-
End of World War I
The horror and destruction of the 'Great War' finally came to an end on the 11th of November 1918. While over 8 million soldiers had been killed and the numbers of civilians killed were almost just as terrible the terms of the armistice expressed the Allies determination that Germany should accept responsibility of the horror of World War 1. -
End of World War I (continued)
An armistice ends the war with the armies of the Central Powers, which include Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria and Turkey. The terms of the peace treaty were yet to be made. Until the actual peace treaty is signed the British blockade of Germany continues. Civil War wracks Russia from 1918-1921. -
Weimar Republic
The Weimar republic is so called as its constitution met at Weimar. The Weimar Republic refers to Germany and its political system between late 1918-1933. The Weimar Republic began as a bold political experiment. The first years of the Weimar Republic were unsettled due to the economic crisis. In the mid 1920's Germany moved into a more prosperous called the Golden Age of Weimar, a time of economic recovery. The Weimar Republic demonstrates how democracy can fail when it's too ambitious. -
Treaty of Versailles
Three leaders from different nations dominate the Paris peace conference from November 1918-June 1919. The three leaders were Great Britain's Prime Minister, Premier of France and the President of the US. The Big Three as they became known lacked common goals and unity of purpose. The Treaty of Versailles was drawn up in a climate of distrust and so settlements that would provide the chance to 'end all wars' were not made. -
Terms of the Treaty
- Germany was deprived of 6 million people and 13% of its European territory.
- Germany was not permitted to have tanks, heavy artillery, poison gas supplies or a naval or military airforce.
- Germany was forced to accept allied control of trade and shipping carried through the Elbe, Oder and Rhine rivers.
-
The Roaring Twenties
Between the two world wars was a time of hope and despair. The 'war to end all wars' was over and soldiers from all across the world returned to their homes. Some soldiers went back to jobs that they had before the war while others began new lives and careers. The decade after the war became known as the Roaring Twenties because old ways of life were making way for new ways of living. This era consisted of Jazz music, motor cars, electricity, radios and refrigerators. -
League of Nations
The League of Nations came into being in 1920 with the intention of promoting international corporation and to serve as collective security to maintain peace. While the league had some success in the 1920's it failed to take effective action to control the aggression that Germany, Italy and Japan unleashed in the 1930's. The League imposed a series of trade bans, league members were not allowed to sell arms, rubber, tin or metals to Italy. The were forbidden to lend money to Italy also -
March on Rome- Mussolini
In 1922, Mussolini and the Fascist party he led marched on Rome. The Fascist Party was the most important political party in Italy. Mussolini was sworn into Prime Minister in 1922 and then led a March throughout Rome in triumph. The March was to show the support Mussolini had from the Fascist Party. -
The Great Depression
The decade that began as what was known as the Roaring Twenties. ended in a huge economic crash in 1929. For Europeans, Americans and Australians the decade for the 1920's began with the same intentions. Banking systems collapsed, savings were lost, businesses closed and millions of people became poor and unemployed. Suicide rates also increased, whole families became desperate and it soon became clear that governments did not know how to deal with this worldwide crisis. -
Non-Agression Pact
In 1939, German Foreign Minister Joachim Von Ribbentrop met with the Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov in Moscow. Together they arranged two pacts- the Economic Agreement and the Non-Agression Pact. The Non-Agression Pact signed by Japan, Italy and Germany in 1940. The Non-Agression Pact stated that the two countries would not attack eachother. Because of this Pact, Hitler declared war on the United States in December 1941 bringing the USA into the European war aswell.
