What changes does the world see after World War I? Post War Uncertainty What changes does the world see after World War I?
The Roaring 20s: Science & Literature World War I shattered Enlightenment ideas like progress and reason Unconventional styles become popular 1920s as people question “traditions” Science Albert Einstein offered new ideas about space, time, and energy – no absolute laws Sigmund Freud argues that human behavior is irrational, weakening the idea of reason Literature Writers like F. Scott Fitzgerald & Ernest Hemingway were part of the “lost generation” Many went from city to city searching for the meaning of life Existentialism, the belief that there is no universal meaning to life becomes popular Existentialists argued that people make their own life choices and that religion & democracy have stifled individual creativity
The Roaring 20s:Revolution in the Arts Surrealism was a movement that linked dreams with real life Salvador Dali Pablo Picasso Jazz & blues were a loose and free style that broke with the traditional methods King Carter Jazz Band Louis Armstrong Bessie Smith Muddy Waters
The Roaring 20s: Improving Lives Women became more independent in the 1920s, abandoning restrictive hair styles & clothing Technological advances also began to improve people’s lives Travel was easier with planes & cars Radio & movies entertained the masses Household appliances improved the way people live in their homes Electric Iron Refrigerator Washing Machine
1930s: A Worldwide Depression Germany’s Weimar Republic found it very difficult to govern Because of its huge war debts, Germany is spending more money than it is taking in The Weimar Republic then prints more money to solve the problem This actually causes German money to lose value US starts loaning Germans money through the Dawes Act End of the 20s: US Economy starts collapsing Bad investments, stock market crash, run on banks create Great Depression US demands immediate repayment of foreign loans Most countries can’t pay back US – especially Germany who will be hit hardest by the worldwide depression