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An Age of Anxiety

An Age of Anxiety. Ch. 34. Probing Cultural Frontiers. Postwar Pessimism. Attacks on Progress. Religious Uncertainty. Chorus of Despair Karl Barth –Christian theologian, Attacked liberal Christian who called For progress Christ’s kingdom not of this world

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An Age of Anxiety

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  1. An Age of Anxiety Ch. 34

  2. Probing Cultural Frontiers

  3. PostwarPessimism Attacks on Progress Religious Uncertainty • Chorus of Despair • Karl Barth –Christian theologian, • Attacked liberal Christian who called • For progress • Christ’s kingdom not of this world • Refusal to accept God’s purpose • Was contemporary human society • Great war destroyed the idea of human • Progress • Scientist dreams go awry in wanting • To help humanity • Democracy was a fallen idol • Product of decay, no positive values • Preferred elite rule

  4. Revolutions in Physics and Psychology Uncertainty Principle Freud’s Psychoanalytic Theory • Challenged concepts of morality • And values • Conflict between conscious and • Unconscious mental process • Repressive mechanism • Dreams led to deepest parts of your • Mind • Oedipus complex • Psychoanalysis is the key to understanding • Human behavior • Werner Heisenberg-essentially • Scientists cannot observe the behavior • Of electron objectively, because the • Act of observation interferes • Leading to the Uncertainty Principle- • Objectivity was not a valid concept, the • Observer was a part of the process

  5. Experimentation in Art and Architecture Bauhaus Artistic Influences • Not a reproduction of reality but • An end in and of itself • Inspiration came from Asian, Pacific • And African societies • Edgar Degas-visual angles, asymmetrical • Compositions • Paul Gaugin-inspired by “primitive” art, • Held wonder not in a civilized society • Pablo Picasso-cubism, African influence • Architectural institution • Focused on urban and industrial • Landscape • Functional design based on • Engineering and art. • Ludwig Mies von der Rohe-glass • Box skyscrapers

  6. Global Depression

  7. The Great Depression Economic Problems The Crash of 1929 Economic Contraction Spreads • Tangled financial system: • Allies war debts, reparations • Paid by Germany & Austria, • U.S. funds to Europe • Austria & Germany relied on • U.S. loans to pay France & England • France and England used those • Reparation payments to pay the • U.S. Loans • 1929 U.S. lenders began to • Withdraw capital from Europe, • Creating strain • Poor agriculture based on over • Production and falling prices • U.S. enjoys boom after • WWI • Invested in • speculative ventures • Stock prices over valued • So investors pull out • Decrease in business activity, • Wages & employment • Could not sell inventory, • Cutback and layoffs • Nat’l income drops by half • 44% of U.S. banks out of • Business • A hurting U.S. economy • Was felt all over the world

  8. The Great Depression Economic Nationalism Industrial Economies • Great Depression destroyed int’l and • Financial commercial networks of • Capitalist economies • Economic nationalism-tariff barriers, • Import quotas, import prohibitions • This BACKFIRES • Smoot-Hawley Tariff (1930)-raised duties • On most manufactured products to • Prohibitive levels • Other nations strike back, drop in trade • Investors shaken by the crash • Attempt to liquidate and take loans, • But Wall Street banks refuse extend • Short term loans • Germany experiences economic • Slide due to U.S. • Foreign trade falls causing losses • In manufacturing, employment and • Per capita

  9. Despair and Government Action Personal Suffering • People grow desperate. • No food, housing, clothing • Shantytowns • Less marriage, children and divorce • Suicides rise • Non-existent job market • Writers put down political and social orders

  10. Economic Experimentation Keynes The New Deal • Gov’t responds to crisis 1/2 ways: • 1)Most did nothing hoping for the • Economy to self correct • 2) gov’t took active roles (balancing • Nat’l budgets & cut spending) • People called for a revision of • Economic thought • Keynes-economist • Not excessive supply but inadequate • Demand • He urged gov’t to stimulate economies • By lowering interest rate, encourage investment, • Public works, redistribute incomes through tax • Policy would lead to reduced unemployment • And an economic revival • FDR applied ideas to stimulate • The economy through policy. • Gov’t justified in intervening for • Social and economic welfare of the • people • Policies of the “New Deal”: • prevent collapse of • Banks, jobs and farm subsidies, • Workers the right to organize and • Bargain collectively, guarantee • Minimum wages, social security

  11. Challenges to the Liberal Order

  12. Communism in Russia War Communism Civil War New Economic Policy • Russian Communist Party • Go into civil war 1918-1920 • Communists begin Red • Terror arresting, trying and • executing the White • Terror • July 1918 Bolsheviks • Execute Tsar Nicholas II and • His family • White terror just as bad as • Red terror, often received • Foreign support • Whites defeated by Reds • Due to poor organization and • support • No plans to change Russian • Economy • Practiced war communism – • Nationalization, annulled private • Property, controlled banks, • Industry and other commercial • Properties, abolished private trade • By 1920 production fell by one • Tenth of its pre-war levels • Spring 1921 Lenin calls for a • Reversal of war communism • Implemented by Lenin • Restored market economy • And some private enterprise • Small industry returns to • Private ownership • Peasant can sell surplus • Agriculture in a free market • Est. technical schools

  13. Communism in Russia Collectivization of Agriculture Joseph Stalin & Five Year Plan The Great Purge • General secretary, promoted • Socialism in one country • “Man of Steel”, 1928 est. • An unchallenged dictatorship • Est. plan for rapid economic • Development • Emphasized heavy industry • At the expense of consumer • Goods • Pushes for resources and a high • Labor force • Alternative to market capitalism • Expropriated private land • To create co-op farms • Profits shared by farmers • Helped to make sure workers • Were fed • Stopped in 1931 half of the • Farms in the Soviet Union were • Collectivized • 5 year plan was unrealistic • No real consumer gratification • But balanced out with full • Employment , low cost utilities, • Cheap housing and food • Planned economy looks • appealing • Civil war w/in the Communist • Party • Attacked Bolshevik elites • For treason • Purged 2/3 of the delegates • Russia’s Communism showed • A viable political and social • system

  14. The Fascist Alternative & Italian Fascism Defining Fascism Benito Mussolini Fascist State • Attractive to middle class, • rural pops., and nationalists • Fascist wanted to create a • Nat’l community (by nation- • State, ethnic or racial grp) • Fascism: honoring the • State, devotion to leader, • Ultra nationalism, ethno- • Centrism and militarism • (military life, large military • Establishments, public life • Subordination of indiv. To • The state • Hostile to: individualism, • Liberal democracy, class based • visions • Fascist gov’t gains power • Through many laws: • Eliminates other political • Parties, no free press, speech • And association • No labor unions or strikes • Corporatism-organic entity • Through which different views • Come under the control of the • State • Racism and Anti-Semitism • Prominent (unpatriotic, no • Gov’t employment, no inter- • Marriage) • Leader of Italian Fascism • Emphasized nationalism, • Repression of socialists • 1922 becomes prime • Minister and forms new • Italian gov’t

  15. German National Socialism Hitler and the Nazi Party Consolidation for Powers The Struggle for Power • Nazi party had a broad • Appeal • Attracted the disillusioned • Who did not agree w/the • Treaty of Versailles, lower • Middle classes • Hitler promises to end • Misfortunes • He stresses racial doctrines • Esp. anti-Semitism • 1932 it becomes the largest • Party in Parliament • Offered Hitler the chancellor- • Ship • From republic to dictatorship • Used all means to impose rule • Eliminates working class and liberals • Officially takes away • Constitutional and civil rights • Outlawed political, crime to • Create new ones • Prohibited strikes and lockouts • Took control of all police forces • 1921 Hitler becomes • Chairman of the National • Socialist Party (Nazi) • Aims to get into power • Legally after being • Imprisoned due to a revolt

  16. German National Socialism Nazi Eugenics The Racial State & Women and Race Anti-Semitism • Racial superiority • Racial purity • Eugenics to improve • “quality” of German race • No room for “racially • Inferior” of “biological • Outsiders” • Nazis launch campaign • To increase birthrates • Encourage marriage through • Tax credits, allowances, loans • Rewrote divorce laws • Outlawed abortions, restricted • Birth control • Prejudice against Jews • Used religious descent • As a determination of Jews • Nuremburg Laws which were • Discriminatory laws: 1) no • Citizenship 2)no marriage or • Sexual intercourse with a non-Jew • Economically: expropriated • Wealth, civil servants lost jobs, • Jewish lawyers and docs could • Not help non-Jew, liquidation • Of business • Kristallnacht: destruction of • Jewish stores and synagogues • 250,000 Jews leave Germany • (1938) • 1933 sterilization program • For “hereditarily determined” • Illness • 1935 gov’t sanctioned • Abortions • State sponsored euthanasia • Program, for those seen “useless” • To society (physically & mentally • Handicapped)

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