History 20: How to Think About History Unit 4: Aftermath of the War & Rise of the Totalitarian States

Events are the products of other events Causation Events are the products of other events The rise and popularity of the Nazis was a product both of how Germany was treated at the end of World War I and how its people struggled with the effects of the Great Depression When a country does well economically its people are more likely to practice toleration and accept pluralism When a country does not do well economically citizens look for someone to blame and intolerance increases

Change is ongoing and ever present It became quickly apparent that following the Great War the great powers of Europe, e.g. Britain and France in particular, etc. were in decline The United States and the Soviet Union emerged as world powers

Continuity connects different historical periods and developments Socialists first appeared during the French Revolution calling for fairer wages and better working conditions Governments in Britain, Canada, France and the United States became increasingly socialist, e.g. Governments abandoned laissez-faire approaches and embraced socialism to deal with the disastrous affects of the Great Depression

History is not a science but a perspective or story Perspectives & Biases History is not a science but a perspective or story Historians argue the rise of totalitarian states was due to a series of factors: The failure of democracies to deal effectively with the Great Depression The willingness of people to trade liberty for the security promised by fascists People had lost faith in capitalism and democracy The Great War had resulted in people questioning the legitimacy of traditional political parties and politics People started realistically exploring fascism, socialism and communism as alternatives to democracy