Chapter 15 Introduction

This blog is on Chapter 15 in our book and this chapter is called the Years of Crisis, from 1919 to 1939. These twenty years are full of new ideas, a very sad economy, the strengthening of weak governments (not always for the good), and the rise of Japan and Italy. During the Age of Uncertainty people were trying new things, science was expanding, art and literature were broadening, society was changing, and new technology was being developed. These decades were the beginning of a new era. Also, during the time after WWI was the time of the Great Depression. Not only was the economy of the United States affected but so were the economies of all the nations around the U.S. Attempts were made to try to revive the economy of the U.S., but at the same time Franklin D. Roosevelt was working on America, dictators were being established in the countries surrounding him. He became a leader of democracy in a world threatened by ruthless dictators.

Fascism soon began to arise in Italy and Germany. Benito Mussolini took control of Italy while Adolf Hitler took Germany. The dictators became major allies and worked on killing, threatening, demanding, and invading to get what they wanted. Another major country practicing these same roles was Japan. After WWI they were not happy with the outcome and the Treaty of Versailles, therefore they planned to take care of this in a not so pleasant way. After Japan was taken over by the militarists, they wanted to solve their economic problems by foreign expansion. This lead to the invasion of Manchuria, China, the Marco Polo Incident, and the Rape of Nanking. Japan's goal was to conquer China.

During this time as well, Mussolini attacks Ethiopia and establishes a colonial empire in Africa, Hitler's power increases phenomenally while defying the Treaty of Versailles, a civil war begins in Spain with Francisco Franco as the leader, Isolationism begins in America, the Third Reich expands throughout Austria, and the Nazi's and Soviets become allies after signing the Nonaggression Pact in 1939.

Throughout this blog my goal is to give a good explanation and presentation of the years post WWI. I will have visuals of the changes that are developed after the war, I will give information of important figures after the war, I will make connections across time, and I will give my opinions of what I have learned. I will provide a lot of information of the years after WWI so I hope this is helpful and very interesting!