2.2- How and why did international tensions remain high in the period between 1920 and 1923?

2.2- How and why did international tensions remain high in the period between 1920 and 1923?

by William Richardson

​Goals- Students will understand and be able to explain

• ​the major crisis and tensions

  • eg. the Ruhr Crisis, Corfu Incident, German Hyperinflation

• ​the aims and impacts of international treaties and conferences

  • Washington Conference (1920-1921)

  • Genoa Conference (1922)

  • Rapallo Pact (1922)

  • ​Treaty of Lausanne (1922)

• Changing relations between the major powers: Britain, France, Germany, the USSR, and USA​

​What are we learning today?

​the major crisis and tensions

• eg. the Ruhr Crisis, Corfu Incident, German Hyperinflation

​Why are we learning it?

• ​To understand the major conflicts and the effect they had on International Relations during the time period.

​How will I know that I have learned it?

• ​a score of 80% or higher on all formative and summative assessments.

​The Paris Conference had hoped to bring lasting peace to Europe but tensions remained high

• ​Angry victors

• ​Resentful losers

• ​Economic Crisis

• ​Territorial Disputes

• ​Ethnic tensions

• ​Rise of dictators

Multiple Choice

What was the name of political philosophy, created by Mussolini in Italy, that focused on extreme nationalism, state control of society and the economy, and control of the armed forces?

• communism

• fascism

• socialism

• capitalism

​Problem 1: US Isolationism

​Both Democrats and Republicans opposed Wilson's call for Internationalism.

​

• ​return to pre-war policy of staying out of world affairs unless our own interests were threatened

• ​The Republican Controlled Senate

  • rejected the Paris peace settlement

  • ​refused to allow the US to join the League of Nations

  • ​believed this would keep us out of future wars

​France felt abandoned by the US and Britain

• ​Had been depending on US support to help protect France from a resurgent Germany.

• ​Britain believed that disarmament was the key to peace

  • ​France rejected this idea

Open Ended

How far do you agree with the US position of returning to isolationism after WWI?

​Problem 2: Russia

• ​under Communist Rule after the October Revolution of 1917

  • ​Europe was afraid of the spread of communism into their countries

  • ​Many joined with the "White Russians" to fight the Bolsheviks in the civil war

  • France was upset because they lost one of their main allies against Germany

• ​Russia felt isolated and vulnerabe

Multiple Choice

Who was the leader of the Bolsheviks in Russia that lead the party to control of the Russian Government?

• Leon Trotsky

• Vladimir Lenin

• Nicholas II

• Grigori Rasputin

​March 1919- Third International (aka Comintern) held in Moscow

• ​Organization created on 1919

• ​Goal- Worldwide spread of Communism

• ​Invited Communists from all over the world to meet in Moscow

• ​" in a year the whole of Europe will be Communist!"

​

​Caused a nationwide "Red Scare" in the US in 1919-1920.

​Problem 3: German Hyperinflation

• ​After the war most European countries were in debt to the US for loans given during the war

  • ​Britain and France asked the US to forgive the loans

  • The US demanded full repayment + interest!

  • ​The only way to get the money was to make Germany pay the reparations.

​Germany was like...

​Germany was if debt...

• ​Money borrowed to fight the war

• ​reparations

• ​lost most of their industrial areas

• ​the Weimar Goverment responded by printing more money.

• ​Hyperinflation- an extreme increase in prices and fall in the purchasing power of money

​Example

• ​Price of a Loaf of bread

  1/23 = 230 Marks

• ​11/23 = 200 Billion Marks!!!

• ​German currency was worthless

Multiple Choice

Where is Corfu???

• A

• B

• C

• D

​Problem - The Corfu Incident

• ​

​Problem 3- The Ruhr Crisis- 1923

• ​1922- Germany defaulted on 2nd reparations payment.

  • ​Said they were broke from the 1st payment.

  • ​France thought they were just trying to get out of paying!​

• 1923- Germany and Belgium invade the Ruhr Valley​

  • ​we're getting our money one way or another!

​The Ruhr Crisis- 1923

• ​The Ruhr was an important industrial area of Germany.

  • ​Coal

  • ​Steel

• France and Belgium occupied and took control of mines and factories ​

  • ​confiscated industrial goods as reparation payment

​The Ruhr Crisis- 1923

• ​German Response-

• ​

  • German government ordered workers to follow a policy of 'passive resistance'

    • refuse to work or co-operate with the foreign troops

    • government payed their wages

  • ​Protests

  • ​132 Germans killed and over 150,000 expelled from the area

​No! You won't subdue me!

The Ruhr Remains German!

​

​

​We will never be servents!

Open Ended

How do you think German Government got the money to pay for the worker's wages?

​The Ruhr Crisis- 1923

• ​France withdraws in 1925

• ​Outcomes

  • ​German economy even more devestated- inflation increases

  • ​Public opinion supported Germany

  • ​

  • ​France- almost all gains from the occupation lost due to the cost of the occupation and loss of support from the Allies

    • ​Britain called the Crisis an act of war!