Postwar Europe: A Worldwide Depression
Unstable New Democracies After WWI countries who for centuries had been ruled by kings and emperors attempted democracy. However there were so many political parties often times that it was impossible for one party to win a majority. Coalition government Temporary alliance of several governments
Can you save us? The weakness of the governments led people to look for answers elsewhere. Willing to give up democratic government for authoritarian leadership. One leader who held all the power, not elected. Storm Ahead
Weimar Republic Inflation Loaf of bread No wartime taxes Print a bunch of money!! Loaf of bread 1918 = less than one mark 1922=160 marks 1923= 200 billion marks
Dawes Plan
Gustav Stresemann (Germany) Foreign Minister Aristide Briand (France) Peace? Gustav Stresemann (Germany) Foreign Minister Aristide Briand (France) Kellogg- Briand Pact- prohibiting the use of war as "an instrument of national policy" except in matters of self-defense
Stock Market Crash
Germany’s Answer Fascism Adolph Hitler- promises, promises Chancellor 1932 Structured economy toward the military/war Everyone had jobs but wages still low
Great Britain Hit hard by depression National Government Slow recovery Economic output fell 25% National Government High tariffs Increased taxes Lowered interest rates Slow recovery
France More self-sufficient 1935 1 million unemployed Popular Front Coalition Series of reforms but unemployment still high Democracy remains
Scandinavia Government – socialist ideals “middle way” between communism or fascism Lost of government sponsored public works
United States Hero: FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT- 1932 Roosevelt remained vague on the campaign trail, promising only that under his presidency government would act decisively to end the Depression.
NEW DEAL New Deal-1(1933-35) The Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA), passed in 1933 government sought to stimulate increased farm prices by paying farmers to produce less. It did little for smaller farmers and led to the eviction and homelessness of tenants and sharecroppers whose landlords hardly needed their services under a system that paid them to grow less
New Deal (1935-40s) Aimed at restoring the economy from the bottom up The Works Progress Administration was a huge federal jobs program that sought to hire unemployed breadwinners for the purpose strengthening their family's well-being as well as boosting consumer demand. National Labour Relations Act of 1935
CCC Mammoth Cave, KY
CCC Natural Bridge Pine Mountain
Soviet Union (Russia) Communist -Totalitarianism Building an industrial society “socialism in one country” Five Year Plan Pure command economy Exiled millions Great Purge Joseph Stalin
Japan The Great Depression hit Japan The Japanese economy shrank by 8% 1929–31 Aggressive military The invasion and subjugation of Manchuria into a Japanese puppet-state in September 1931, thus providing Japan with raw materials and energy, the Japanese economy was able to recover by 1932 and continued to grow.