POST WAR
Mr. Anderson World History
FRANCE’S POSTWAR
DIFFICULTIES
France’s agriculture and industry had been destroyed and a large number of
France’s young men had died in the war. High prices hurt the industrial
workers and the lower middle class. France owed money to its citizens and to
the United States for war materials. France had to pay this on debt. Military
security was another major expense for France. France built the Maginot
Line.
Maginot Line-France’s fortifications along the borders of Germany and
Luxembourg.
In 1925 Belgium, Czechoslovakia, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, and
Poland met in Locarno Switzerland. They signed the Locarno Pact and
pledged to peacefully to settle all future disputes. They also guaranteed
existing boundaries between France and Germany.
FRANCE’S POSTWAR
DIFFICULTIES
Easter Rising- April 24, 1916 Ireland revolted against Britain, because they
wanted complete independence from Britain. In 1918 Sinn Fein (Irish
political party) refused to take their seats in parliament. They declared
themselves a new government and when Britain refused to acknowledge this,
the Irish Republican Army starting fighting the British. It ended with Ireland
being split. Catholic Southern Ireland and Protestant Northern Ireland.
EASTERN EUROPE
With western Europe trying to recover from the war, new nations in eastern
Europe built new governments. The instability and cultural tensions that led to
WWI in eastern Europe did not go away, instead they reappeared in new political
conflicts among nations that had little experience with democracy.
Breakup of Austro-Hungarian and Russian Empires disrupted old trading
patterns.
1.
Broke up estates owned by old aristocracy and redistributed to the peasants
2.
Peace treaties prohibited countries from uniting (ex. Germany and Austria)
3.
4.
Conflicts between socialists and conservatives weakened efforts to create
democracy
Opposing groups created private armies, leading many people to desire
authoritarian rule.
EASTERN EUROPE
By 1926 Bulgaria, Romania, and Yugoslavia had replaced their democratic
governments with conservative military dictatorships or monarchies.
ITALY
Fascism- Governmental doctrine that relies on dictatorial rule and totalitarian
regime, in which the state maintains rigid control of the people through force
and censorship.
Fascism- developed by Benito Mussolini
Fascism- appealed to the upper class and middle class. It promised to preserve
existing social classes and the ownership of private property.
Communism- appealed to workers and promised ultimately to achieve a
society without social classes in which all property is shared communally.
Fascist broke up strikes, intimidated voters, and drove elected socialist officials
from office.
ITALY
In 1925 Mussolini was made the “head of the government” and the king was
allowed to rule as a figure head. The government suspended basic liberties,
such as freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and trial by jury. He
introduced a corporatist state.
Corporatist state- Nation in which the major economic activities, such as
agriculture, transportation, manufacturing, and commerce, are organized into
syndicates that resemble corporations.
Son’s of the Wolf- organization for young people in which the children were
taught Fascist ideas.
GERMANY
Many Germans considered the Weimar Republic to be a traitor to Germany’s
interests. Money lost value so bad that they stopped printing numbers on the
bills. In 1923 the Beer Hall Putsch occurred in Munich. Adolf Hitler was a
member of this group. Was arrested and wrote Mein Kampf (My Struggles)
This book expressed the spirit of the Nazi movement and outlined his plan
for racial purity through the total elimination of all the Jews and other
“impure” peoples.
Nazi Party (socialist German workers party)- it was extremely nationalistic,
anti-Semitic, and anticommunist.
Nazi Party- promised to protect Germany from communism
GERMANY
Hitler’s emotional speeches attracted many listeners. He pledged to repeal the
Treaty of Versailles, restore Germany’s military power, recover lost territory,
build a “Greater Germany” and describe his master race.
NAZIS IN POWER
1925- Nazi Party had just 25,000 members
1929- Nazi Party had 180,000 members
1930- civil unrest caused many workers and middle-class voters to turn to the
Nazi Party.
1932- Nazis won 230 seats in the Reichstag, which held more seats than any
other party in the Reichstag
1933- president of the republic appointed Hitler as chancellor
1933- someone set fire to the Reichstag building. Hitler blamed the
communists and received emergency powers to deal with the communist. He
used these powers to make himself a dictator.
HITLER
Hitler takes title of der Fuhrer (leader), makes Jews wear a six point star and
called his rule the Third Reich. He said it would last a thousand years.
1930’s Germany rebuilds its military and in 1936 Hitler violated the Treaty of
Versailles by sending his troops in the Rhineland.
France or Britain did nothing.
Rome-Berlin Axis- 1936 signed a treaty with Italy.
SOVIET UNION
Between 1918-1921 Vladimir Lenin followed War Communism.
This is where Lenin nationalized Russian industries. It did very little to improve
the Russian economy.
By 1920 Russian farmers produced significantly less grain than before WWI and
factory production was less than 1/6 of its prewar levels. In response, Lenin
announces the New Economic Plan (NEP). Major industries, heavy industries,
communications, transportation, and the credit system all stayed under the
government’s control. Free enterprise was limited. (private business among
peasants was allowed, individuals could buy, sell, and trade farm products. The
government also tried persuade peasants to form collective farms.
Nepmen- group of small businessmen who traded in domestic goods and helped
manufacturers secure needed materials.
SOVIET UNION (WOMEN’S ROLES)
Communist claimed that men and women should be equal. 1917 women
received equal pay for equal work. Women were granted maternity leave and
also the Soviet government made it easier to get a divorce. (Soviet Union had
the highest divorce rate at this time) However, many male Communist Party
members and peasants who were traditionalist tried to limit women. Women
received lower pay than men and also they faced high unemployment rates.
Only a few held positions of authority in the Communist Party.
Education
Soviet leaders emphasized education, but they lacked the resources needed to
be effective and by 1925 Soviet students averaged fewer than 3 years.
STALIN VS TROTSKY
Lenin died in 1924 which led to a power struggle within the Communist Party.
Leon Trotsky and Joseph Stalin were the two main rivals.
Trotsky- almost single-handedly created the Red Army that defended the
Bolshevik Revolution. Followed the viewpoint of Karl Marx and believed this
Marxist revolution should take place all over the world.
Stalin- Leader of the Party. He argued for “socialism in one country” and
once socialism succeeded in the Soviet Union, then it would spread to the rest
of the world. Stalin has Trotsky exiled to Mexico and then later murdered.
5 YEAR PLAN
Peasants were refusing to sell wheat at the low prices set by the government
and in 1928 Stalin ended the NEP and returned to a command economy
(government controlled all economic decisions).
5 year plan- Stalin wanted to double the production of oil and coal, and triple
the output of steel. He hoped that collective farming would produce the food
needed to support the people and have a surplus. Excess money would be
there to pay for the machines.
This plan caused hardships for the Soviet People and when the peasants
would not voluntarily join the collective farming, the government force them
to. If the peasants refused then they faced execution, exile, or imprisonment.
90% of the land became collective farms.
5 YEAR PLAN
Steel production did increase under the 5 year plan and in 1933 another 5 year
plan was issued. This plan was to increase in consumer goods or food supply
as reward for their hard work. Production of consumer goods actually
decreased and the government focused its efforts on expanding heavy industry
and the military
STALIN’S DICTATORSHIP
Orthodox Church was basically done away with and art was wiped out, unless
you produced works of “socialist realism”
1934 Stalin calls for a purge
1936 new Soviet Constitution was written
Comintern- organization who worked to overthrow democracies.