1. Instability Between the Wars

2. Europe 1914
Europe 1919
New Countries: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, German Republic, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Ukraine, Republic of Turkey, Armenia, Georgia, Ireland

3. 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
Leading to the rise of Totalitarian leaders

4. Totalitarians:
Francisco
Franco
Benito Mussolini
Joseph Stalin
Adolf Hitler

5. SOCIAL INSTABILITY
Disillusionment – loss of life & destruction for what?
U.S. turned to a policy of isolationism
Hope for reforms, but reforms did not happen
Optimistic about new era of peace
BUT League of Nations – ineffective
Germany – blamed, guilt of war damaged the sentiment/morale of the people

6. ECONOMIC INSTABILITY Destruction of the European continent
Need to rebuild & repair (expensive!!)
National war debts (borrowed $ to pay for war)
Germany suffering – due to reparations
Inflation
Severe depression leads to starvation
Great Depression 1929
Collapse of U.S. stock market
Leads to an international financial crisis
American loans to help rebuild ended

8. POLITICAL INSTABILITY
Nationalism high for Allies
No self-determination – ethnic minorities still ruled by others
Political democracies 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 Totalitarian Regimes in Italy, Germany, Spain, and Soviet Union

9. 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…