1. Europe 1914
Europe 1919

2. Instability Between Wars

3. Instability Between Wars 1919 - 1939
Only twenty years after World War I and the Treaty of Versailles, the world was at war again…
The peace was not a lasting one
Social, political and economic instability
Rise of Totalitarian leaders

4. SOCIAL Search for peace
Disillusionment – loss of life, “war to end all wars”
US – isolationism
Hope for reforms – because of Industrial Revolution
Optimistic about new era of peace
League of Nations – ineffective
Germany – blamed, guilt of war damaged the sentiment/morale of the people

5. ECONOMIC Destruction of the European continent
Rebuild, repair – expensive projects
National war debts
Germany suffering – reparations
Inflation – value of the mark fell
Severe depression – starvation
Great Depression 1929
Collapse of US stock market
International financial crisis
American loans ended

6. POLITICAL Nationalism high
No self-determination – ethnic minorities still ruled by others
Political democracies formed in Great Britain, France, Scandinavia
Russian Revolution 1917 – established communist rule – Soviet Union
Fear of communism spread around the western world
First “Red Scare”
Rise of Authoritarian/Totalitarian Regimes in Italy, Germany and Soviet Union

7. TOTALITARIANISM
Situation was perfect for the rise of leaders who could “solve all the problems” of the country
Leaders with total control of the people
Soviet Union (Lenin – Stalin)
Italy (Mussolini)
Germany (Hitler)
Spain (Franco)
Leaders were welcomed and given total control…