Chapter XIX

#103 Great Britain in the 1920s

still firmly attached to representative institutions and democracy

slippage in overseas markets, considerable unemployment, the "dole"

emergence of competitor producers, tariff barriers, other textiles,

other fuels besided British coal. economic disruption of WWI,

disappearance of investments, postwar disorganization and

impoverishment of markets. increased importance of organized labor: stressed to retain wage gains

Labour Party twice formed government: organization forged, tightened by depression. committed to gradualist, democratic socialism. very moderate. but fell on allegations of association with Soviets, i.e., Zinoviev letter attempted general strike, 1926

Britain partly copes with the Depression

split in Labour Party over economic policy: National government calls for retrenchment, even to extent of reducing dole payments. Labourites refuse to support. National = in power.

Ireland: Easter Rebellion, 1916

Black and Tan War, 1919-20

dominion status, 1922

Ulster remains in the UK evolution of British dominions

France in 1920s

wartime destruction, inflation and financial crisis, political fragmenting

left and right hostile to Republic

franc stabilized, and prosperity returned. union setbacks.

government = characterized by short-lived ministries, unable to maintain steady economic policy.

Depression increases French social tension

appearance of right-wing, even fascist groups

Stavisky scandal, 1934: thanks to inflammatory press, a small-scale corruption = implicated to highest levels of government. Republic itself, not faulty ministers = then attacked.

Popular Front under Blum, 1934: formed from Radical Socialists (actually, central-left), Socialists, and Communists to counter rise of fascists, counter depression, reform labor.

far-reaching reforms from left: strengthening of labor, nationalization of central bank and armament industry. Aid to farmers.

increasing German threat, German militarization while PF = securing vacations for French workers.

#103 Italy after WWI: lost massively in war, but gained little.

economic depression and unemployment

strikes, agrarian disorder, social unrest

embittered nationalism

ineffectual parliamentary government

fear of Bolshevism made propertied classes turn to Fascists Rise of Mussolini: March on Rome, 1922

common beatings in the streets by squadristi

Blackshirts converged on Rome, threatened coup. Mussonlini = declared premier of parliament, and cabinet resigns. Given 1 year emergency powers. Soon, Parliament no longer exists, press = censored, labor unions destroyed, and all political parties b esides Fascists abolished.

Democracy outmoded. Instead, a strong leader, or Duce.

Fascist Government: gangsterism, suppression of dissent, dictatorship the cooperative state, labor coopted division of labor into several major areas, for each of which a corporation = est'd. Within each corporation, Fascists determined prices, wages, and industrial policy. corporations then met to coordinate Italian economy. resort to colonial adventures widespread poverty remains

#104 troubled birth of the Weimar Republic

uprisings left (Spartacists) and right (Putsch)

Hitler: head of Nationalist Socialist German Worker's party, rapidly gaining members. Maintained private army of brownshirts or stormtroopers. In 1923, tried to overthrow Weimar Republic, but captured, released in 1 year. In jail, wrote Mein Kampf, w hich sold widely, brought him to national attention.

apparent stability, 1925-29: Hitler and Nazis thought a bunch of charlatans.

Depression, ineffectual government, dramatic rise of Hitler with Depression, Communist vote = steadily rising. Middle classes = looking desperately for savior from Bolshevism. Also, inc. hatred of Treaty of Versailles, which = blamed for the depression. Hitler also blamed democracy, which = for the Germans a for eign idea. Instead, Hitler appealed to the mystical will of the German Volk, and the idea of the man of action who would rule by it. Threw all else, especially Jews, into common pile as evil. Votes skyrocketed. But in 1932, suffered small setback. Hitler, fearing for the future, cracked deal with German industrialists: he would protect their property in return for industrial $. In 1933, after succession of failures, President Hindenburg appoints Hitler to be chancellor.

Nazis = to share power with Nationalists in cabinet. But Hitler demanded another election. But Reishstag catches fire, and Hitler blames Communists, raises huge Red scare, lets loose brownshirts. But when Nazis still don't get majority, he calls for emergency powers, which the non-communist, pliant Reichstag gives him.

the Nazi state

totalitarian dictatorship supported by Nazi Party

economic revival through military and public works spending, while ownership = still private.

goal of total economic self-sufficiency

bilateral trade agreements w/ E. Europe increasing persecution of Jews

Nuremburg laws, 1935: no citizenship, outlawed intermarriage theory and practice of totalitarianism

similarities and differences of Soviet communism with fascism

ubiquitous role of state

nationalism (or class struggle) denies individualism

use of propoganda

abolition of all objective, verifiable standards: only subjective ideals implanted by mother culture

glorification of violence or struggle the decline of European democracy