The Interwar Period

Topic 8

Versaille Treaty was severe

• G was forced to pay 8. 23 billion euros

• G had to pay till 1980• No one liked the

treaty– Lloyd-George and

Wilson: it will not work– Clemenceau: too soft

F and B wanted REVENGE

Reactions to the Treaty

Problems to the future

• Europe couldn’t recover while G remained poor

Self-determination would be difficult in new countries like Poland and

Czechoslovaquia

• People together in artificial countries

G will lead to trouble in future

G, R and USA won’t take part in League of Nations

• Many Americans were German immigrants and hated the Treaty of Versailles

• Americans did not want to get involved in European affairs because it might involve Americans dying in a war.

 

 

 

 

• Americans did not want to get involved in European affairs because it might cost money

• Many Americans were anti-British and hated the British Empire.

The other treaties

• St. Germain 1919• Trianon 1920• Neuilly 1919• Sèvres 1920

• Austria• Hungary• Bulgaria• Turkey

St. Germain

• Separated A from H

• Stopped A joining with G

• Land taken away (Bosnia)

• Made A disarm

• Created new countries

Trianon

• Land taken away (Croatia)

• Disarm• New countries

Neuilly

• Lost land• Lost access to sea• Bulgaria disarmed

Sèvres

• Lost land• New mandates

(Syria)• Lost control Black

Sea

 

•Many Americans were German immigrants and hated the Treaty of Versailles

 

•Americans did not want to get involved in European affairs because it might involve Americans dying in a war.

 

•Americans did not want to get involved in European affairs because it might cost money

 

•Many Americans were anti-British and hated the British Empire (the American revolution had been to get out of the British Empire)

Palace of the Nations in Geneva

WEAKNESS: A STRUCTURE for disaster The League of Nations had a structure where every single country had to

agree in order to get something done. This meant SLOW progress.

A picture of the leaders who represented the countries of the League

LEAGUE OF NATIONS

Remember: we all have to agree before we take any

action!

“We should ban them from

trading with us!”

“I think that’s too harsh!”

“Lets deal with the problem

straight away!”

“Lets wait and give it more time!”

“We should do it this

way.”

“No we shouldn’t.

Lets do it my way!”

Such arguments meant that it took long periods of time to get

anything done.

Powers of the LeaguePowers of the League

If a country ignored the ruling of the If a country ignored the ruling of the League it could:League it could:

Put pressure onPut pressure on Refuse to trade - sanctionsRefuse to trade - sanctions Send in troops - member countries join Send in troops - member countries join

togethertogether

Strengths of the LeagueStrengths of the League

• Many countries supported it in early Many countries supported it in early days - they wanted peacedays - they wanted peace

• Had some early successes:Had some early successes:

• Settled some land disputes in 1920’sSettled some land disputes in 1920’s

• helped refugees, dealt with spread of helped refugees, dealt with spread of disease, fought for better conditions disease, fought for better conditions for peoplefor people

Weaknesses of League

USA didn’t join

No real power - relied on goodwill and persuasion

No permanent army

Disarmament not realistic

Structure a disaster - everyone had to agree before any action taken

The League of Nations

Encourage co-operation Stop aggression

DisarmamentImprove

social conditions

AIMS

Membership

42 members - by 1930’s 59 Defeated countries could not join e.g.

Germany Russia excluded because communist USA did not join - isolation from world

affairs A club for the victorious?

Structure

The AssemblyEach country one vote

The CouncilMet several times a year

and in emergencies5 permanent members

Each had right to veto any idea

The SecretariatKept records - civil service

Permanent court ofInternational JusticeBased at The Hague

Settle disputes peacefullyNo power of enforcement

More international agreements

• During the 1920s, the political situation seemed to be getting better as countries worked hard to cooperate usefully.

• There were a whole string of important agreements over issues of arms reduction and economic aid.

• Germany accepted her new Western borders.

But all of these treaties had problems…

Countries began to sign treaties without the League of Nations

Boom and Bust in the 1920s

The booming twenties

• As the 1920s went on, it seemed that there was a real chance that peace would last.

• Most countries were getting richer.

Behind the prosperity there were signs of trouble.

• USA was properous– Cheap labour– High wages– Mass production

Germany

La teoría del mercado alcista y las rodillas al descubierto

“The black reign of dressing”

The Wall Street Crash 1929

• People rushed to sell shares bc they realised their companies were doing badly.

• By october 1929 the selling was frantic (crazy) in Wall Street, the trade center of USA.

• Bussiness collapsed and thousands of people were ruined.

• People hoped the Banks would keep the value of shares up artificially, but they couldn´t cause they were short of money.

• Republican government did not interfere (free market)

The Depression was felt all over the world, especially by countries

relying on American loans

• In 1929 Usa stopped lending money abroad and called in its loans.

• By 1930 nearly 2000 banks collapsed as people rushed to withdraw savings.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qu2uJWSZkck&feature=related

3 Years later there weew

over 12 million people

unemployed in the USA

Britain was forced to devalue the pound in september 1929

• This made it worth less.• Britain introduced

protection but it did not work.

• Germany was particulary affected.– Banks failing– Exports suffering– Unemployment rising– 6 million germans affected.

Some good things came out of the Depression

• Not everybody was worse off

• Many people who were still in work found their standard of living rising.

• Industries using electricity or oil weren’t so badly affected.