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Published bySibyl Perry Modified over 9 years ago
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The Age of Anxiety (done over break 2010
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Focus Questions for Notes 1. In what ways did new and disturbing ideas in philosophy, physics, psychology, and literature reflect the general crisis in Western thought? 2. How did modernism revolutionize architecture, painting, and music? 3. How did the emerging consumer society and mass culture of the interwar years change the everyday lives of ordinary men and women?
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Focus Questions for Notes 4. How did the democratic leaders of the 1920s deal with deep-seated instability and try to establish real peace and prosperity? 5. What caused the Great Depression, and how did the Western democracies respond to the challenge?
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Post World War I Culture Philosophy Pre 1914: Progress, reason, optimism, social rights increasing, 1880s: reject optimism, reject faith in progress –no audience until WWI –Valery: “Doubt and disorder are in us and with us.” –Intellectual Crisis of 20th century
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Philosophy Cont. Nietzsche –ever since Athens there has been too much emphasis on rationality stifled passion and instinct –reason, democracy, progress all suffocating society –only hope is to accept meaningless existence Bergson-immediate experience important Sorel-elite should control masses
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Logical Empiricism rejects cornerstone of traditional philosophy philosophy is study of language
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Existentialism atheists, true voice of Age of Anxiety Sartre-humans just exist Martin Heidegger and Karl Jaspars –disillusioned students follow their ideals Albert Camus
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Sigmund Freud previously one conscience human behavior is irrational inhibited sex key to mental health
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New Physics Late 1800s Physics one sign of hope Science based on fact and study Unchanging natural laws determine the processes Curies-radium omits subatomic weight Plank-quanta brings into question distinction between matter and energy
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Physics Cont. Einstein Rutherford Implications: –disturbing to masses –everything uncertain and unstable –Heisenberg “principle of uncertainty”
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Revival of Christianity Christianity on the attack Now stress human nature’s sin Christ is moral teacher –Schweitzer Quest for Historical Jesus –Kierkegaard-reject fundamental church –Barth-humans are imperfect creatures Catholics –Marcel and Maritain –provide hope and humanity
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Literature writers focus on irrational mind “stream of consciousness” Woolf Jacob’s Room Faulkner James Joyce Ulysses anti-utopia, reject progress Spengler-Decline of the West
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Literature TS Eliot Kafka Orwell
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Architecture functionalism Louis H. Sullivan Frank Lloyd Wright 1911 Walter Gropius and the Bauhaus
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Movies and Radio Culture of the elite, these for the masses 1890s France: peep shows and arcades US leads movie industry Pickford, Sennett, Keystone Kops Chaplin 1920s Germany “bizarre expressionists” 1930s “talkies” allow Europe to catch up
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Radio Marconi 1901 1920 Major events broadcast GB sets up BBC 1930s 3/4 all households propaganda and...
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Music Attracted to emotional intensity Some turn their backs on typical music styles Atonal Stravinsky: Rite of Spring
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Art Cubism-shapes Dadaism-attacked all accepted behaviors of conduct Surrealism-wild dreams and complex symbols Picasso, Ernst
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Politics Versailles creates a shaky peace Germany hates Versailles France fearful and isolated GB undependable US turns its back trade disrupted, debts huge
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GB and France don’t agree France wants harshness of treaty enforced GB wants trade back Economic Consequences of the Peace Keynes France looking for Allies –1921 pact with Poland, associated with Little Entente against Hungary –Middle East a source of tensions also
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War Debts April 1921 price set at 132 billion gold marks 2.5 billion per year or occupation 1921 payment made but not 1922 January 1923 Poincare orders occupation of Ruhr Germans go on strike France seals entire Rhineland
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War Debts Money printed and social revolution takes place Middle-class Germans are the ones hurt (Harvard) August 1923 Gustav Stresemann takes over Germany
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Hope in Foreign Affairs Dawes Plan 1924: US to Germany to GB/France; back to US Max payment $625 million, minimum $250 million 1925 “Spirit of Locarno” 1926 Germany joins League 1928 Kellogg-Briand Pact 1929 Young Plan
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Hope in Politics Germany –1923 Communist and National Socialist Coups Attempts thwarted –Moderate businessmen realize parliamentary government can lead to prosperity –but still a split with nationalists, monarchists, communists
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Why Germany does not go the way of Russia Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht radical socialist arrested and shot before their revolution can occur. German Socialist Democrats end the war Social Democrats offering democracy and social liberties gradual elimination of capitalism
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3 Counter-Revolutionary Methods 1) Hertling and von Baden care taker government, make some reforms constitutional monarchy uses SPD party 2) Ebert-Groener Pact Ebert under siege, calls Groener replaced Ludendorff in army, Asks for help, don’t break up army and I will help Must use Friekorps 3) Stinnes-Legien Agreement The result: Weimar Republic
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Hope in Politics France –communists vs socialists for workers –coalitions needed –inflation high GB –12% unemployment in ‘20s –Labour Party comes to power led by Ramsey MacDonald –1922 Full autonomy for Catholic Ireland
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The Great Depression always happen, but none worse then ‘29-’33 Stock Market Crash Effect on Europe –real investment (farms) vs. speculation –margin –lose confidence, wealth –recall loans –1931 Largest Bank in Austria closes
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World Production drops down 38% GB goes off gold standard, create higher tariffs Rapid slide a result of… –lack of leadership –poor economic policy
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Mass Unemployment GB bad, but US worse lose spirit, dignity, postpone marriages
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Scandinavian Response Social Democrats the largest party History of cooperation Deficit spending Social welfare Coops, and democracy thrive
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Recovery and Reform in GB and France GB 1932 Conservative led coalition –National not international France –political turmoil –Fascists, Communists, Socialists then –Popular Front and Leon Blum May 1936 –Gone by June 1937
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