Interwar Period: Crises, Democracies, Totalitarianism

Wilson's Fourteen Points

• Self-determination
• Isolation of Russia
• Revenge of France, because of the territories of Alsace and Saarland

The Crisis of 1929: Causes

The main causes of the 1929 crisis were:

• Inflation
• Speculation
• Overproduction

Great Depression: Development and Measures

In 1929, the era of prosperity was interrupted by a severe crisis that began with the crash of the New York Stock Exchange. Unable to collect the loans that had been granted, most banks went bankrupt, and those that survived the crisis drastically reduced the financing of firms.

Before long, industrial production declined drastically. Unemployment affected almost all social classes.

National Responses to the Great Depression

• United States: Proposed a shock plan to revive the economy, with state intervention and the promotion of public works.
• Germany: Was very affected. At first, they applied conservative policies, which caused many problems for people who demanded a strong government. Then, the Nazi Party appeared, promising radical measures to recover Germany.
• Great Britain: Despite the high rate of unemployment, the state did not intervene in the economy. It only reduced the value of the pound by 25%.
• USSR: Did not experience a crisis because it was communist.
• France: Promoted a policy of deflation, and salaries were lowered.
• Japan: Imperialism was the solution to economic problems.
• Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Malaysia, India, and Austria: Suffered a huge reduction in exports.

Crisis of Democracies: Causes

• Socio-economic:
  • Economic crisis of the capitalist system
  • Strengthening of labor unions
• Political:
  • Political instability
  • Soviet model
  • Rejection by the traditional bourgeoisie of workers
• Ideological:
  • Rupture of confidence in human reason, science, and progress resulting from the trauma of the World War.

Totalitarian Regimes: Characteristics

• Radical nationalism: Superiority of the homeland race, xenophobic ideologies.
• Single-party regime: Prohibition of other parties.
• Single leader or dictator: Exaltation of the indisputable head of state.
• Corporate state: Contrary to liberal conceptions, fascism maintained that society should be organized in corporations.
• Hostility: Towards international institutions.
• Autarky: Self-sufficient country.
• Defense: Exaltation of violence, youth, and force.
• Anti-liberalism: Abolition of liberal constitutions and individual rights.
• Anti-Communism: A union of all patriots to end the class struggle.
• Anti-feminism: Support for the patriarchy as the foundation of society.

Comparison of Fascism and Nazism