The World After the Great War

1. The World After the Great War WWII – Chapter 27-28

2. The devastating effects of worldwide depression and Treaty of Versailles led to rise of totalitarian regimes. Germany, Italy, and Japan aggression led to a major war involving most world powers. Following World War 2, two superpowers emerged leading to a Cold War.

3. Treaty of Versailles • Humiliated Germany by forcing to pay reparations, accept guilt, demilitarize, give up land and colonies • Reparations left Germany in debt.

4. Established League of Nations: • Organization of 42 nations who met to work out problems of world and avoid future, BUT…. • Had no military, so League could not enforce any of its laws • Did not include U.S. (voted against signing Treaty and League of Nations because they did not want to be involved in future European problems)

5. Countries Destroyed • Great Britain: • After the Great War, England was no longer the leading economic in the world; war caused large debt and had to borrow from the U.S.

6. France: • Most of the fighting during war took place in France and Germany; war destroyed villages, farms, and forests • Huge war debts meant that France could not rebuild quickly • Built Maginot Line between France and Germany to protect from future invasions

9. Italy: • Mad about Versailles Treaty because they did not get the land on Adriatic Coast • Unemployment grew in Italy after the war; led to riots and strikes

10. Germany: • New Weimar Republic created at Versailles, but seen as traitors; political stability and military coups threatened to overthrow of Weimar government • In 1922, Germany declared they could not pay reparations • Printed more money, led to massive inflation (money value decreased)

11. Russia: • By 1921, Russians had experienced the Great War, Russian Revolution, and a Civil War • 27 million Russians were killed as a result of these wars • Russia’s economy was broke

13. 1919 - 1939 • Between WWI and WWII, the European countries that fought in the Great War were in debt and were slowly able to rebuild • The U.S. and Japan emerged from the Great War with wealth and prosperity because both had traded with Allies during the war

14. In USA, the 1920’s were a great time • New innovations were made in psychology, physics, art, and transportation: • Sigmund Freud created new ideas in psychology; believed that human mind had a conscious and subconscious thoughts that affect peoples’ behavior and mental illness

16. Albert Einstein created new ideas in physics (many disproved Newton’s ideas) believed light traveled at constant speed; believed space and time were not constant, but moved relative to other objects (Theory of Relativity) (E=mc2)

18. Pablo Picasso revolutionized art by creating cubism (abstract for of art using geometric shapes) • Salvador Dali utilized surrealism in art (using of dream-like images and unnatural objects); based on Freud’s ideas

22. Other technological innovations changed human life: • Cars became easy to buy and became a common purchase; paved highways built to connect places • First commercial air travel • Radio allowed people to hear news and entertainment

24. Economic Depression • In 1929, the U.S. stock market crashed • Investors were buying on margin (pay for only part of a stock), lenders called in loans which led to panic; banks collapsed; workers lost jobs (Great Depression in U.S.) • No money for investment in Europe; European banks collapsed; led to world-wide economic depression

25. Affects of Conditions • Bad conditions led to rise of totalitarism regimes in Europe • FASCISTS in Italy under Mussolini • NAZIS in Germany under Hitler • COMMUNISTS in Russia under Lenin and Stalin