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The “Long Shadow” of the First World War, 1918-39 The year 1918-39 is often called the “Interwar” period, but it is worth noting that the term ‘interwar’ is in many ways a misconception. As highlighted by Robert Gerwarth’s work, conflict barely came to an end in 1918 and war was almost a constant feature of the world in the years up to the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939. Conflicts ranged across the globe in Russia, Ireland, Spain, China and the Middle East. The period was certainly not ‘in- between wars’ By the time the armistice ended the Great War in 1918, the period of destruction and hatred had left 40 million people dead or injured, millions homeless and battle scarred lands across the globe. Therefore when the Paris Peace Conference started in 1919 to officially end the war, there were sincere hopes for reconciliation and recovery. Political leaders and ordinary people alike, determined that the Great War should ever happen again. The Paris Peace conference led to the Treaty of Versailles, a peace treaty decided by Britain, France and America. Germany were given no say in the discussions and were forced to accept the terms, or risk destruction, despite their howls of protest. The Treaty of Versailles stated that Germany must accept all responsibility for the First World War and must pay £6.6 billion for the war damages. Alongside this, 13% of German land was taken (Britain gained her colonies) and the German military was taken away. This left Germans angry and humiliated. During the years 1919-23, the country faced one crisis after another, such as Hyperinflation and attempted revolution, each time the Treaty was blamed. The ‘Interwar’ Period The First World War The Second World War The Cold War In a bid to reduce the mistakes of the past, the League of Nations was also set up. It was a 42 country organisation led by Britain and France, aimed at stopping future wars by encouraging cooperation, disarmament and solving any problems peacefully. During the 1920s the League played a role in solving many disputes and problems, from solving an economic crisis in Austria, preventing war between Greece and Bulgaria to ensuring 400,000 prisoners of war returned home after the Great War. By 1929, the world was more peaceful and stable than it had been for many years. The decade after the war was a period of contrasts. The legacy of war led to the transformation of the entire political systems; there had been a Revolution in Russia in 1917, the exile of the Kaiser in Germany and reestablishment of Poland as a country. Whilst, in the established nations, many leaders promised a fairer society and ‘homes for heroes’. @mrthorntontech

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Page 1: The First World War The ‘Interwar’

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’.

@mrthorntontech

Page 2: The First World War The ‘Interwar’

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.

@mrthorntontech

Page 3: The First World War The ‘Interwar’

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.

@mrthorntontech


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