Interwar Period: Economic Depression, Rise of Fascism, and WWII
1. Expansion and Economic Depression (1918-1939)
Between 1924 and 1929, there was a period of economic prosperity. This period is called prosperity. In 1929, a period of depression or economic crisis began. The social and political consequences were very serious.
1.1. The Crash of ’29 and the Great Depression
On October 24, 1929, the value of the shares of the New York Stock Exchange fell sharply. Everyone wanted to sell their shares. Many banks went bankrupt. This was the crash of ’29. At the same time, companies could not sell their products. Given this situation, they began to lay off workers or had to close. This inaugurated a period of depression that did not end until 1939.
1.2. Depression in Europe
The economic depression that began in the United States also reached the European continent. The consequences were the following:
- Caused an increase in unemployment and poverty among employees and ruined the middle classes.
- Strikes, demonstrations, and violence became common.
- Many workers looked with sympathy at the political model of the Soviet Union.
- The middle classes supported dictatorial governments such as Fascist or Nazi.
2. The USSR During the Interwar Period (1921-1939)
Since 1924, the USSR was directed by Stalin. In the interwar period, the Soviet Union experienced two phases:
- The New Economic Policy (1921-1927).
- Central planning from 1928.
2.1. First Stage: The New Economic Policy (1921-1927)
After the First World War, the USSR was economically devastated. To overcome the situation, the New Economic Policy (NEP) was promoted. The NEP was to promote the existence of small and medium private enterprises. Its balance was positive and lasted until 1927. It allowed many farmers and small and medium owners to become enriched.
2.2. Second Stage: Stalinist Planning (1928-1941)
In 1928, Stalin ended the NEP. First, he collectivized the lands and created cooperatives or state farms. Many peasants were opposed and were deported. During these years, hunger spread to many places. Secondly, he nationalized private industrial companies. He gave priority to heavy industry and armaments. Industrial production almost tripled. But Stalin ruled as a terrible dictator and imprisoned or eliminated those who criticized his policy.
3. The Conflict Between Freedom and Dictatorship: Fascism
3.1. The Political Problems of the Interwar Period
The agreements of the Treaty of Versailles spread a sense of humiliation among Germans. Furthermore, while some Germans had been enriched by the war, former soldiers lived in poverty and did not feel rewarded for their sacrifices. Therefore, some Germans supported communist parties and trade unions, and elsewhere, a new political model: Fascism. Fascism was a totalitarian political and social movement, illiberal, nationalist, and very anti-Marxist. Fascism came to power in many countries, including Italy and Germany.
3.2. Italian Fascism (1922-1945)
After World War I, Italy suffered a tough economic crisis. Trade unions and leftist parties called for improvements and occupied lands and factories. In this atmosphere, Benito Mussolini appeared, who in 1919 founded the Fasci Italiani di Combattimento. This movement, formed by those affected by the war, attacked leftist groups and unions. Later, it became the National Fascist Party. In 1922, the King of Italy entrusted the government to Mussolini. Then, he concentrated all power in his hands and began to persecute the other parties. Italy became a dictatorship, and Mussolini became Duce, head of all Italians. Fascism was based on violence, the exaltation of the nation, and faith in the leader. The Italian economy was autarkic, based on the products and resources of the country. Abroad, Mussolini launched an aggressive and imperialist policy.
3.3. German Nazism (1932-1945)
In 1919, the Nazi Party, also called the Nazi Party, was founded in Germany. Its head, the German Führer, was Adolf Hitler. In 1930, the economic depression came to Germany. As a result, industrial production fell sharply, and unemployment rose greatly. The Nazi party benefited from this situation. He made a speech that emphasized the fight against unemployment and the humiliation of the Treaty of Versailles. This message made him win the elections of 1932, and Hitler was appointed prime minister. Then, Hitler abolished freedom, banned political parties (except the Nazi party), and founded the Third Reich. As a positive side, the Nazi party in Germany became a major economic and military power, re-industrialized the country, and reduced unemployment. The price of this success was very high: the democratic system was removed, all opposition was persecuted, and the Jews were subjected to irrational hatred by the Führer. From 1937, Hitler began to prepare for war.
4. World War II
In 1939, World War II broke out. It lasted until 1945, affecting all continents.
4.1. The Causes of War
The immediate cause of World War II was the invasion of Poland by the Germans in September 1939. But the underlying causes can be classified into four groups:
- Psychological Causes: There was a feeling of revenge on the part of the German population after the humiliation of the Treaty of Versailles.
- Ideological Causes: The Germans considered themselves a superior race. They thought they had the right to occupy neighboring territories to meet their needs. These territories were their living space.
- Intentional Causes: Adolf Hitler and the Nazis were preparing for war from the first moment they came to power. To do so, they were rearming the army and developing the arms industry.
- Economic and Social Causes: The middle classes were impoverished, there was high unemployment and insecurity.
4.2. The Phases of the War
First phase: Blitzkrieg (1939-1941). The Germans launched offensives in three directions:
- First offensive: occupied Poland in a month.
- Second offensive: occupied Denmark and Norway.
- Third offensive: crossed Belgium and occupied France.
The attack of the Germans was only resisted by the United Kingdom. In the Battle of Britain, the British defeated the Germans.
The second phase: Total war (1941-1943). Germany occupied Yugoslavia, Greece, and then Crete. Then began the invasion of the USSR. In December 1941, the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, an American naval base. The Japanese were allied with the Germans and the Italians, and they became part of the Axis. The United States declared war on Japan, Italy, and Germany. The war became global.
The third stage: The defeat of the Axis (1943-1945). The Allies took the initiative in July 1943, and the United Kingdom and the United States began attacking Europe. On June 4, 1944, they released Rome, landed on June 6 in Normandy (France), and France was liberated in December. The USSR entered from the east to Poland and Germany. The Germans surrendered on May 7, 1945. Japan continued the war alone. In August 1945, the United States dropped the atomic bomb on two Japanese cities: Hiroshima and Nagasaki. 60,000 people died in each city. In September 1945, Japan surrendered.
4.3. Outcome of the Second World War
In WWII, 55 million soldiers and 30 million civilians were killed. The material damage was also huge: the cities were bombed, and many lost their factories and areas without communications. The U.S. and the USSR became major world powers. Other consequences were the demoralization of the population and the extreme racial hatred. Finally, the destructive atomic bomb was discovered. Humanity entered the nuclear age.
5.2. Abstraction
Abstraction is a word that, in a general sense, refers to art in which images cannot represent objects or subjects of the same reality that is. The first piece of abstract art is the watercolor Untitled, which the expressionist painter Vasily Kandinsky painted in 1913. Other representatives of abstract art are Paul Klee, Piet Mondrian, Henry Moore, and Alexander Calder.