The World in the 1920s

1. The World in the 1920s Challenges to European Dominance

2. 3 Major Patterns • Incomplete recovery of W. Europe after WWI- economies and politics in disarray • Growing industrial strength of the U.S. and Japan • Results of major revolutions

3. Western Europe after the War • Mid-1920s a period of stability and calm • Kellogg-Briand Pact of 1928 outlawed war forever • Political calm- fewer extremist groups and polarization of existing politics • Cultural creativity (Cubist movement in art- Picasso) • Mass consumption up • Women gain suffrage (U.S., Britain, Germany)

4. Fascism in Italy • 1919 Benito Mussolini formed “union for struggle” • Italians upset at terms at Versailles (they gained little) • Fascism promoted the building of a strong state under a strong leader and the need for an aggressive, nationalist foreign policy • 1922 Italian king asked Mussolini to form a new government • 1926 suspended elections and began propaganda campaign about the glories of conquest

5. New Nations of East Central Europe • Modeled politics after the west • Nationalist assignment • Primarily agrarian societies that wouldn’t undertake serious land reform

6. Industrial Societies Outside Europe • 1921 imperial conference determined that self-governing dominions (Canada, Australia, New Zealand) considered coequals • 1926 resolution defined them as autonomous communities • Canada developed vibrant economy, become destination for immigrants

7. Rise of America • U.S. tradition of isolationism • Communist scare • Presence in world economics- U.S. corporations grew rapidly in the 1920s partly due to organization and innovation of U.S. businesses • Exported U.S. culture- first mass-consumer society led to marketing and advertising developments. Dance, music, fashion, movies

8. Japan • Japan’s commitment to parliamentary democracy challenged after the war (Japan had a parliament modeled on the German parliament). Experimented with liberal dem. All adult males got suffrage. • Military leaders tried to take a greater role at expense of civilians and politicians • Economy- agricultural production increased. 1905-1918 industrial boom- increased population • Consumer culture emerged • Education advanced • Vulnerable economy because still importing a lot

9. Mexican Revolution- Causes • Porfirio Diaz (in power since 1786) increased the economy but with foreign investment, thus upsetting the peasantry • Dictator who stifled dissent • Peasants want political and land reform • Education • Nationalism

10. Players in the Revolution • 1910- Diaz is open to allowing someone to take over but then rigs the election • Francisco Madero called for revolt and assumes leadership • Pancho Villa led rebellion in the north • Emilio Zapata led a peasant-based guerilla movement for “Land and Liberty” • General Huerta tried to impose a Diaz-type government • Leadership went back and forth and eventually Obregon elected president in 1920

11. End of the Mexican Revolution • 1917 constitution promised land reform, limited foreign ownership of key resources and guaranteed the rights of workers • One-party system created with PRI dominating it (Party of Industrial Revolution) • PRI dominated Mexican politics but incorporated many groups and had some limits with the new term limits on the presidency

12. Russian Revolution: The Beginning • March 1917 strikes and food riots break out in St. Petersburg spurred by wartime misery, food shortages, incomplete rural reform, and unresponsive political system • Council of workers (soviet) took over • Tsar abdicated

13. Liberal Government? Not for us! • Brief experiment with liberal government under Alexander Kerensky • Slow reform led to a second revolution in November which brought the radical Bolshevik to power under Lenin

14. Lenin • Treaty of Brest-Litovsk angered Russians • End of WWI allowed Lenin to consolidate power • Created Council of People Commissars • Shut down parliament and the Communist Party would rule Russia until 1989 • 1918-1921 Civil war

15. Lenin’s Reforms • Red Army under Leon Trotsky • 1921 New Economic Policy, which reduced economic disarray and granted some freedom to small business owners • 1923 Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) • Supreme Soviet – parliament • New groups have political voice: youth, women, workers • 1924 Lenin died leaving leadership crisis

16. Stalin: “Steel” • Represented nationalist version of communism • Killed rivals • Collectivization • Aristocratic class gone

17. China: Crisis after the Qing • 1912 fall of the Qing dynasty • Military commanders competed for power for next 30 years with secret societies, nationalist groups, and the Japanese • 1912 Sun Yat-sen, head of revolutionary alliance, resigned as president and Yuan Shikai took over • 1916 Yuan Shikai forced to resign

18. Change is coming…. • May 4, 1919- mass demonstrations by students and nationalist politicians over Versailles outcome. This leads to May Fourth Movement, which tried to make China a liberal democracy • Unsuccessful movement because China ruled by warlords

19. Alternative? • 1920s radical solution needed and emerged as part of the nationalist movement • Li Dazhao- altered communist ideology to fit China- peasants were the drivers of change • 1921 communist party born at a meeting in Shanghai

20. Sun Yat-sen Returns • 1919 Sun Yat-sen returned to China to lead the Nationalist party • 1924 Whampoa Military Academy produced the military element necessary to combat the warlords • Chiang Kai-shek emerged from this • 1925 Sun Yat-sen died and Kai-shek assumed power

21. Communism Gains Ground • 1927 brutal massacre against communists • 1934 Mao Zedong led 90,000 followers on a Long March to regroup • Japanese imperialist threat made the Nationalists have to join the Communists, who will eventually triumph