Post-World War I: Treaties, Instability, and Totalitarianism
The Organization of Peace After World War I
In November 1918, the armistice ended World War I. In January 1919, a conference was held in Paris to determine the conditions of peace. The Treaty of Versailles was especially harsh on the defeated country, Germany. Germany was considered solely responsible for the war and was subjected to conditions such as:
- Loss of territories in Europe and its colonies.
- Reduction of the army and military capabilities.
- Payment of large reparations to the victors.
Between 1919 and 1929, treaties were signed in Saint-Germain, Trianon, Neuilly, and Sèvres, which agreed on the terms of peace with Austria, Turkey, Greece, and Bulgaria. However, aspirations were not met, and this increased the instability of international relations and resentment among the defeated countries.
The League of Nations
In January 1918, U.S. President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed his Fourteen Points, which composed the war aims of the United States: the defense of nationalist aspirations and the creation of a League of Nations. In April 1919, the League of Nations was constituted, an organization whose goal was to solve conflicts peacefully and ensure the independence and territorial integrity of its member states. The League of Nations was not fully operational because it did not prevent the spiral of tension that led to the outbreak of World War II. However, it did valuable work and served as an experiment for the subsequent United Nations (UN).
The 1920s were a period of economic prosperity and peace, but the will of the allies towards Germany weakened in the 1930s. The international equilibrium collapsed with the severe economic crisis and the rise of totalitarian movements.
The Appearance of Totalitarianism
The causes were political: colonial conflicts, instability, and political and economic rivalry triggered the Great War. Absolutist models clashed with democratic models. The new European states that emerged from the peace treaties adopted the democratic system, but in a few years, they became dictatorships. The Russian socialist revolution provoked fear among the ruling classes.
Economic and Social Situation
After World War I, the economic systems of European countries were disrupted. Governments were ineffective in resolving social and economic conflicts. The 1929 crisis caused a great economic depression and global poverty. Political tensions weakened the less consolidated social democratic systems. The most significant examples of totalitarian states were Italian Fascism and German Nazism.
The New Deal
President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal, between 1933 and 1937, was a series of measures to overcome the economic depression of the 1930s. The proposal was based on economic interventionism of the state. The main measures were:
- Dollar devaluation to promote exports.
- Revival of industrial production.
- Increase in wages to boost consumption.
- Price increases to benefit farmers.
- Grants for businesses.
- Efforts to recover the banking system.
- The fight against unemployment to generate wealth and prosperity.