http://www.firstworldwar.com/posters/usa40.

htm
Images of The Great War
 The Great War (WWI)
• World War I (1914-1918) was caused by
competition among industrial nations
in Europe and a failure of diplomacy.
• The war transformed European and
American life, wrecked the economies
of Europe, and planted the seeds for a
second world war.
 The Great War (WWI)
• 6 Major Causes of World War I
1. Alliances that divided Europe into competing
camps: (Two “Teams” Emerged)
2. Nationalistic feelings: (pride in one’s country)
3. Diplomatic failures: (they failed to talk it out)
4. Imperialism: (dominating another country)
5. Competition over colonies: (get what’s mine!)
6. Militarism: (glorifying the military)
Alliances and Strategies
The goals of each of the alliance
members:
• Britain – maintain continental balance and UK sea
superiority (UK = United Kingdom or Britain)
• France – confine Germany
• Russia – expand if possible
• Germany – solidify German-speaking peoples and
never fight on two fronts (West first and then
East)
• Austria – hold everything together
• Italy – try to solidify your own territory
• Ottoman Turks – survive
 Modern map of Europe. Great Britain shown as in 1914.

Growth of the British Empire Animation

Britain had a large empire and large navy to protect it. She also needed the
Royal Navy to patrol the waters around Britain and a large merchant navy
to import and export goods. Britain feared the expanding German navy and
Germany’s ambition of creating her own empire.
 Modern map of Europe. France shown as in 1914.

France had previously gone to war with Germany – the Franco-Prussian War
1870/71. France had lost this war and was by 1914 extremely anti-German.
She had a strong economy and a fairly large army.
 Modern map of Europe. Russia shown as in 1914.

Russia was a huge country with a huge army. Russia wanted to secure warm
water ports along the Black Sea and the Mediterranean as her northern
ports were frozen for part of the year. Russia disliked Austria and was an
ally of Serbia, one of Austria’s neighbours.
 Modern map of Europe. Germany shown as in 1914.

The German economy and industrial production was strong in 1914. She had
a well trained and well equipped army and a growing navy. Germany wanted
her ‘place in the sun’ and was keen to acquire more land abroad. She was
jealous of Britain’s large empire and naval power.
 Modern map of Europe. Italy shown as in 1914.

Italy had been unified into one country in 1861. The coast opens on to the
Mediterranean and by 1914 she had a relatively large navy. She had a small
army however that was not very well equipped.
 Modern map of Europe. Austria shown as in 1914.
The Austrian Empire was large and included eleven different nationalities of
people. Austria-Hungary was desperate to prevent the empire from collapsing
as some of those nationalities were demanding their independence. She also
wanted to gain more land that bordered the Mediterranean.
How could these hopes and fears have contributed to the outbreak
of war in 1914?

Country Hopes Fears

Great Britain

Germany

France

Russia

Austria-Hungary

Italy

Interactive Exercise
END
 Nationalism
• The Congress of Vienna and
Imperialism had left a legacy of intense
nationalism:
– Prince von Metternich and the Congress had
redrawn traditional boundaries to include
people of other nationalities within their
borders.
– Countries competing for foreign lands and
resources saw it as a matter of national pride
to be the strongest and most dominant.
 Nationalism
• With the deterioration of the Ottoman
Empire, various nationalities on the
Balkan Peninsula struggled for
independence.
– Nationalist groups that formed resented
the influence of the Austrians and others.
– Russia, seeking more influence in the area,
would back these groups against Austria.
* Both Russia & Austria were in competing alliances
 Militarism & Failure of Diplomacy
• Militarism: • Failure of Diplomacy:
– As countries competed – As rivalries became
over colonies and more and more intense,
power, there was a diplomats failed to talk
military build up to things out, and the only
protect their assets. alternative left was war.
 Assassination of
Archduke Ferdinand
• With the deterioration of the
Ottoman Empire, Austria-Hungary
annexed the province of Bosnia.
• This led to a conflict with Serbian
nationalist groups that wanted to
unify Slavic peoples in the area
under one Serbian flag.
• Archduke Franz Ferdinand was the
potential heir to the throne of
Austria-Hungary.
• Bosnian nationalists were causing
trouble in the newly annexed
territory.
• The Archduke and his wife were
ordered off to Bosnia to observe
military maneuvers in the region as
well as open up a museum in
Sarajevo.
 Assassination of
Archduke Ferdinand
• While on their trip,
Ferdinand was forced
to deflect a grenade
thrown at their vehicle.
• He and his wife were
not injured, however a
number of bystanders
were.
Archduke Ferdinand
• Against the advice of on day of
those with him, he and assassination
his wife decided to visit
the hospital where the
injured had been taken.
 Assassination of
Archduke Ferdinand
• While leaving the hospital, a
Bosnian nationalist Gavrilo
Princip, shot and killed
Sophie and the Archduke.
• Austria-Hungary declared
war on Serbia for supporting
Bosnian nationalist groups.
• Russia declared war on
Austria-Hungary in support
of Serbia.
• A domino effect took place
as one country after another
declared war due to the
assassination.
 Outbreak of War
• Balkan trigger
– Serbs revolt/backed by Russians
– Austria suppressed Serbs
– Serbian killed Austrian heir
Archduke Ferdinand
• War (domino effect)
– Austria declared war on Serbia
Archduke Ferdinand
– Russia declared war on Austria and wife Sophie
– Germany joined with Austria lying in state
– France and Britain declared war on
Austria and Germany

* World War I had begun*

 The Great War (WWI)
• Major leaders
– Woodrow Wilson
– Kaiser Wilhelm II
– Tsar Nicholas II
 The Great War (WWI)
• Major events
– Assassination of Austria’s Archduke
Ferdinand
– United States enters war
– Russia leaves the war
 The Great War (WWI)
• Triple Entente: • Triple Alliance:
– Russia (Central Powers)
– France – Austria-Hungary
– England – Germany
– U.S. – Italy
* (Joins the war late) – Ottoman Empire
 Conduct of War (1914-1918)
• The Germans attacked France
in the West
• The French counter-attacked
but were pushed back.
• However, the Russian speed of
mobilization surprised the
Germans in the east as they
attacked Germany to to
support their ally, France.
• Germany was forced to move
troops to the Eastern front.
• Britain entered the war quickly.
• France and Germany ended up
in a stalemate at the Maginot
Line.
• Stagnation and trench warfare
led to millions dying in the
West
 Trench Warfare
• Technology superior to tactics
– Machine gun versus a human charge
through "No man's land"
– New technology = poison gas, airplanes
• Very high death rates
– Battle of the Somme = 600,000 allied and
500,000 German dead for 125 miles of land
– Battle of Verdun = 700,000 killed on both sides
with no gain in territory
 Trench Warfare:
Primary Source
• From Erich Remarque's All Quiet
on the Western Front
"We see men living with their skulls blown
open; we see soldiers run with their two
feet cut off… Still the little piece of
convulsed earth in which we lie is held.
We have yielded no more than a few
hundred yards of it as a prize to the
enemy. But on every yard there lies a
dead man."
 The United States Enters The War
Lusitania departed
• The Sinking ofPier 54 in New York on 1 May 1915. The German Embassy in
the Lusitania:
Washington
– Thehad U.S.issued
had beenthissupplying
warning on 22sides
both April with military equipment, food,
and other resources. NOTICE!
– A British Luxury
TRAVELLERS Linertowas
intending carrying
embark British
on the and American
Atlantic voyage are Citizens
reminded that
from New York to Britain.
a –state of war exists between Germany and her allies and Great Britain and
Sunk by a German U-Boat (submarine)
her allies; that passengers
– Ironically, the zone of hadwar been
includes the waters
warned adjacentgovernment
by the German to the British
Isles;that
that, in accordance
a state with between
of war existed formal notice given
Britain by the Imperial
and Germany, puttingGerman
the
boat in jeopardy.
Government, vesselsThis article
flying wasofput
the flag next to
Britain, oran adofadvertising
any her allies, the
are liable to
Lusitania’s voyage:
destruction in those waters and that travelers sailing in the war zone on the
ships of Great Britain or her allies do so at their own risk.

-IMPERIAL GERMAN EMBASSY,

This warning was printed right next to an advertisement for Lusitania's return
voyage. The warning led to some agitation in the press and worried the ship's
passengers and crew.
 The United States Enters The War
•Translation
The Zimmerman
of the Zimmerman Note:
Telegram:
•On the first of February, we intend to begin unrestricted submarine warfare. In
spite– ofThe
this,Germans
it is our intention
sent a to endeavor to keep the United States of America
telegram
neutral.to Mexico asking for their
•In the support
event of by
thisattacking the we propose an alliance on the following basis
not succeeding,
UnitedThat
with Mexico: States in the
we shall event
make warthey
together and make peace together. We shall
declarefinancial
give generous war on support,
Germany.and an understanding on our part that Mexico is to
– They
reconquer thepromised to send
lost territory in Newaid if
Mexico, Texas, and Arizona. The details of
Mexico
settlement agreed.
are left to you.
•You– are
The telegram
instructed to was
inform intercepted
the President [of Mexico] of the above in the greatest
by the
confidence as British,
soon as though Mexico
it is certain that there will be an outbreak of war with the
United had decided
States it wasthat
and suggest notthe
in their
President, on his own initiative, invite Japan to
best interest to attack the
immediate adherence with this plan; at the same time, offer to mediate between
Japan United States.
and ourselves.
– This telegram tipped the
•Please call to the attention of the President that the ruthless employment of our
scales and Congress declared
submarines now offers the prospect of compelling England to make peace in a few
war on the Germans.
months.
 Russia: Background History
• The Romanov Dynasty came to power in
1613 A.D. (C.E.)
• In the late 1600’s – early 1700’s, Peter the
Great had tried catch Russia up to the rest of
Europe through “westernization”.
• Just like other European nations, Russia
believed in their superiority through the
“white man’s burden”
• By the time of the Russo-Japanese War in
1905, the Russians felt they were destined to
win a territorial dispute in Asia over the now
imperialistic Japanese.
 Russia: Background History
• Nicholas II was Tsar
(Czar) of Russia by
the time of the
Russo-Japanese
War in 1905.
• He would end up
being the last of the
Romanov Dynasty.
 Russia: Background History
• In 1905, Nicholas II sent the entire
Baltic Fleet around the world to fight
the Japanese.
• The Japanese ended up sinking the
entire fleet in one day.
• U.S. President, Teddy Roosevelt hosted
both countries for peace talks, however
the Russians had lost face by losing to
the “inferior” Japanese.
 Russia: At Home
• Under Nicholas II, Russia still had somewhat of a feudal
society.
• The peasants were still bound to the land!
• Because of this, Russia was plagued by sharp class
divisions between the nobility and peasants.
• Workers riots and strikes were not uncommon.
• The industrialization process had not kept pace with the
rest of Europe: (they were backwards by comparison)
• The grievances of workers and peasants were not
resolved as Russia entered into World War I in 1914.
• Ultimately, poor leadership, the failure to westernize, and
bad management would lead to failures at home and at
the warfront.
 Russia: At Home
• By the time of the Great
War (WWI), groups not
supporting the Czar and
monarchy had begun to
form.
• Out of this steps two of
the more interesting
figures in history:
– V.I. Lenin
– Rasputin
 Russia: World War I
• Russia enters WWI due to an alliance treaty with
Serbia after Austria-Hungary declared war on it for
the assassination of the Archduke Ferdinand.
• At first, Russia surprised Germany with it’s ability to
mobilize and attack Germany’s eastern border.
• However, the German’s technology and industrial
might soon surpassed the ability of the Russians to
compete, and they began to lose the war quickly.
• Nicholas II went to the front to lead the Russian
troops and spur them on, however his battlefield
leadership proved to be very poor.
Russia: Revolution & Bolsheviks
• Back home, Nicholas’ wife tried to hold the country
together through the advice of a “holy man” named
Rasputin.
• During this time, the country continued to fall apart with
discontent by Russia’s general population.
• By March of 1917, a revolution broke out with cries of
“bread” and problems with fuel shortages.
• The Duma, Russia’s legislative body (like Congress or
Parliament) tried to set up a temporary government to
handle the crisis, but a new revolution occurred in
November of the same year
• Under the leadership of V.I. Lenin, the Bolsheviks fought
their way to power with their “red” forces.
• Supporters of the Czar were called the “white” forces.
Russia: Revolution & Bolsheviks
• Results of two revolutions in 1917:
– Russian Revolution: Czar Nicholas II abdicates his
throne. (The entire family is ultimately killed.)
– Bolshevik Revolution: Communists ultimately take
over in Russia.
• Russia pursued its own peace talks with
Germany. Why? (Treaty of Brest-Litovsk)
– Bread shortages
– Fuel shortages
– Military was in disarray
– Overthrow of Czarist Russia with the arrival of
Lenin and the communists who promised “Peace,
Bread, & Land”
 Russia: Summary
• Causes of 1917 revolutions
– Defeat in war with Japan in 1905
– Landless peasantry
– Inability to Industrialize and keep up with
Western European countries technologically.
– Incompetence of Tsar Nicholas II
– Military defeats and high casualties in World
War I
– Food and Gas shortages
 Russia: Summary
• How did communism gain a footing in
Russia?
– Bolshevik Revolution overthrew the Czar.
– Lenin promised the people “Peace, Bread, and
Land”
– Vladimir Lenin’s instituted his New Economic
Policy as a means of creating a “Communist”
state:
• Lenin allowed some small businesses to open,
however…
• The means of production, including farms, were
taken over to ensure the people had bread, etc.
 Russia: Summary
• However, before Lenin could fully
implement his communist ideal, he
died of a stroke.
• A new more brutal leader emerged:
– Joseph Stalin
 WWI: Armistice & Treaty
• Woodrow Wilson gave his 14
Points or “conditions” for
ending the war in a speech 10
months prior to the cease fire or
“armistice” of WWI.
• Many thought Woodrow Wilson
was an idealist, and that his
ideas would never be used.
• As it turned out, they were right.
• After Germany’s surrender, the
Treaty of Versailles only used a
few of his ideas due to politics
between the “Big 4” in Paris.
 Woodrow Wilson’s 14 Points
1. Open Diplomacy - There should be no secret treaties between powers.
2. Freedom of the Seas - Seas should be free in both peace and war.
3. Free Trade - The barriers to trade between countries such as custom duties should be
removed.
4. Multilateral Disarmament - All countries should reduce their armed forces to the
lowest possible levels.
5. Colonies - People in European colonies should have a say in their future.
6. Russia - Russia should be allowed to operate whatever government it wanted and
that government should be accepted, supported and welcomed.
7. Belgium - Belgium should be evacuated and restored as it was before the war.
8. France - should have Alsace-Lorraine and any lands taken away during the war
restored.
9. Italy - The Italian border should be readjusted according to nationality.
10. National Self -Determination - The national groups in Europe should, wherever
possible, be given their independence. (meant dismantling of Austrian Empire).
11. Romania, Montenegro and Serbia - Should be evacuated and Serbia should have
an outlet to the sea.
12. Turkey - The people of Turkey should have a say in their future.
13. Poland - Poland should become an independent state with an outlet to the sea.
14. League of Nations - An assembly of all nations should be formed to protect world
peace in the future.
 WWI: Armistice & Treaty
• Treaty of Versailles:
– The “Big 4” ultimately
compromised on a
number of issues in
Paris when writing the
treaty.
– Some of the Entente
members (France in
particular) felt Germany
should be punished and
therefore did not support
the 14 Points.
 WWI: Armistice & Treaty
• Treaty of Versailles:
– Woodrow Wilson (U.S.
president) felt that in
order for there to be a
lasting peace, the 14
Points needed to be in
the Treaty.
– Clemenceau of France
wanted the Germans and
their allies to be severely
punished for the war.
 WWI: Armistice & Treaty
• Treaty of Versailles:
– Lloyd George of Britain
secretly supported
Wilson and the 14
Points, but the British
people wanted Germany
punished.
– Not wanting to lose the
next election, Lloyd
George supported
punishment of Germany
and it’s allies.
 WWI: Armistice & Treaty
• Treaty of Versailles:
– Consequences for
Germany and it’s Allies:
1. Germany had to accept
guilt for the war.
2. Germany was forced to
pay reparations for the
war in the amount of:
a. 269,000,000,000 gold
marks
b. This is equivalent to ½
of the gold mined in the
entire world.
c. = 100,000 tons of pure
gold.
 WWI: Armistice & Treaty
• Treaty of Versailles:
– Consequences for
Germany and it’s Allies:
3. Germany’s army had to
be reduced to 100,000
men.
4. Germany’s navy was
only allowed 6 ships and
no submarines.
5. Germany was not
allowed an air force.
6. The Rhineland (between
Germany and France)
was to be kept free of all
military forces.
 WWI: Armistice & Treaty
• Treaty of Versailles:
– Consequences for Germany
and it’s Allies:
7. Territorial losses for
Germany:
a. Alsace-Lorraine taken from
France during the Franco-
Prussian War was given
back to France.
b. Germany was not allowed
to unite with Austria.
c. Territory was taken from
the Germans and given to
Poland, Belgium, Denmark,
and Czechoslovakia.
d. The League of Nations took
over all German colonies.
 Treaty of Versailles: Key Ideas & Terms

• League of Nations
– International cooperative
organization established
under the Treaty of
Versailles to prevent future
wars.
– United States did not
become a a member
– It ultimately failed because it
did not have the power to
enforce its decisions, plus it
did not have the backing of
the United States.
 Treaty of Versailles: Key Ideas & Terms

• The mandate system

– After the League of Nations
was given the colonies of
Germany, a system was
needed to lead them towards
independence or self-
determination.
– The Mandate system was
created to govern the colonies
of the defeated powers only on
a temporary basis.
– France and Great Britain
became mandatory powers in
the Middle East, but benefited
greatly from their resources.
(Imperialism at its best!)
 Treaty of Versailles: Key Ideas & Terms

• Self-Determination
– European nationalities and
later colonies would be
allowed to achieve
independence and create
their own governments.
• Freedom of the Seas
– The allowance of foreign
nations to sail the oceans
peacefully during times of
war.
 The Great War (WWI)
• Outcomes and global effects
– The Colonies’ participated in the war, which
increased demands for independence
– The following Empires were dismantled:
• Russian Imperial
• Ottoman
• German
• Austro-Hungarian
– Map of Europe was redrawn once again!
– Enormous cost of the war in lives, property,
and social disruption
http://www.cyberlearning-world.com/lessons/ushistory/ww1/preww1.htm
 Total Killed Prisoners Total Casualties %
Countries Wounded
Mobilized & Died & Missing Casualties of Mobilized
Allied
           
Powers
Russia 12,000,000 1,700,000 4,950,000 2,500,000 9,150,000 76.3
France 8,410,000 1,357,800 4,266,000 537,000 6,160,800 76.3
British Empire 8,904,467 908,371 2,090,212 191,652 3,190,235 35.8
Italy 5,615,000 650,000 947,000 600,000 2,197,000 39.1
United States 4,355,000 126,000 234,300 4,500 364,800 8.2
Japan 800,000 300 907 3 1,210 0.2
Romania 750,000 335,706 120,000 80,000 535,706 71.4
Serbia 707,343 45,000 133,148 152,958 331,106 46.8
Belgium 267,000 13,716 44,686 34,659 93,061 34.9
Greece 230,000 5,000 21,000 1,000 17,000 11.7
Portugal 100,000 7,222 13,751 12,318 33,291 33.3
Montenegro 50,000 3,000 10,000 7,000 20,000 40.0
Total 42,188,810 5,152,115 12,831,004 4,121,090 22,104,209 52.3
 Total Killed Prisoners Total Casualties %
Countries Wounded
Mobilized & Died & Missing Casualties of Mobilized

Central
           
Powers

Germany 11,000,000 1,773,700 4,216,058 1,152,800 7,142,558 64.9

Austria-
7,800,000 1,200,000 3,620,000 2,200,000 7,020,000 90.0
Hungary

Turkey 2,850,000 325,000 400,000 250,000 975,000 34.2

Bulgaria 1,200,000 87,500 152,390 27,029 266,919 22.2

Total 22,850,000 3,386,200 8,388,448 3,629,829 15,404,477 67.4

 Casualties
Total Killed Prisoners Total %
Wounded
Mobilized & Died & Missing Casualties of
Mobilized

Grand Totals 65,038,810 8,538,315 21,219,452 7,750,919 37,508,686 57.6

 New War Technologies/Ideas
From WWI
• Trench Warfare: “No Man’s Land”
• Machine Guns
• Artillery: “Big Bertha”
– Long range
– High explosive
• Gas Grenades
– Chlorine
– Phosgene
– Mustard
• Tanks
• Planes
• Submarines More Prominent
– German U-boats
 Post-World War I
The Great Depression
 Post-World War I
The Great Depression
• The Treaty of Versailles ended up
punishing the Central Powers (Triple
Alliance), after the war ended.
• The conditions of the treaty were very
harsh, and Germany especially had a
large debt to pay in “reparations”
• What followed was a period of uneven
prosperity in the 1920’s and world wide
depression in the 1930’s.
 Post-World War I
The Great Depression
• The Treaty of Versailles had worsened economic and
political conditions in Europe and it ultimately led to
the rise of totalitarian regimes in Italy and Germany.
– Germany couldn’t pay back it’s debt and it’s economy
crashed.
– The German people looked to Hitler to bring them out
of their poor state and back to glory and world
prominence.
• Russia saw the death of V.I. Lenin, and the rise of it’s
own communist totalitarian dictator in Joseph Stalin.
• The United States returned home victorious with
ticker tape parades and a 10 year period of
prosperity.
– However, U.S. prosperity led to over speculation in the
markets and the Stock Market Crash in 1929.
 Totalitarian Dictator
• Ruler who often rules by
fear and force with
“total” control over all
aspects of government.
• An absolute monarch in
a sense without the royal
blood line or divine right!
• Uses the military,
torture, scare tactics,
secret police and even
genocide to rule and
hold power.
 Post-World War I
The Great Depression
• The Depression weakened the Western
democracies (Britain, France, & U.S.), making
it difficult for them to challenge the threat of
totalitarianism that rose in:
Country: Party/Political
Philosophy:
– Germany: Nazism
– Italy: Fascism
– Russia: Communism
– Japan: Imperialism
 Post-World War I
The Great Depression
• The WWI, reparations, and the Great
Depression left people so desperate
that they were willing to follow
dictators who promised change in:
Country: Leader:
– Germany: Adolf Hitler
– Italy: Benito Mussolini
– Russia: Joseph Stalin
– Japan: Hideki Tojo
 Post-World War I
The Great Depression
• What caused the worldwide depression?
– German reparations:
Germany couldn’t come close to being able to pay
back their war debt to the Triple Entente members.
Their economy crashed as a result.
The government of Germany that replaced the
Kaiser and the Hohenzollern monarchy was called
the Weimar Republic.
Things became so bad under the Weimar Republic
that German money was played with by kids in the
street because it was worthless due to intense
inflation. (Prices went up, value of money went
down!)
 Post-World War I
The Great Depression
 Post-World War I
The Great Depression
• What caused the worldwide depression?
– The U.S., victorious in the war and with few
casualties compared to the rest of the world,
expanded it’s production abilities and began
dominating the global economy.
– How?
• U.S. work force was not decimated by the war like
European countries.
• U.S. did not have to rebuild after the war because
it was not fought on American soil.
• With a strong workforce and industry intact, the
U.S. was able to produce faster, sell cheaper, and
dominate world markets.
 Post-World War I
The Great Depression
• What caused the worldwide depression?
– Excessive expansion of credit
• With American businesses doing so well, people
actually borrowed money to invest in the Stock
Market.
• Even banks invested their monies in the Stock
Market instead of keeping it on hand.
• Banks were willing to lend it out with no thought
to the consequences if the stocks crashed.
• Everyone thought the prosperity would continue!
 Post-World War I-
The Great Depression:
• What caused the worldwide depression?
– Stock Market Crash (1929):
• When the market finally dropped, investors began
selling off their stock to pay back their debts to
the banks which were demanding their money.
• This caused stocks across the board to continue
to drop, ultimately resulting in the 1929 crash,
and no one getting back their money (including
banks).
• The everyday citizen ran to get their money from
the banks, and the banks did not have the cash
on hand because they had lost all of their “on-
hand” cash to the stock market crash.
 Post-World War I
The Great Depression
• What caused the worldwide depression?
– High protective tariffs:
• The U.S. Congress, hoping to make American goods
cheaper to sell and buy put High Protective Tariffs in place
(tax on goods). (Example: Hawley-Smoot Act or Tariff Act
of 1930)
• They hoped this would allow American goods to be
bought cheaper, improving things for both industry and
the consumer.
• They got the opposite effect.
• In response, foreign countries began taxing American
goods through protective tariffs, and even less was
bought and sold world wide because of a “tariff war”.
• Economies worldwide began to feel the effects and it
deepened the depression across the globe.
 Post-World War I
The Great Depression
• What effect did the depression have on global
economics and politics?
1. High unemployment in industrial countries
2. Banks failed and credit collapsed. (no one could get
loans for investment purposes)
3. Prices collapsed worldwide and businesses went under.
4. Radical parties emerged promising a way out:
• Nazi Party in Germany:
– Nazi Party blamed European Jews for economic
collapse
• Fascist Party in Italy
• Communist Party under Stalin in Russia
 U.S.S.R. During
U.S.S.R. During the
the Interwar
Interwar
Period—Joseph Stalin
Period—Joseph Stalin
• Succeeded V.I. Lenin
through a ruthless
elimination of his
enemies.
• This included his chief
rival Trotsky who he had
spiked in the back of the
head.
• Communism became
fully entrenched in
Russia under his
leadership.
 U.S.S.R. During the Interwar
Period—Joseph Stalin
• Stalin’s policies:
– Five-Year Plans: Stalin’s
plans to industrialize Russia
finally, especially in the heavy
industries.
– He knew that in order to not
repeat the past they had to
catch up to the rest of the
world.
– However, there is some
debate as to how successful
the five year plans were.
– Labor in the factories was
forced.
– Distribution of the wealth of
Russia amongst all did not
happen!
 U.S.S.R. During the Interwar
Period—Joseph Stalin
• Stalin’s policies:
– Collectivization of Farms:
• Stalin took control of means
of production in all aspects
of life, including farms.
• Peasants were cast off the
land and forced to work just
like serfs.
• They were sent to labor
camps if they protested.
– State Industrialization:
• government ownership of
all the means of production.
• the government
redistributes wealth as it
sees fit.
 U.S.S.R. During
U.S.S.R. During the
the Interwar
Interwar
Period—Joseph Stalin
Period—Joseph Stalin
• “Great Purge”
– A time period in which Stalin
sought to remove all political
dissidents (those that opposed
him or his beliefs).
– Genocide: The systematic
destruction of a people for in
this case political reasons.
– Secret Police: used to spy
and put down political
dissidents.
– Some figures estimate that
Stalin and his secret police
may have killed as many as
681,692 to 2,000,000.
 Definitions: Nazism & Fascism
• Nazism
– A form of socialism featuring racism,
expansionism, and obedience to a strong
leader such as Adolf Hitler in Germany.
• Fascism:
– An extreme “right wing” socialist group
that seeks to take over government
through authoritarian rule and extreme
nationalism.
– Italy and Spain both became fascist states
after WWI.
 Germany During the Interwar
Period—Adolf Hitler
• Inflation and depression
led to a weakened
democratic government in
Germany.
• The Weimar Republic failed
as the economy spiraled
downward.
• Groups like the Nazi’s
blamed the Jews for
Germany’s problems and
pressed for political power.
• Anti-Semitism: hatred of
Jewish peoples.
 Germany During the Interwar
Period—Adolf Hitler
• Extreme nationalism arose in the form
of…
– National Socialism (Nazism)
– Adolf Hitler became the face of the party.
– People saw them as a way out of the
depression and back to greatness as a
country.
– The Weimar Republic was a failure.
• Hitler’s return to glory included the
“anschluss” or a unification of ALL
German-speaking peoples.
• This included a plan to occupy nearby
countries in the name of unifying
German-speaking peoples in violation of
the Treaty of Versailles.
• Hitler had published his ideas earlier in a
book entitled “Mein Kampf”
 Italy During the Interwar Period—
Benito Mussolini
• The Rise of fascism in
Italy was led by Benito
Mussolini
• Mussolini called himself
“IL Duce” or leader.
• Mussolini’s ambition was
to restore to Italy the
glory of Rome
• He invaded Ethiopia to
spur on nationalism and
acquire to territories,
wealth, and prestige.
• He quickly allied himself
with Adolf Hitler.
 Japan During the Interwar Period
—Hirohito and Hideki Tojo
• Militarism: the rise of the
military and its glorification
was key to Japan’s entrance
into World War II.
• Their defeat of the Russians
in 1905 had given the
confidence.
• Japan then pursued rapid
industrialization which led to
a drive for raw materials and
the invasion of:
– Korea
– Manchuria (northern China)
– And the rest of China