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The Western Democracies Stumble

The Western Democracies Stumble. Chapter 13 Section 2

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The Western Democracies Stumble

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  1. The Western Democracies Stumble Chapter 13 Section 2 “In 1919, the three Western Democracies—Briatin, France, and the US—Appeared powerful. They had ruled the Paris Peace Conference and boosted hopes for democracy among the new nations of Eastern Europe. Beneath the surface, however, postwar Europe faced grave problems. To make matters worse, many members of the younger generation who might have become the next great leaders had been killed in the war.”

  2. Politics in the Postwar World • Party Struggles in Britain • Labour Party surpassed Liberal Party in strength, Conservatives dominated politics • Irish Independence at Last • 1922 – The IRA helps Ireland become a self-governing Irish Free state • France’s Troubled Peace • Several parties competed for power, so a series of quickly changing coalition governments ruled

  3. “The Red Scare” and Isolationism in the US • Unlike the rest of the world, the US emerged from WW1 in the best financial shape • Despite minimal loss during the war, the US experienced some domestic unrest • Fear of radicals and the Bolshevik Revolution • 1919-1920: police rounded up suspected foreign born radicals and expelled them from the US • Led to a limit on immigration from Europe

  4. Postwar Foreign Policy • Arguing Allies • France wanted to keep Germany out • “Maginot Line”, allying with the Soviet Union, enforcing the Treaty of Versailles • Britain wanted to relax the treaty to prevent Germany from becoming weak while France and the Soviet Union got strong • The Search for Peace • Germany and the Soviet Union joining the League of Nations in 1926 • “Kellogg-Briand Pact” designed to end wars between countries; helped the great powers pursue “disarmament” • Political cartoon pg. 429 • The League’s Weakness • Was unable to enforce its policies and ideals • 1931: condemned Japan for invading Manchuria, but did not take military action to stop it

  5. Postwar Economics • Britain and France recover • Britain: deeply in debt, factories out of date, severe unemployment, low wages, worker unrest and frequent strikes; “general strike” in 1926 • France: economy recovered quickly with financial reparations and territories from Germany, but still had economic swings • Overall, a rise in the standard of living • The US Booms • Emerged from the war as the world’s leading economic power

  6. The Great Depression • Falling Demand and Overproduction • Farmers who had been vital and prospered during the war were less in demand and stopped buying • New technology led to “overproduction” which led to lay offs • Crash and Collapse • Crisis in “finance”, NYSE at an all time high, so the “Federal Reserve” raised interest rates in 1928 and 1929—it didn’t work • Fall 1929: many people sold their stock at once, the market crashed, people lost their jobs; aggravated the economic decline • Cycle of overproduction and falling demand led to “The Great Depression” • The Depression Spreads • American banks stopped loaning money abroad, demanded repayment of foreign loans, Germany, France, & Britain couldn’t may their payments • Everyone increased tariffs, and the depression touched every corner of the world

  7. The Democracies React to the Depression • Britain and France Search for Solutions • Britain: set up a coalition government, but 1 in 4 were still unemployed • France: leftist parties united behind Leon Blum, who passed some social legislature, but did not satisfy radicals; led to strikes and no more Blum • In an attempt to end the Great Depression, Western countries put programs into place that lessened suffering, but did not solve the problems

  8. Roosevelt Offers the US a New Deal • President Hoover did not want to intervene in private business matters • 1932: President Roosevelt elected and introduced the “New Deal” as a package for Depression relief • Federal government becomes more involved in people’s every day lives • New laws regulate stock exchange, protect bank deposits • Government programs created jobs, gave aid to farmers • New Social Security system • 1934: The Dust Bowl destroyed farmlands, people moved to the West Coast to start over

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