The“LongShadow” oftheFirstWorldWar,1918-39

Theyear1918-39isoftencalledthe“Interwar”period,butitisworthnotingthattheterm‘interwar’isinmanywaysamisconception.AshighlightedbyRobertGerwarth’s work,conflictbarelycametoanendin1918andwarwasalmostaconstantfeatureoftheworldintheyearsuptotheoutbreakoftheSecondWorldWarin1939.ConflictsrangedacrosstheglobeinRussia,Ireland,Spain,ChinaandtheMiddleEast.Theperiodwascertainlynot‘in-betweenwars’

BythetimethearmisticeendedtheGreatWar in1918,theperiodofdestructionandhatredhadleft40millionpeopledeadorinjured,millionshomelessandbattlescarredlandsacrosstheglobe.ThereforewhentheParisPeaceConferencestartedin1919toofficiallyendthewar,thereweresincerehopesforreconciliationandrecovery.Politicalleadersandordinarypeoplealike,determinedthattheGreatWarshouldeverhappenagain.

TheParisPeaceconferenceledtotheTreatyofVersailles, apeacetreatydecidedbyBritain,FranceandAmerica.Germanyweregivennosayinthediscussionsandwereforcedtoaccepttheterms,orriskdestruction,despitetheirhowlsofprotest.

TheTreatyofVersaillesstatedthatGermanymustacceptallresponsibilityfortheFirstWorldWarandmustpay£6.6billionforthewardamages.Alongsidethis,13%ofGermanlandwastaken(Britaingainedhercolonies)andtheGermanmilitarywastakenaway.ThisleftGermansangryandhumiliated.Duringtheyears1919-23,thecountryfacedonecrisisafteranother,suchasHyperinflationandattemptedrevolution,eachtimetheTreatywasblamed.

The‘Interwar’ PeriodTheFirstWorldWar TheSecondWorldWar TheColdWar

Inabidtoreducethemistakesofthepast,theLeagueofNationswasalsosetup.Itwasa42countryorganisationledbyBritainandFrance,aimedatstoppingfuturewarsbyencouragingcooperation,disarmamentandsolvinganyproblemspeacefully.

Duringthe1920stheLeagueplayedaroleinsolvingmanydisputesandproblems,fromsolvinganeconomiccrisisinAustria,preventingwarbetweenGreeceandBulgariatoensuring400,000prisonersofwarreturnedhomeaftertheGreatWar.By1929,theworldwasmorepeacefulandstablethanithadbeenformanyyears.

Thedecadeafterthewarwasaperiodofcontrasts.Thelegacyofwarledtothetransformationoftheentirepoliticalsystems;therehadbeenaRevolution inRussiain1917,theexileoftheKaiser inGermanyandreestablishmentofPolandasacountry.Whilst,intheestablishednations,manyleaderspromisedafairersocietyand‘homesforheroes’.

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The“LongShadow” oftheFirstWorldWar,1918-39WesterncountrieslikeAmerica,BritainandeventuallyGermany,experiencedaGoldenAge,alsoknownastheRoaringTwentiesthroughoutthe1920s, aseconomicprosperitycombinedwithdramaticsocial,politicalandculturalchanges.InAmerica,theeconomic‘boom’thatcontinuedfromtheFirstWorldWar,helpedcementthecountryasthewealthiestnation,andallowedAmericanstoowncars,radiosandtelephonesforthefirsttimeever.

AcrosstheWesternWorld,womenexperiencednewfreedomsandrightsneverseenbefore.WomenweregiventhevoteinBritain,FranceandGermanyforthefirsttime,makingitthemostadvanceddemocracyintheworld.Socialindependencecontinuedtoimprove,withyoungmodernwomenknownas‘flappers’allowedtodrink,smokeandpartyunlikebefore.

DespiteabriefboomaftertheArmistice,thecostsofwarandcompetitiveglobaleconomyweresoonfeltinBritain,andby1926theeconomywasindeclineandshegovernmentfacedaGeneralStrikeagainstwagereductions.

Ontheotherhand,thebrutalityunleashedbytheGreatWarcontinuedacrossEuropeansocietiesafterthewar,withpoliticalviolenceoverwhelmingGermanybetween1918-23andthearmedtakeoverofItalybyfascistleaderMussoliniin1922.Russiawasalsoengulfedincivilwaruntil1923,withthevictoryofLenin’sCommunists causinghugesocialandeconomiccrisesinthenewlynamedSovietUnion.LedbyJosefStalinfrom1928,thecountrywaskeentospreadcommunismaroundtheglobe,causingsuspicionandfearinlikeBritainandAmerica.

Bythelate1920s,worldtradewasbooming,ledbytheUSA,therichestcountryintheworld.ManycountriesborrowedmoneyfromUSbanks,forexample,Germanyborrowedbillionsinthe1920swhichhelpedtheirbusinessesgrow.Asaresultoftheworldeconomicgrowth,internationaltensionreducedandco-operationimproved.Theoutlooklookedbright.

ThisperiodofprosperitycametoasuddenendinOctober1929.TheUSstockmarket(knownasWallStreet)crashed,causingthecollapseofUSbanksandbusinesses.TheWallStreetCrashcausedtheGreatDepression,alongperiodofeconomiccrisis,whichspreadaroundtheworldbringingunemploymentandpoverty,andsignificantinternationalcrisesinthe1930s.

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The“LongShadow” oftheFirstWorldWar,1918-39ThehistorianPiersBrendonhascalledthe1930sthe‘DarkValley’,becauseitwasaperiodoftensionandmistrustwhichpavedthewayforthedevastationoftheSecondWorldWar.AsaresultoftheDepression,BritainandFranceturnedawayfrominternationalismandtheLeague,andbegantoadoptmoreselfishpolicies,whilstAmericadecidedtocontinueitspolicyofisolationism,stayingoutofinternationalpoliticsandprotectingitsowninterests.

Whilstthedepressionprovidedtheopportunityfordictatorships torisetopowerincountrieslikeGermany,JapanandItaly,witheachtakingmoreaggressiveactionstoachievetheiraims.Eachtime,theLeagueofNationsledbyBritainandFrancefailedtostopthem.

In1931,JapaninvadedManchuria,China.TheLeagueorderedJapantoleave,whichitrefusedtodo,andasBritainandFrancewereunwillingtogetinvolved,nothinghappened.JapankeptManchuria,whichencouragedotherstoactaggressively.

Then,in1935,MussoliniinvadedAbyssiniainNorthEastAfrica.TheLeagueobjected,butItalyignoreditandBritainandFrancesecretlyagreedtogiveAbyssiniatoItaly!ThiskilledtheLeagueofNations,ithadcompletelyfailedinitsaimtostopwarandstopaggressivenations.

WhenAdolfHitlercametopowerinGermanyinJanuary1933,hepromisedtodestroytheTreatyofVersailles,conquernewlandsandmakeGermanygreatonceagain.Hitlerwastednotimeinturninghiswordsintoactions.Between1935-1938,hebroketheTreatyofVersaillesconsistently;byrearmingGermany’smilitary,resendingsoldiersintotheRhineland(theGerman/Frenchborder)andunitingGermanywithAustria.

Throughoutthistime,BritainandFranceusedapolicycalled‘appeasement’.Thispolicy,ledbyBritishPrimeMinisterNevilleChamberlain,involvedgivingHitlerwhathewanted,hopingthathewouldstopanditwouldpreventanotherFirstWorldWar.Thisfailed,simplymakingHitlerstrongerandmoreconfident,whilstencouraginghimtotakemoregambles.

In1939,afterGermanytookoverCzechoslovakia,HitleropenlysetitssightsonPolandwhichhadnothingtodowiththeTreatyofVersailles.Atthispoint,Chamberlainfinallyendedappeasement,promisingtodeclarewaronGermanyiftheyattackedPoland.GermanyfeltstrongenoughandthatBritainwoulddonothing,sotheyinvadedon1st

September1939.TwodayslaterBritainandFrancedeclaredwaronGermany,sparkingtheSecondWorldWar.

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