MWH 3.F

FONTS

Unit III Part F: Aftermath of WWI

Uneasy Peace and Uncertain Society

The Great Depression

The Costs of Stalin's Programs

o USA and the League of Nations

 Many Americans wanted to stay out of

foreign affairs and the Senate refused to ratify the Treaty of Versailles.

 Without the US the League of Nations

effectiveness was weakened.

o Inflation in Germany

 In 1914, 4.2 German Marks equaled 1

USD, by 1923 4.2 trillion marks equaled 1 USD.

 The Dawes Plan helped alleviate some

issues

• It reduced the reparations

• It set up a payment plan for Germany

• It gave Germany an initial 200 million

dollar loan

o Germany

 The Weimer Republic was plagued by serious

economic problems

 Unemployment rose to 4.38 million people by

December of 1930

 The depression paved the way for fear and

extremists parties in Germany

o France

 The depression sent France into political

chaos

 Finally by 1936, communists, socialists, and

radicals formed the Popular Front Party.

 The Popular Front brought a French New

Deal, which gave workers several rights.

• Collective Bargaining

• 40 hour work week

• Set a minimum wage

o Collectivism: a system in which private farms are

eliminated and peasants work land for the government.

 By 1934 26 million farms had been

collectivized.

 There was a cost however, Food was horded

and livestock slaughtered, leading to deaths that totaled near 10 million from 33-34.

 Each farmer could have a small privately

owned garden plot.

o Those who resisted Stalin’s programs were sent to

labor camps in Siberia

 During the Great Purge 8 million officers,

politicians, and ordinary citizens were sent to camps or executed.

The Arts: Surrealism and Music of the 20s

Russia to USSR

Rise of Dictators

o The Totalitarian State

 The government aims to control the economic, social,

political, intellectual and cultural aspects of its citizen’s lives.

 The totalitarian states were led by a single leader who

rejected the idea of limited government and pushed for the masses working towards the good of the state.

o Fascism in Italy

 In 1920 Benito Mussolini set up the first fascist movement in

Europe.

 By 1922 Mussolini’s movement was gaining attention,

middle class families afraid of communism and socialism were flocking to the new movement.

 After threatening to move on Rome in 1922, Mussolini was

soon given the position as Prime Minister and, in 1926, managed to outlaw all political parties but fascists in Italy.

o Lenin’s New Economic Policy

 Pulling Russia back from the abyss, Lenin

established the NEP

 Peasants could sell their produce openly and

retail stores and small factories could be privately owned.

 Large mines, heavy industry, and banking

however, were still owned by the government.

o Stalin

 Following Lenin’ death in 1924 and a struggle for

power, Joseph Stalin managed to gain total control of the government.

 In 1928 Stalin replaced the NEP with his 5 Year

Plans

• The first focused on Military Equipment and Oil

• The second quadrupled steel production in the

USSR