Transcript CRISIS OF DEMOCRACY IN THE WEST

CRISIS OF DEMOCRACY
IN THE WEST
BELL WORK#1
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Postwar Problems
In 1919, three western democracies Britain,
France, and the United States appeared
powerful. Beneath the surface, however,
postwar Europe faced grave problems.
 At first, the most pressing issues were
finding jobs for returning veterans and
rebuilding war-ravaged lands. Many nations
also owed huge debts because they had
borrowed heavily to pay for the war.
 The Russian Revolution unleashed fears of
the spread of communism.
 Europe lacked strong leaders just when
they were most needed The war had killed
many of those who might have helped solve
critical problems.

Pursuing Peace
During the 1920s, diplomats worked hard
for peace. Stanley Baldwin prime minister
of Britain wrote “One more war in the
west,” he warned, “and the civilization of
the ages will fall with as great a shock as
that of Rome.”
 Hopes would soon rise in 1925 when
treaties would be signed at locarno,
Switzerland.

The Spirit of Locarno
In 1925 when representatives form seven
European nations signed a series of treaties at
locarno, Switzerland. The treaties settled
Germany’s borders with France, Belgium,
Czechoslovakia, and Poland. The locarno treaties
became the symbol of a new era. “France and
Germany Ban War Forever,” trumpeted a New
York Times headline.
 The “spirit of Locarno” was echoed in the
Kellogg- Briand Pact of 1928. Almost every in
dependent nation in the world signed onto this
agreement, promising to “renounce war as an
instrument of national policy.

Disturbances to the Peace
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Although the Kellogg- Briand Pact outlawed war
, there was no way of enforcing the ban.
Recovery and Collapse
During the 1920s, Europe made a shaky
recovery. Economies returned to peacetime
manufacturing and trade. Veterans gradually
found jobs. Middle-class families generally
enjoyed a rising standard of living, with money
to buy new products such as cars, refrigerators,
and radios.
The United States emerged from the war as the
world’s leading economic power.
As long as the American economy was healthy,
the global economy remained relatively
prosperous.
A Dangerous Imbalance
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Both the American and the world economy had
weak spots, however. Oddly enough, a major
problem was overproduction. The war had increased
demand for raw materials form Africa, Asia, and
Latin America. Improved technology and farming
methods also contributed to higher output. When
demand dwindled after the war, prices fell.
Consumers benefited form the lower prices. But
farmers, miners, herders, and other suppliers of raw
materials suffered severe hardships. At the same
time, industrial workers won higher wages, which
raised the price of manufactured goods. An
imbalance emerged. Because farmer’s earnings had
fallen, they could afford fewer manufactured goods.
Despite the slowing demand, factories dept pouring
out goods. This imbalance, combined with other
problems, undermined industrial economies. By the
late 1920s, conditions were ripe for disaster.
The Crash
In the United States, prices on the New York
Stock Exchange soared.
 In the autumn of 1929, jitters about the
economy caused brokers to call in these loans.
When investors were unable to repay, financial
panic set in. Stock prices crashed, wiping out the
fortunes of many investors.
 The stock market crash triggered the Great
Depression of the 1930s, a painful time of global
economic collapse. American banks stopped
making loans abroad and demanded repayment
of foreign loans.

The Crash
The jobless could not afford to buy goods, so
more factories had to close, which in turn
increased the numbers of unemployed.
 In once-prosperous western cities, people slept
on park benches and lined up to eat in charity
soup kitchens.
 Global Impact- The United States imposed the
highest tariffs in its history. The policy backfired
because other nation retaliated by raising their
tariffs. All countries lost access to the larger
global market.
 As the depression dragged on , many people lost
faith in the ability of democratic governments to
solve the problems.
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Britain in the Postwar Era
1920s, unemployment was severe. Wages
remained low, leading to worker unrest and
frequent strikes. In 1926, a general strike, or
strike by workers in many different industries at
the same time, lasted nine days and involved
some three million workers.
 The government provided some unemployment
benefits to ease the worst problems, but millions
of people suffered great hardships.
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Irish Independence
On Easter 1916, a small group launched a
revolt against British rule. IRA carried on a
guerrilla war against British forces and
their supporters. Civilians were often
caught in the middle of the violence.
 In 1922, moderated leaders in Ireland and
England finally reached an agreement.
Most of Ireland became the independent
Irish Free State, later called Eire.
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France Pursues Security
Like Britain, France emerged form World War I
both a victor and a loser. Fighting on the
Western Front had devastated northern France.
The Great Depression did not hurt France as
much as it did some countries. French industry
was not as centralized in the hands of big
business. Small workshops served local regions
and were less affected by global trends.
 Still Swings did occur, adding to an unstable
political scene.
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Coalition Government
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In 1936, several parties on the left united
behind the socialist leader Leon Blum. His
popular Front government tried to solve
labor problems and passed some socal
legislation. But it could not satisfy more
radical leftists whose strikes soon brought
down Blum’s government Thus, France,
like Britain, muddled through a series of
crises.
Maginot Line
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Securing it5s borders against Germany.
France deeply distrusted its neighbor
across the Rhine, which had invaded in
1870 and 1914. To prevent a third
invasion it built massive fortifications along
the border. The Maginot Line, defensive
“wall” was called, offered a sense of
security a false one. The line would be of
little use when Germany again invaded in
1940.
The New Deal
In 1932, Americans elected a new President, Franklin
D. Roosevelt, who projected an air of energy and
optimism. “FDR” argued that government had to take
an active role in combating the Great Depression. He
introduced the New Deal, a massive package of
economic and social programs.
 Under the New Deal, the federal government became
more directly involved in people’s everyday lives than
ever before. New laws regulated the stock market and
protected bank depositors savings. Government
programs created jobs for the unemployed or gave aid
to poverty stricken farmers. The U.S. also set up a
social Security system. It provided old age pensions
and other benefits that major European countries had
introduced years earlier.
 The New Deal did not end the Great Depression, but it
did ease the suffering for many, Still, some critics
fiercely condemned the New Deal because it expanded
the role of government.
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