The Search of Stability
By Clayton Whitt, Anna Peterson, & Madison Brekke
Uncertain Peace, Uncertain Security
A Weak League of Nations
Many countries were not happy with the treaty set after WW1
The League of Nations was not very effective in maintaining the peace
One problem was the failure of the US to join the league
Did not want to be involved in European affairs
- The US not being involved weaked the organizations effectiveness
French Demands
The French were demanding money from the Germans to fix the damage that they had caused in the war.
The Germans paid a little but the following year said they could no longer pay.
Since they couldn't pay France was outraged and sent troops to Ruhr valley Germany's industrial and mining center.
- The French planned to collect 'reparations' by using their mines and factories.
Inflation in Germany
German workers went on strike
government paid salaries by printing more money
German marks became worthless by 1914. (4.2 marks=$1 us) it dropped significantly in a month till it took 4.2 trilllion marks to equal $1
The Dawes Plan:
- Wiemer Germany: Weimar Germany was the name given to the period of German history from 1919 until 1933. It got its name from the fact that the constitution for the post war republic was drawn up at the town of Weimar in South Eastern Germany. The town was chosen for the constituent assembly because it was peaceful compared to revolution torn Berlin and as a signal to the Allied peacemakers in Paris. The hope was that the Allies would treat more leniently a new peaceful German Republic rather than the militaristic empire that had led Germany into war.
The Treaty of Locarno
Seven agreements negotiated at Locarno, Switzerland, on 5 October – 16 October 1925
Between Germany, France, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Italy, Poland, and Czechoslovakia
It rehabilitated Germany in international terms with the leading powers of the day.
Relationships between European countries were improved
- Allowed Germans to join the League of Nations
The great depression
Causes
The farm products were rapidly going down in prices because over the overproduction
The u.s. stock market and banks loans were used to pay reparations
- In October 1929 the stock market crashed and the price of stocks went very high. \
Responses
1932 1/4 workers were unemployed.
6 million germans that were on the labor force were out of work
Marxist doctrines (prediction coming true)
- Government tried to help but worsened.
Post-war democratic states
Germany
Imperial Germany came to an end in 1918
Turned into a democratic state known as the Weimar Republic
No political leaders
Economic problems such as runaway inflation in 1922 and 1923
- People watched their monthly incomes become worthless and their life saving disappear
France
After the war between Germany and France they needed to rebuild the places that had been devastated in the war but they didn't have enough money to do that.
France didn't see the wrath of the Great Depression until 1932(years after the other places did) the 'popular front' created a program that gave French workers the right to a 40 hour work week and a two week paid vacation.
They failed to solve the problems of the depressions
Great Britan
Coal, steel and textiles declined after the war
Led to unemployment
2 million britons were out of work (1921)
- Labour Party was replaced by the Conservatives who brought Britain out of the worst stages of the depression with a balanced budget and protective tariffs
The United States
Was most affected by the Great Depression
Industrial production had decreased by 50% from 1929-1932
12 million were unemployed
The new deal became big but did not help the unemployment rates
- World war 2 and the growth of weapon industries brought US workers back to employment