Between the Wars
1919-1939
The Twenty Year Crisis
The Post War Era – 1920’s
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Rise of leisure activities & purchase of
consumer goods
Shorter workdays and slowly improving
economies = more money/time for fun
Lindbergh’s first solo flight across Atlantic
sign of new era of progress
Prohibition (1920-1933)- difficult to
enforce as many enjoyed time in Jazz
clubs
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First movie with
sound
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Police raid during
Prohibition
I. Postwar Prosperity
Crumbles
Signs of Economic Troubles
Farmers – struggled while industry
prospered (demand fell-prices fell-farmers
not making money and can’t pay debt)
Protectionism – economic nationalism –
limit trade with other nations to protect
domestic industry
Tariffs – Tax on imports, raises prices to
protect country from foreign competition
Stock Market
Black Tuesday – stock market crashed
(prices fell = stocks worth much less than
people bought them for)
Speculation– risky investments in stock
market (people hoping to get rich quick).
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Wall Street
10/29/29
The Great Depression
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Worldwide (global) depression
(1929-1940)
prices and wages fell
 business activity slowed
 unemployment rose
Goods available but no money to buy them
Tried Economic Nationalism – limited trading
actually hurt countries
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Can you read the banner?
Herbert Hoover
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President of the U.S. when the Depression
began
He did very little to improve the effects of
the Depression (believed gov’t should act
as a facilitator and not offer direct relief)
Lost election to FDR in 1932
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Elected President in 1932, 1936,
1940, 1944
The New Deal
 Programs of relief and reform
 Gave money to states for food, clothing,
shelter and created job through work
programs (build roads, bridges, etc)
Social Security Act
 provided for unemployment and old-age
benefits
Programs Under New Deal
II. Political Tensions
After WWI
France’s Postwar Difficulties
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The Economy – government and
individuals in debt (land in ruins, inflation,
cost of Maginot line)
International Affairs – Locarno Pact
pledged that countries would peacefully
settle all future disputes
Political Unrest – strikes in various
industries; Popular Front came to power,
then fell; extremist actions
Great Britain After WWI
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Labor Troubles – outdated
industry, unemployment (25%),
unions wanted increase in wages
Ireland – bloody revolt against Great
Britain; Irish Republican Army fought
for independence
Eastern Europe
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Weak economies
Conflicts between socialists and
conservatives (government controlled
economy or command economy vs.
free market)
New boundaries caused unrest
III. Fascist Dictatorships
The Rise of Fascism in Italy
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Fascism – dictatorship and totalitarianism,
opposed communism and democracy (rigid
control through force/censorship)
Mussolini’s rise to power – appointed Fascists
to all official positions in center government
The corporatist state – major economic
activities were organized similar to corporations
The Nazis and Hitler
Treaty of Versailles- viewed as
humiliating and unfair
 Nazi Party – extremely nationalistic,
anti-Semitic
 Hitler – planned racial purity, repeal
the Treaty of Versailles, created anticommunist hysteria
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Fascism
Communism
Class
Preserve
existing social
class
Property
Encourage
Share all
ownership of
property
private property communally
Government
Power
Abolish social
classes
Control through Control through
force and
force and
censorship
censorship
IV. Dictatorship in the
Soviet Union
Review: Russian Revolution
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Why was there a revolution in Russia?
Who came to power afterward?
After Lenin died there was a struggle for
power between Trotsky and Stalin. Stalin
prevails.
Write the answer in your notes
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If you had a choice, would you rather
live under a communist controlled
country or one led by a fascist
dictator. Explain using a specific
example to support your choice.
Russia Under Lenin
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New Economic Policy – nationalized
industries (government owns them now),
collective farms (peasants were asked to
join farms together for better production)
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1929 – 4% by 1931 – more than 50%
Women’s Roles – gave women
more rights, seen as equal to men
 Education was a priority
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The Five-Year Plan
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Ambitious agricultural, industrial, and
social goals to create a modern,
industrialized society
Caused hardships for Soviet people,
were forced to comply
Stalin’s Dictatorship
Government Under Stalin – purge
of disloyal party members, extended
to general population
 Foreign Policy – wanted rest of
world to accept Soviet Union and
tried to spread Communism
(Comintern)
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Problem
Solution
Results
Moderately
successful
Near Econ.
Collapse in 1921
Lenin's new policy
allowed for some
free enterprise
Agriculture
Collective farms Failed: famine
Power struggle
btwn Trotsky and
Stalin
Savage and brutal
competition
Stalin emerged
as leader
Little Economic
Growth
Stalin’s first 5year plan
No increase in
consumer goods
Second 5-year
plan
Succeeded in
reviving industry
somewhat
Industry grew,
people starved
resulted, 7 million
die (1932-33)
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How did Stalin rise to power?
 Gained control of communist party after
Lenin’s death
Why did the Soviet system of
government make the development
of a police state possible?
 Before communism the Czars used
secret police and spies to maintain
control of the people