1. Modern World History C. Corning – Feb. 2010

2.  The League of Nations was created in 1919 by the peace treaties that ended WWI.  Two goals: (1) keep peace among nations and (2) make the world a better place for ALL people. (Including colonies?)  Member nations had to sign a promise that they would not go to war with other member nations AND if a member attacked another member, the other nations would defend the country under attack (Collective Security)

3.  There were only three peace-keeping actions the League of Nations could take against a member nation:  Legal means – Court of International Justice  Economic sanctions - member nations would not trade with the attacker, thus threatening economic ruin for the attacker  Military sanctions – forming a League of Nations army (from the member nations) to fight the attacker ** In first ten years, League dealt with 9 disputes

4.  Not every nation was a member.  USA – policy of isolationism  USSR – “capitalist” club  Some members lacked “enthusiasm” for the League.  Germany – excluded until 1926, club of “victors”  The League’s ability to keep the peace had never been fully tested by 1929 (guess who is going to test them!)  No proof that League could settle a dispute between two major powers – OR that sanctions could stop a war.

5.  1920s European nations were rebuilding after the war.  Only U.S. and Japan were in good financial shape  Europe had to borrow money from the U.S.  From 1914-1918 the last of Europe’s absolute monarchies were overthrown  Russia, Germany and Austro-Hungary  New democracies took their place  Multiple parties, need for coalition government  Difficult to govern effectively

6.  New democratic gov’t established in 1919 – Weimar Republic  Many weaknesses:  Germany lacked a democratic tradition  Too many political parties  Germans blamed the Weimar gov’t for country’s defeat and the Treaty of Versailles  Germany faced big economic issues:  Inflation – too much money printed to pay war expenses  Reparation payments  Dawes Plan – by 1929 Germany was producing as much as before the war

7.  Lenin died in 1924 – Stalin assumes power in 1929 after forcing Trotsky into exile  Stalin wanted the Soviet Union to be one of the most powerful nations in the world  Totalitarianism – a gov’t that takes total, centralized STATE control of every aspect of public and private life (see pg 441)  Leaders give a sense of security and direction for the future  Uses secret police to crush opposition and create an environment of fear to control people  Challenges the values most prized by democracies: reason, freedom, individuality, etc.  Tool: terror, indoctrination, propaganda, censorship and religious/ethnic persecution  Economic measures: Five-Year Plan and collective farms

8.  During the 1920s the Japanese government became more democratic and built international relations  However Japan’s parliamentary system had weaknesses:  Constitution put limits on the powers of the Prime Minister and the cabinent  Civilian leaders had little control over the armed forces  Military leaders reported only to the emperor

9.  1929 Great Depression hit Japan hard – citizens blamed the gov’t  Military leaders gained control of the country however unlike the fascism in Europe they did NOT try to establish a new system of gov’t  Militarists were nationalists  Wanted to restore traditional control of gov’t to military  Made Emperor Hirohito symbol of state power  Goal: solve Japan’s economic problems through foreign expansion

10.  1931 Japan seized Manchuria (China’s NE province)  Japanese parliament opposed action  Japanese business had invested there  Rich in iron and coal  1932 the Army set up puppet government with Puyi, the last Qing emperor, installed as the nominal regent and emperor (Japan really control the gov’t)Puyi  This was the first direct challenge to the League of Nations – Japan ignored protests and withdrew from the League in 1933  1937 – Sino-Japanese War – Japan invades China and captures northern cities

11.  Photos on other Power Point (see our blog)  Oct 1929 Black Tuesday – share prices on Wall Street fell – basically worthless  Depression began in the US and then spread to most other countries  Depression: a severe economic slump/a sustained, long-term downturn in economic activity  Germany and Austria hit very hard because of war debts and dependence on American loans and investments

12.  How did Depression affect world peace?  (1) gov’ts tried to protect their citizens with new economic policies (protectionism) These policies of protectionism and self-sufficiency harmed international relations.  (2) Depression caused social unrest among the people of many countries Germany 6 out of 64 million by 1934, Japan experienced idle factories/peasants starving  (3) Massive unemployment – people blamed their gov’ts – this led to the collapse of democratic governments in Germany and Japan New gov’ts acted agressively towards other countries in order to improve the situations in their countries

13.  The Great Depression added to another problem that was threatening world peace in 1929  Division of world: empire haves and have nots  Britain and France owned the largest empires in 1929 – why?  How did this effect world peace?  (1) Other countries envied these empires and wanted to expand  (2) Britain and France avoided the worst impacts of the Depression – other countries wanted to do the same  (3) Local peoples wanted the same right of self- determination that European nations received  (4) Britain and France had to keep large, expensive armies and did NOT want to disarm – why?

14.  Many democracies remained strong despite the Depression: U.S., Great Britain, France, Scandinavian countries  For many of the younger/weaker democracies, the citizens lost faith and turned to Fascism: Germany, Italy, Spain, Hungary, Poland  Fascism: militant political movement that emphasized loyalty to the state and obedience to its leader. (see pg 477)  Extreme form of nationalism – loyalty to an authoritarian leader  Lots of militarist influence – uniforms, units, salutes

15.  Comparisons:  Rule by dictator – the STATE was supreme  One-party system  Denial of individual rights  Differences:  Fascism had no clearly defined theory or program  Did not seek a classless society  Fascist leaders tend to aristocrats, industrialists, war veterans and the lower middle class – WHY?  Fascists were nationalists – communists were international (“workers of the world unite”)

16.  Italy - Benito Mussolini – Il Duce (Leader) – 1922  Fascism spread because of Italy’s disappointment with the 1919 Paris Peace Conference  Also rising inflation and umemployment  People lost trust/faith in their democratic gov’t  Fascist Party formed 1919 – Black Shirts  Spain – Gen. Francisco Franco – dictator 1939  1936 Civil War between the Nationalists (Fascists) and the Republicans (supported elected gov’t)  Western democracies remained neutral; Germany, Italy (Nat’l) and Soviet Union (Rep) got involved

20.  Rather than taking a stand, most Great Britain and France made concessions, hoping to keep peace  Still dealing with economic issues from the Depression  Deep desire to avoid war  U.S. continued to follow a policy of Isolationism  1935 Congress pass the Neutrality Acts which banned loans and the sale of arms to nations at war.