Crisis Years 1919 - 1939

1. Crisis Years1919 - 1939 Age of Uncertainty Global Depression Rise of Fascism in Europe

2. New Ideas Challenging Old Ideas Science Literature Society Art Technology

3. Science Albert Einstein • New Ideas • Space • Energy • Time • Matter Challenged the laws of gravity and motion discovered by Isaac Newton 2 E=mc theory of relativity

4. Science Sigmund Freud • Psychologist • Theory of human behavior • Irrational part of the mind – unconscious • Wrote Interpretation of Dreams • Ideas weakened support for reason

5. Literature The Age of Doubt Disillusioned by War – People Feared the Future T. S. Eliot – Poetry, loss of spiritual values; He called America a “vast wasteland” William Butler Yeats – Dark times ahead Existentialism – “There is no universal meaning to life.” Friedrich Nietzsche – Too much emphasis on democracy, reason, and progress. Need to return to classical values.

6. ART Rebellion In The Arts Distortedcolors&shapes – movement away from realism Inspiration from African Art - Picasso DADA MOVEMENT – WWI destroyed established values – with works meant to be absurd, nonsensical, and meaningless SURREALISM – sought to link the world of dreams to real life

7. ART To take that which is useful and make it useless. DADA Dream like fantasy art. SURREALISM

8. Society Disruption In Usual Social Patterns Roaring 20’s Flappers and Jazz First Youth Rebellion of the 20th Century New Careers For Women Fight For The Right For Women To Vote Less Restrictive Hairstyles and Clothing Greatly Increased Use of Alcohol and Tobacco

9. Technology Medical – New drugs and medical treatments Transportation and Communication - postwar improvements - automobiles use led to lifestyle changes - led to new hotel/ motel industry - creation of suburbs Airplanes Transformed Travel - from war use to commercial use - international flights would later become more affordable

10. Technology Radio - from war use to commercial information and entertainment 1920 – KDKA: World’s First Commercial Radio Station; Pittsburg, PA Movies – from early films documenting the horrors of war to the leading entertainment media.

11. Global depression W W I left nearly every European nation bankrupt. European governments were unstable and those experimenting with democracy had little experience in representative government. • Problems in Germany • German democratic government – 1919, Weimer Republic • Political problems – blamed for defeat and humiliation • Inflation – Germany printed more money, mark value fell, became worthless • Economy stabilized by DAWES PLAN, $200 million from American banks • Reschedule reparation payments

12. Global depression • Problems in the United States • Even though the U. S. was in better shape than most nations at the end of the war, there were three significant problems. • Uneven distribution of wealth • Overproduction by business and agriculture • Lessening demand for consumer goods Stock Market Crash – October 1929 Panic selling of stocks caused the stock market to crash sending the United States into the Great Depression. The crash was the catalyst for depression world wide.

13. Global depression Recovery Franklin Roosevelt’s Reform – THE NEW DEAL A large public works project to help to provide jobs to the unemployed. Financial help was made available to businesses and farms. Large amounts of money were spent on welfare and relief programs to create jobs and help restart the economy. It Worked!

14. Fascism in Europe Beliefs & Policies – LOYALTY TO THE STATE AND OBEDIENCE TO THE LEADER Promises –TO REVIVE THE ECONOMY, PUNISH THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PROBLEMS, & RESTORE NATIONAL PRIDE. PoliticalTheory – NO POLITICAL THEORY OR PROGRAM. RULED BY DICTATORS ALLOWING ONLY ONE POLITICAL PARTY DENIED INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS TO CITIZENS THE STATE WAS SUPREME

15. Fascism in Europe Italy – Mussolini, promised to rebuild economy & armed forces Il Duce (the leader), abolished democracy, used secret police to punish his opponents, took control of newspapers and radio, and controlled industry by placing fascist in top positions.

16. FASCISM IN EUROPE GERMANY– Hitler joined political party supporting the overturning of the Treaty of Versailles. - established a German form of fascism – Nazism adopted the swastika as the symbol established a private militia- Brown Shirts - led a failed rebellion and went to prison - wrote MEIN KAMPF – MY STRUGGLE - supported the development of the master“Aryan” race - supported the elimination of all non-Aryans and declared the Treaty of Versailles an outrage, promising to reclaim lost land

17. Germany • Hitler Becomes Chancellor • Hitler was appointed Chancellor with the • support of the Nazi party • Quickly strengthened his position • Called for new elections • 6 days before the elections the Parliament burned • Communists were blamed • Increased the support of the Nazi party • Nazi party won the majority of the seats in Parliament • Demanded dictatorial power for 4 years • Used the power to turn Germany into a totalitarian state

18. Hitler As Ruler • Banned all political parties • Created the SS (protection squad) • Used Gestapo (secret police) to terrorize • Took command of the economy • New laws banned strikes and labor unions • Controlled all media • Established – Hitler Youth

19. Hitler As Ruler POLICY OF JEWISH HATRED Kristallnacht - The Night of Broken Glass

20. Kristallnacht - The Night of Broken Glass • In 1938, a young Jewish boy was enraged by his family's expulsion from Germany, walked into the German Embassy in Paris and shot at a junior diplomat. Three days later, the diplomat died and Germany was in the grip of skillfully orchestrated anti-Jewish violence. In the days that followed a series of planned violent acts broke out in cities, towns and villages throughout Germany. A total of 91 Jews were killed in the incidents. • Kristallnacht saw the destruction in a single night of more than a thousand synagogues, the ransacking of tens of thousands of Jewish businesses and homes, and more than 30,000 Jewish men were rounded up and taken to concentration camps. It marked the beginning of the systematic eradication of a people who could trace their ancestry in Germany to Roman times, and served as a prelude for the Holocaust that was to follow.

21. German Aggression on the March • Hitler defies the Treaty of Versailles 1. 1935 Germany announced it would not obey the provisions of the treaty Forbidden German Action To rebuild German military Began rearming the military To cross the buffer zone of the Rhine River Crossed into the Rhineland To ally with Austria Annexed Austria – 1938 In addition ------------------------------------------------------------------ Promised not to invade Czechoslovakia Invaded Czechoslovakia Demanded the return of Poland Invaded Poland 2. League of Nations was powerless to stop German aggression • France & Britain adopted the “appeasement” philosophy (let them get by with it and maybe they will be happy) • Italy and Germany joined in an alliance • Western democracies remained neutral – Isolationism 3. Germany signed a non-aggression pact with the Soviet Union