Lesson #16 - A World Between Wars

Consequences of World War I

World War I Casualties

After 4 ½ years of fighting, Germany (and the rest of the Central Powers) surrendered. Germany was forced to sign the Treaty of Versailles accepting complete blame for the war. Over 20 million people died from World War I (around 21 million more were wounded). Over half the deaths from World War I were civilian deaths. To make matters worse the Spanish Influenza epidemic caused an estimated 50 million people to die beginning in 1917.

Border Changes in Eastern Europe

World War I resulted in many revolutions throughout the world and the dissolution of the German, Russian, Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman empires. Several new countries were formed in eastern Europe (including Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Yugoslavia) using land taken from Germany, Russia, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottomans after World War I.

Temporary Peace

The peace negotiations after World War I were ineffective and no one seemed satisfied with the terms of peace. Several countries felt betrayed. Russia, Italy, and Germany set up totalitarian dictatorships (a government where the leader has complete power, forbids opposing political parties, restricts individual freedoms), while the military gained more power in Japan. Less than 20 years later, nearly all of Europe was in turmoil and World War II would soon break out.

Communism in Russia

Russian Civil Wars

Vladimir Lenin came to power in Russia after the Bolshevik Revolution and signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, ending Russia’s participation in World War I. After leaving World War I, Russia began fighting a three year civil war mostly between the ‘Reds’ (Communists/Bolsheviks who supported Lenin) and the ‘Whites’ (those who opposed the revolution). Over 8 million people died as a result of the Russian Civil War (including Czar Nicholas II and his family, who were executed by the Communists using a firing squad).

After three years, the ‘Reds’ won the civil war and Vladimir Lenin set up a communist government in Russia. Russia became known as the Soviet Union. Vladimir Lenin was leader of the Soviet Union until his death in 1924.

Joseph Stalin

Joseph Stalin replaced Vladimir Lenin as dictator of the Soviet Union. Joseph Stalin set up 'Five Years Plans' to make the Soviet Union into a modern industrial power (improving manufacturing, transportation and weapon production). Stalin brought all manufacturing and agriculture under government control.

• • Factory managers who did not meet their production targets were executed as ‘enemies of the people’. Factory workers who did not meet their production targets could be sent to labor camps in Siberia.

  • Land, farm equipment and animals were turned over to the government and farmers were forced to live on state owned farms.

  • Millions of kulaks (peasant farmers who owned land and equipment) were arrested, exiled, or killed for resisting Stalin’s agricultural policies.

Joseph Stalin was one of the most ruthless dictators in world history. Stalin was responsible for the death of over 20 million of his own people. In order to ensure obedience, Stalin’s Communist party used secret police, censorship, violent purges, and terror. During the Great Purge, Stalin murdered anyone he believed was a threat (including political rivals, army officials, and church clergy). Stalin got rid of religion in Russia, tearing down churches and religious symbols.

Stalin was responsible for the man made famine known as the Holodomor (death by starvation). Stalin purposely and systematically starved an estimated 7 million people in the Ukraine (which was part of the Soviet Union at the time). Stalin covered up many of his actions. Stalin’s victims were removed from history (Stalin removed victims from public records and hired artists to remove victims from photographs). Those who spoke about the famine were executed.

Fascism in Italy

World War I

Italy fought on the side of Britain, France, and the U.S. during World War I. However, after the war Italy felt betrayed by these countries during the Paris Peace Conference.

Benito Mussolini

Italy faced many problems after World War I and many lost faith in the government. Peasants, factory workers and veterans grew unhappy. During this time, Benito Mussolini created the Fascist Party, based on extreme nationalism, militarism, and propaganda (information spread to help or hurt a person or cause). Mussolini created a paramilitary called the Blackshirts to intimidate rival parties and create government instability.

In 1922, Benito Mussolini came to power and set up a totalitarian dictatorship in Italy. Mussolini adopted the title ‘Il Duce’. Mussolini got rid of rival parties and officials, muzzled the press, and rigged elections. Critics of Mussolini were imprisoned, exiled, or murdered. In 1935, Mussolini invaded and conquered Ethiopia, using tanks, airplanes, poisonous gas, and mass executions.

Nazi Germany

Weimar Republic

Germany narrowly escaped total collapse at the end of World War I. Germany would continue to struggle throughout the 1920’s and many people blamed the Weimar Republic (the parliamentary government formed in Germany after World War I). The Nazi and Communist parties gained membership in Germany after the Great Depression hit Germany in 1929. Fearing Communism (and the influence of Joseph Stalin), conservative leaders elected Adolf Hitler chancellor. Adolf Hitler was now the second most powerful politician in Germany.

Adolf Hitler

After an unsuccessful attempt to overthrow the government (Beer Hall Putsch) gave him notoriety (as well as a few months in prison), Adolf Hitler rose to the top of the Nazi Party. Like the Fascist Party in Italy, the Nazi Party was based on extreme nationalism, militarism, and propaganda. However, the Nazi Party also included the idea of eugenics and a 'master race'. The Nazi Party created a paramilitary group, called the SA, that gained over 4 million members (compared to the German army that was limited to 100,000). The SA was a threat to the stability of Germany. The SA disrupted government meetings and intimidated political rivals. Fearing a revolution (led by the SA), conservative leaders elected Adolf Hitler as chancellor. Give Hitler, the position of chancellor was supposed to appease the Nazi Party and bring stability to Germany. Instead, it gave Hitler enough power to take over the government and set up a totalitarian dictatorship in Germany.

Adolf Hitler was an opportunist. Once chancellor, Hitler used the 'Reichstag Fire' to eliminate the Communist Party in Germany and give him the power to rule through martial law (eliminating the restrictions provided to him under the constitution). During the Night of Long Knives, Hitler consolidated his power and gained the support of the German army, by organizing (and participating in) the murders of SA leadership and past rivals.

After the death of President Paul von Hindenberg, Adolf Hitler set up a totalitarian dictatorship (modeled after Benito Mussolini’s government in Italy) and assumed the title ‘The Fuhrer’. Hitler eliminated other political parties, orchestrated a wave of terror, and oppressed freedoms. Adolf Hitler used the Gestapo (secret police) and SS (paramilitary group that superseded the SA) to maintain power.

As the German economy stabilized, the Nazi Party became more violent and oppressive. Germany passed laws restricting the rights of those deemed as 'undesirable' (most notably Jews) and began to build concentration camps. In 1938, German began taking over land in nearby regions, such as Austria and Czechoslovakia.

Japanese Militarism

Japan was unhappy with the terms of the Paris Peace Conference. After the Great Depression, the military became even more influential in Japan. Once again, Japan set out to conquer nearby territory in order to gain resources and boost the economy, leading to the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937.