
Liberal Government? Not for us!
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Brief experiment with liberal government
under Alexander Kerensky
Slow reform led to a second revolution in
November which brought the radical
Bolshevik to power under Lenin
Lenin
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Treaty of Brest-Litovsk angered Russians
End of WWI allowed Lenin to consolidate
power
Created Council of People Commissars
Shut down parliament and the Communist
Party would rule Russia until 1989
1918-1921 Civil war
Lenin’s Reforms
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Red Army under Leon Trotsky
1921 New Economic Policy, which reduced
economic disarray and granted some freedom to
small business owners
1923 Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR)
Supreme Soviet – parliament
New groups have political voice: youth, women,
workers
1924 Lenin died leaving leadership crisis
Stalin: “Steel”
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Represented nationalist version of
communism
Killed rivals
Collectivization
Aristocratic class gone
China: Crisis after the Qing
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1912 fall of the Qing dynasty
Military commanders competed for power
for next 30 years with secret societies,
nationalist groups, and the Japanese
1912 Sun Yat-sen, head of revolutionary
alliance, resigned as president and Yuan
Shikai took over
1916 Yuan Shikai forced to resign
Change is coming….
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May 4, 1919- mass demonstrations by
students and nationalist politicians over
Versailles outcome. This leads to May
Fourth Movement, which tried to make
China a liberal democracy
Unsuccessful movement because China
ruled by warlords
Alternative?
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1920s radical solution needed and emerged
as part of the nationalist movement
Li Dazhao- altered communist ideology to
fit China- peasants were the drivers of
change
1921 communist party born at a meeting in
Shanghai
Sun Yat-sen Returns
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1919 Sun Yat-sen returned to China to lead
the Nationalist party
1924 Whampoa Military Academy
produced the military element necessary to
combat the warlords
Chiang Kai-shek emerged from this
1925 Sun Yat-sen died and Kai-shek
assumed power
Communism Gains Ground
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1927 brutal massacre against communists
1934 Mao Zedong led 90,000 followers on
a Long March to regroup
Japanese imperialist threat made the
Nationalists have to join the Communists,
who will eventually triumph