Introduction
The Worldwide Great Depression
World trade boomed in late 1920s
- Economic prosperity ⇒ eased international tensions
- Example: US provided loans to German banks ⇒ help stabilize economy after 1924
- Led to French troops leaving Ruhr Region
Period of economic prosperity ⇒ end in October 1929 ⇒ US stock market crashed.
Effects of Great Depression ⇒ Economic Nationalism (Basically response to the great depression)
Emergence of Authoritarian Regimes
Period of 1930s:
- rise of Nazism in Germany
- rise of Fascism in Italy
Germany:
- economic and political challenges after WWI
- GD ⇒ destabilized economy even further ⇒ Bringing Nazi party into power
- Beyond economic recovery > Nazi party wanted to reclaim land lost under TOV + carve out living space for Germans in eastern Europe + destroy communism in Germany and wherever it could be found
Italy:
- Led by Benito Mussolini
- used GD as opportunity to tighten grip on Country by taking control of banks and industries.
- long held ambitions ⇒ to build Italian empire around eastern Mediterranean and North Africa.
- He felt Italy had much more in common to Germany⇒ started to discuss alliance ⇒ formalized in 1939
Desire of Italy and Germany to redraw their borders ⇒ meant European peace and stability was increasingly fragile by final years of 1930s.
Failures of the League of Nations in the 1930s
by 1930s ⇒ Leagues reputation had declined when Japan invaded Manchuria in 1931 ⇒ League reacted slowly and ineffectively. 1935 ⇒ many states had begun losing faith in the league. Failures of the League of Nations in the 1930s
Nazi Germany’s Aggressive Foreign Policy
Nazi Germany’s Aggressive Foreign Policy
Policy of Appeasement in the 1930s
⇒ Britain and France → basically gave in to Hitler’s demands.
1937 ⇒ Britain new PM ⇒ Nevil Chamberlain ⇒ continued to pursue policy of appeasement. ⇒ however he was aware of the potential threat posed by Hitler. ⇒ While Britain ⇒ adopted policy of appeasement ⇒ Chamberlain ⇒ also authorized ⇒ massive spending on rearmament for Britain ⇒ and recognized that Britain and France need to support each other. Policy of Appeasement in the 1930s
Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact, 1939
Nazi Soviet Non-Aggression Pact, 1939