AP European History

Political Experiments of the 1920s

Debate over Versailles and WWI

Germans say too harsh

French say too lenient

Breakup of nations, new governments, create new balance of power in Europe

Colonialism upset by changes - Europeans begin to lose control and dominance of trade

Can all changes lead to a more peaceful Europe?.

Political and Economic Challenges

War Reparations and War Debt.US demands no reparations but collects on Debt

New underdeveloped nationsEconomic instabilityNew Economic Patterns

US emerges as economic superpowerEurope embraces protectionist policyTariffs and lack of cooperation

The Soviet Union

Saw themselves as forging a new era in government

Declares a ‘dictatorship of the proletariat’

Communist Party rules (less than 1% of population) - gains full control in 1921

Lenin nationalizes banks and industries - squelches mutinies and strikes - unable to put down all - allows some private enterprise with his New Economic Policy (NEP).

Soviet Successors to Lenin

Leon Trotsky - subordinate architect of Communist state - favored rapid industrialization - export of communism to neighboring states - left wing of Party

Joseph Stalin - Communist Party General Secretary - supported slow industrialization - continuing NEP - seen as too brutal to rule - right wing of Party.

Stalin Takes Control

Stalin understood control of Party

Nikolai Bukharin - head of Pravda newspaper supports Stalin

Stalin gets Trotsky removed from Party, exiled to Siberia, deported, killed in Mexico.

The Soviet Model

Third International (Comintern) held in Moscow

Established Soviet Union as model for revolutionary Marxism

Devised 21 rules for nations wanting to engage in Marxist revolution - required acknowledgement of Soviet leadership - use of name “Communist Party”

Sought to end democratic socialism

Created fear - drove some to right wing regimes.

Italy

Neglected at Versailles

Embraced ‘Fascism’ - group bound together by common cause - Ex: nationhood

Italian fascists - anti-democratic, anti-Marxist, anti-parliamentarian - wanted to avoid party squabble - looked for strong leader - sought unified, unquestioned goals.

Benito Mussolini

A socialist prior to the war - becomes opportunist in pursuit of control

Leads ex-army group, Bands of Combat - who felt Italy cheated at Versailles

Feels self-interest groups disruptive to national goals - Mussolini terrorizes

Elected to Chamber of Deputies.

Benito Mussolini

Leads Black Shirt March on Rome

King Victor Emmanuel III names Mussolini Prime Minister

Gives Mussolini dictatorial power for 1 year to bring nation together - changes election laws, dissolves other parties

Became known as “Il Duce”.

Fascist Italy

Becomes one party state

Mussolini controls opposition

Claimed creation of more efficient society “made the trains run on time”

Lateran Accord - Settles dispute with Vatican - pays Pope for land taken, exempts from taxes - makes Catholicism official faith of Italy.

Assignment: Political Forces

Democracy

Fascism

Communism

Please compare and contrast the similarities and differences of these three philosophies

Please use Documents as Evidence

Complete For Homework!

Political Venn Diagram

Democracy

Communism

Fascism

France

Legislature becomes conservative

Georges Clemenceau driven from power for being too lenient on Germans at Versailles

Rapid turnover in leadership after WWI.

France seeks alliances to replace Russia, Britain

France

Forms “Little Entente” with Czechoslovakia, Romania, Yugoslavia (weak alliance, little help)

Germany defaults on reparations - France enters Ruhr Valley area of Germany - mining & manufacturing - to force Germans to pay - costs France to supply civilian workers & alarms British

Eventually becomes more conciliatory to Germany - Aristide Briand improves relations.

Britain

Run by Conservative/Labour/Liberal coalition during war

David Lloyd George (Liberal) continues post-war coalition until voted out in 1922

Post-war economy bad, new Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin tries protective tariffs - electorate (all men over 21 and all women over 30) reject leadership.

Britain

Labour Party takes over under Ramsay McDonald - Liberal Party sides with Labour

Labour is socialist but not like Russians, committed to democracy, not revolution

Britain begins to lose control of colonial possessions.

Breakup of the British Empire

Already formed commonwealth with Canada and Australia - not completely independent - maintain loyalty to mother country

Gave Ireland (except northern counties) same status after Irish Easter Rebellion of 1916 - Brits put down, execute leaders

1918 Sinn Fein elects member to Parliament, government refuses to seat them

Guerilla war breaks out.

Irish Independence

Eamon de Valera and Michael Collins lead new rebellion - de Valera rises to president of Ireland, Collins killed by IRA

1921 British grant limited independence in Commonwealth for allegiance to crown

Irish repudiate in 1932.

Successor States

Created after World War I - all in Eastern Europe

Most remain independent between WWI and WWII - go communist after WWII

Most have difficulty maintaining republic - too easy to use army to settle problems

Most states rural and unable to compete with industrialized nations

Ethnic groups seek further splits.

Europe 1914

European Changes

Poland

Czechoslovakia

Hungary

Austria

Yugoslavia

Romania

Bulgaria

Greece.

Poland

Difficult for nation to come together that had been parts of three other nations for over 125 years - Austria/Russia/Germany

Wilson insisted on nationhood for Poles

Military dictatorship takes over in 1926.

Czechoslovakia

Cooperative nation between the Czechs & Slovaks - found commonality

Reasonably strong economy - & only successful democratic state between wars

President Thomas Masaryk breaks up large estates

Sudetenland within borders.

Hungary

Got what it wanted - separation from Austria (though they lost the war)

Follows Soviet lead - Bela Kun establishes communist regime

Kun ousted in favor of landowners who control legislature.

Austria

Political infighting keeps nation unstable until Engelbert Dollfuss takes over as Chancellor, a Christian Socialist who becomes quasi-dictator

Dollfuss assassinated by Nazis who favor unification with Germany in the Anschluss.

Yugoslavia and Greece

Yugoslavia: Ethnic clashes between Serbs (in power) & Croats/Slovenes

Fighting undermines Parliamentary government

Serbs establish royal dictatorship

Greece: military coups increase in parliamentary monarchy until General John Metaxas takes over.

Romania and Bulgaria

Romania: Liberal government until royal dictatorship emerges - claims to rescue Romania from left-wing (communist) elements - King Carol II in 1930

Bulgaria: same except sooner, King Boris III in 1918.

The Weimar Republic

Germany: largest experiment in liberal government in inter-war years (except Soviets)

Constitution enacted in city of Wiemar - Germans associate government with their non-defeat - seen as imposed government - most wanted Kaiser Wilhelm back

Constitution allowed small parties in Reichstag (parliament) - gave president dictatorial powers in emergency.

Weimar Germany

After French invade Ruhr Valley and stop German industry, economy collapses

Rates of German mark to U.S. dollar conversion:

1914 - 4 to 1

1921 - 64 to 1

1923 - 800million to 1

Savings wiped out, but debts easy to pay.

Adolf Hitler

Austrian, studied art in Vienna

Wounded in WWI, awarded Iron Cross

Moved to Munich & becomes politically active

Joins National Socialist German Workers Party - also known as Nazi Party

Advocates German -Austrian unification

Adopts swastika as symbol.

Nazi Party

Anti-Semitic, anti-Bolshevik (anti-Marxist)

Nazi Socialism comes to mean total allegiance to state - hates both conventional socialists and communists

Creates SA - “Brown Shirts” - stormtroopers - a paramilitary force - engages in terrorism

Adolf Hitler rises to leadership.

The Beer Hall Putsch

Putsch - attempt coup against the governmentNovember 8, 1923 - crowd gathers at the Burgerbräukeller to hear Erich von Ludendorff, prominent WWI General, speak - Hitler takes over

Hitler and Ludendorff arrested & tried for treason - both jailed - Hitler becomes national figure during trial.

Hitler’s Plan

Writes Mein Kampf (My Struggle) in jail - outlines political views including plan for Germans to have “lebensraum” (living space) by conquering surrounding areas

Seeks legal path to power.

Gustav Stresemann

Leader until death in 1929

Stops putsches of Hitler and communists

Introduces new currency

Dawes & Young Plan - restructures German debt.

Gustav Stresemann Gustav Stressmann- Chancellor (Aug 1923-Nov 1929)

Reconstructed the republicIntroduced new currencySupported the crushing of Hitler’s putsch

1924- Dawes PlanLowered reparations depending on German economy

1925- Paul von Hindenburg elected PresidentMore conservativeEconomy improved, foreign investing in industriesAccepted some of the western Versailles settlements, but wanted to reclaim some Eastern territories

1925 Locarno Agreements

Revision of Versailles Treaty - stabilized western border - France leaves Ruhr and Rhineland - eastern border un-addressed

Italy and Britain vow help to the invaded

Allies giving control of German affairs

Germany invited to join League of Nations

1928 - Kellogg-Briand Pact signed - outlawed war as an instrument of foreign policy.

Locarno1925- Locarno Agreements

Established official German/French borderBritain and Italy agreed to intervene if either side broke agreementGerman signed treaties of arbitration with Poland and the CzechsFrance supported Germany in League of Nations

Caused spirit of optimism1928- Kellogg- Briand Pact- renouncing war as an instrument of national policy

Locarno left many major international issues unresolved.