THE WESTERN DEMOCRACIES STUMBLE
Chapter 16.2
1919- The Western governments (Britain, France, United States) look powerful Ruled Paris Peace Conference Hopes for democracy among new
nations in Eastern Europe Problems beneath the surface
PARTY STRUGGLES IN BRITAIN The Labor Party surpasses the Liberal
Party Labor Party popular among workers Promoted gradual move toward socialism
As the Liberal Party falters, the middle class begins to back the Conservative Party With this support, the Conservative Party
holds power for much of the 1920s
IRISH INDEPENDENCE AT LAST 1914- Parliament attempts to pass a home
rule bill- shelved when the war begins Easter 1916- militant Irish nationalists launch
revolt against British rule Quickly suppressed
1919- Parliament attempts to pass home rule bill again- fails IRA begins guerilla warfare against Britain
1922-agreement reached between moderates
“THE RED SCARE” AND ISOLATIONISM IN THE US
The US emerges from WWI in good shape Late entrant into war=relatively few casualties and
little loss of property Domestic Unrest
Fear of the Bolshevik Revolution set off the Red Scare
Police rounded up foreign born radicals and a number were expelled from the US
Sacco and Vanzetti The Red Scare let to demands in the limit of
immigration
ARGUING ALLIES France wanted to secure its borders against
Germany Built Maginot Line along German border
France also strengthened its military alliances with other countries
Strict enforcement of the treaty of Versailles and payment reparations Kept German Economy
weak - $30 Billion = $2.7 Today Britain disagrees with this
THE SEARCH FOR PEACE People worked for peace in the 1920s
1925-Locarno Treaties signed (settled Germany’s disputed borders)
Kellogg Briand Pact- the great powers pursued disarmament Almost every independent nation signs
THE LEAGUE’S WEAKNESS Peace was fragile The League was powerless to stop
aggression Dictators in Europe noted the League’s
weaknesses and pursued aggressive foreign policies
POSTWAR ECONOMICS The war hurt and helped some nation’s
economies Britain and France owed a lot of money
to the United States They depended on the reparations from
Germany These Reparations hurt Germany
BRITAIN AND FRANCE RECOVER Britain deeply in debt in the 1920s
Factories were out of date Unemployment is severe Wages remain low
1926- general strike occurs which lasts nine days
The french economy recovered rapidly Reparations and territories from Germany
help out a lot
THE UNITED STATES BOOMS The US emerges from the war as the
leading economic power The US is the glue that holds the
system together
FALLING DEMAND AND OVERPRODUCTION The wealth in the US was not evenly
spread The demand for raw goods during the
war was great After demand dwindled, production didn’t Led to overproduction Factories began to make less, and cut
worker’s jobs
CRASH AND COLLAPSE Prices at the NY Stock exchange were at an all
time high People bought stocks through risky means
The Federal Reserve raised interest rates in 1928 and 1929 to slow the growth
In the autumn of 1929, jitters over the economy caused everyone to sell their stocks all at once Black Tuesday Financial panic set in Stocks crashed The Great Depression begins
THE DEMOCRACIES REACT TO THE DEPRESSION
The governments of Britain, France, and the United States try to find ways to life
the depression.
BRITAIN AND FRANCE SEARCH FOR SOLUTIONS
Britain sets up a coalition government made of leaders from all three political parties By 1931, 1 in 4 workers is unemployed
By the min-1930s France felt the pinch of the Depression People back Leon Blum- a socialist leader Strikes soon bring down Blum’s government
because he could not solve all of the labor problems
HOOVER’S POLICY US president Herbert Hoover believed
the government should not intervene in private business matters Did try limited number of
measures to solve crisis (Hoover Dam, etc.)
Didn’t help to ease the financial crisis
ROOSEVELT OFFERS THE US A NEW DEAL 1932- Franklin Delano Roosevelt
elected Said the government needed to take an
active role in combating the Depression Introduced the New Deal
Government became more involved in people’s lives
Passed legislation social security TVA
THE DUST BOWL Natural disaster hit many states-
created the Dust Bowl Migrant workers went Westward
Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck Dorothea Lange
Migrant Mother
Hard Times and Good Times in America