Transcript Ch 17 sec 1 notes

Chapter 17 – Between
the Wars in Europe
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17-1 Uneasiness In Europe
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19th Century dreams of Nationalism
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New boundaries for Europe
Border disputes and controversy
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Mainly Germany. . . .
The League of Nations
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Why couldn’t the League keep peace like
it was designed to do?????
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The United States never joins the League of
Nations
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President Wilson wants to, but the Senate refuses.
(would not approve the Treaty of Versailles)
Other members can never make agreements.
France
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Wants to enforce the Treaty of Versailles
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Germany should pay war reparations
Germany makes on year’s payment (1921), but
cannot afford any more
Sends troops to the Ruhr Valley
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They will collect the money by running the mines
and factories there
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Germany
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Try to resist the French
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Passive Resistance
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Strikes
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Government prints more money to pay workers
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This causes Inflation
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More printed money means higher prices…. The actual
value of the money decreases!!!
In 1923, 4.2 trillion marks = 1 dollar
The Dawes Plan
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Named after an American Banker
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August of 1924
Allies would leave Ruhr Area
 Germany’s payments would start lower and
increase as they could pay more
 New German banks and loans from outside
countries
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Brief prosperity….. Does not last long.
Treaty of Locarno
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Signed by Germany and France
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It guaranteed their borders with France and
Belgium
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Headlines read “France and Germany Ban War
Forever”
This positive outlook continues when Germany
joins the League of Nations
Kellogg-Briand Pact
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Created by the United States and France
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63 Nations agreed not to go to war again.
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Empty Promises
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Nobody reduced their weapons
Remember!!! – Germany was forced to reduce
its weapons, others were not.
The Great Depression
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Depression:
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A period of low economic activity and
increased unemployment
Takes place throughout the United States and
Europe in the late 1920’s and 1930’s.
Two causes of the Depression
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Economic problems in various countries
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Each country faced its own problems
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One example is overproduction / falling prices
U.S. Stock Market Crash
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Prosperity in Europe was built upon Loans from
U.S. to Germany, and Germany’s use of those
loans to pay France
Responses to the Depression
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Recession Vs. Depression
Move from Laissez Faire to increased
government involvement
Marxist Predictions “Capitalism will destroy itself”
People begin to follow Dictating rulers who offer
simple solutions in return for control.
Democracy After the War
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Wilson Says WWI was to “Make Europe
safe for Democracy”
How do Countries try to implement this?
Germany
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Becomes Democratic after WWI and calls
its government the Weimar Republic
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Had no strong political leaders, many of those
elected did not support the Republic
Inflation and economic problems blamed on
the Republic…. People wanted alternate
political groups
Depression makes more extreme groups seem
more reasonable
France
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Had become the strongest power in
Europe
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The Depression still caused political conflict
Create the Popular Front
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Create French New Deal
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Collective bargaining, 40 hr workweek, 2 week
paid vacation, and minimum wage
Policies help but do not actually solve any
problems…. No confidence in the system
Great Britain
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Also faces struggles because of the
Depression
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Labour Party falls from power because they
could not deal with the problems.
Conservatives take over and help to resolve
issues.
John Maynard Keynes – Depressions should
be left to resolve themselves
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Said government should use deficit spending to
create jobs
United States
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Hit harder by Depression than most
nations
President is Franklin Delano Roosevelt
New Deal: His plan to create jobs through
government spending and increase
employment.