- Amanda Roraback
Between the wars - Europe
Treaties
Treaty of Versailles
Incorporated Wilson's 14 points
Little Entente
Czechoslovakia, Romania and Yugoslavia
Main target was Hungary
Not protection against Germany (more concern about Russia)
Poland didn't join because of border dispute with Czechoslovakia
France allied with Little Entente and with Poland
Germany and Russia both concerned about being left out of the alliances
Treaty of Rapallo 1922
Germany and USSR established diplomatic and economic relations with each other.
Germans helped train Russian army
Germany's army got valuable experience in use of tanks and planes in USSR.
Caused French to believe that Germany was not going to live up to Versailles treaty
Ruhr Crisis 1923
France (PM Raymond Poincare) declared Germany defaulted on payment of reparations.
Jan. 11, 1923 French sent troops to occupy German mining and manufacturing in Ruhr region
Germans told German workers to go on general strike
Poincare sent French workers to take their place in mines and railroads
Germans relented and paid
But British criticized French heavy-handed action
British became more sympathetic to Germany
Germans printed money to pay German workers and reparations
Caused massive inflation
French government
1924 Poincare government lost election
Coalition of leftist parties (Cartel des Gauches, led by Edouard Herriot)
Took control of French government
Recognized the Soviet Union
More friendly to Germany
Aristide Briand was foreign minister
Mild inflation - value of franc fell in 1926
Poincare returned in 1926
Franc recovered, lower inflation = prosperity until 1931
Britain
Voting
1918 all men over 21 and women over 30 could vote
1928 all women over 21
Government
Before war = coalition of Liberal, Conservative and Labour ministers
Labour Party participation in war earned it reputation as being less radical
Liberal Party divided
Up to 1916 Liberal PM was Herbert Asquith
But disagreements over war management = Asquith out and Liberal David Lloyd George in.
Party split - supporters for Asquith and Lloyd George