Understanding The Global Unease After WW1 | Impossible Peace | Timeline
Summary
TLDRThis documentary explores the aftermath of World War I and the turbulent 1920s and 1930s. It delves into the Treaty of Versailles, the rise of fascism, the economic struggles, and the political shifts that reshaped the world. The script examines key events like the Amritsar Massacre, the League of Nations, and the hyperinflation in Germany, setting the stage for World War II. It also touches on cultural phenomena like the Jazz Age and Prohibition in America, highlighting the stark contrast between societal shifts and global political unrest.
Takeaways
- 🎥 The documentary introduces History Hit TV, a platform offering exclusive documentaries and interviews with renowned historians.
- 🌏 World War I had a profound impact on the world, changing the global economic system and leading to the rise of the United States as a dominant economic power.
- 🏛 The peace following WWI was short-lived, with the interwar period marked by political instability, economic depression, and the rise of tyrants, culminating in World War II.
- 🇮🇳 In India, the end of WWI was met with hope, but also with violence and unrest, exemplified by the Amritsar Massacre, which galvanized the Indian independence movement.
- 🏳️ The British Empire faced challenges in maintaining its global dominance, with growing anti-imperial sentiment and internal strife in various colonies.
- 🏙️ The post-WWI era saw significant political changes, including the establishment of the Weimar Republic in Germany and the rise of new states in Europe.
- 🕊️ The Paris Peace Conference aimed to establish a new world order based on the principles of self-determination, but resulted in complex territorial arrangements that sowed the seeds for future conflicts.
- 📜 The Treaty of Versailles and the subsequent peace treaties reshaped international relations, but also left a legacy of dissatisfaction and unresolved issues.
- 💵 The economic challenges faced by countries like Germany after WWI, including heavy reparations, contributed to economic instability and political extremism.
- 🚨 The rise of fascism, exemplified by Benito Mussolini in Italy, offered a 'third way' between communism and liberal democracy, with significant implications for the interwar period.
- 📊 The 1920s were marked by a worldwide depression, which had a profound impact on economies and societies, further destabilizing the interwar period.
Q & A
What is the main theme of the documentary presented by Dan Snow?
-The main theme of the documentary is the impact of the two World Wars on the 20th century, focusing on the aftermath of World War I, the peace that followed, and the lead-up to World War II.
How did World War I transform the global economic system?
-World War I brought an end to the era of British free trade dominated international economy and introduced a more autarkic international economy dominated by the United States.
What significant event occurred in India at the end of World War I that affected its relationship with the British Empire?
-The Amritsar Massacre in 1919, where Brigadier-General Reginald Dyer ordered his troops to open fire on an unarmed crowd, killing hundreds, marked a turning point in Indian nationalism and its relationship with the British Empire.
How did the interwar period affect the political landscape of Germany?
-The interwar period saw the rise of political extremism in Germany, with the Weimar Republic struggling to establish a stable democracy and eventually giving way to the rise of Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers Party.
What was the mandate system established after World War I, and how did it impact the territories of the Ottoman Empire and former German colonies?
-The mandate system was a League of Nations arrangement where major powers, particularly Britain and France, were tasked with administering territories of the defunct Ottoman Empire and former German colonies. It was intended to prepare these territories for self-governance but often led to resentment and resistance among the local populations.
What was the significance of the Paris Peace Conference in shaping the post-World War I world order?
-The Paris Peace Conference was pivotal in establishing the new world order after World War I, with the Treaty of Versailles and other agreements redrawing national borders, creating new states, and setting the stage for future conflicts and political instability.
How did the United States' stance on the League of Nations influence its role in global affairs during the interwar period?
-The United States' refusal to join the League of Nations, largely due to President Woodrow Wilson's failed efforts to gain Senate approval, led to a period of isolationism and limited involvement in international affairs during the 1920s and 1930s.
What was the impact of Prohibition in the United States on the country's social and economic landscape?
-Prohibition led to a rise in organized crime, the proliferation of speakeasies, and a thriving illegal alcohol trade, which had significant social and economic impacts, including the enrichment of gangsters and the corruption of law enforcement.
How did the worldwide depression of 1920 affect the global economy and political stability?
-The worldwide depression of 1920 led to economic downturns, high unemployment, and social unrest in many countries, contributing to political instability and the rise of extremist ideologies and movements.
What were the consequences of the Treaty of Versailles for Germany, and how did these contribute to the conditions that led to World War II?
-The Treaty of Versailles imposed heavy reparations on Germany, leading to economic hardship and social unrest. These conditions, coupled with feelings of humiliation and resentment, contributed to the rise of extremist political movements and ultimately set the stage for World War II.
How did the political and economic turmoil of the interwar period influence the cultural shifts of the time, such as the Jazz Age in America?
-The interwar period's political and economic instability contributed to a desire for escapism and a celebration of individual freedom, which manifested in cultural movements like the Jazz Age, characterized by a boisterous, nervous, and scandalous atmosphere that reflected the era's underlying anxieties.
Outlines
🎥 Introduction to History Hit TV and WWI's Impact
The script introduces Dan Snow and the History Hit TV platform, offering a vast collection of documentaries and interviews with renowned historians. It also presents a special offer for Timeline fans. The video's main focus is the profound effect of the two World Wars on the 20th century, particularly how the 20 years of peace between them failed to prevent another devastating conflict. The summary touches on the immense loss of life and wealth post-WWI, the hope for a new world order, and the disillusionment as history unfolded with further conflict.
🌏 Post-WWI Global Transformations and the Indian Struggle
This paragraph discusses the significant changes in global economic systems post-WWI, with the United States emerging as a dominant force. It highlights the British Empire's challenges, including the extension of wartime emergency powers in India, leading to protests and the Amritsar Massacre. The interwar period saw a shift in American sentiment against the British Empire, influenced by events like the massacre. The script also covers the collapse of several empires and the struggles of new states to establish themselves, including Germany's transition to a parliamentary democracy.
🏛 The Weimar Republic and the Paris Peace Conference
The focus shifts to Germany's new political landscape, the Weimar Republic, and the challenges it faced, including political instability and the rise of extremist parties. The Paris Peace Conference is examined, revealing the power dynamics among Great Britain, France, Italy, and the United States, with President Woodrow Wilson's principles of self-determination causing complexities in Europe's new borders. The consequences of these decisions for countries like Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Yugoslavia are outlined, highlighting the ethnic and political tensions.
📜 The Mandate System and Its Discontents
The script delves into the mandate system established by the League of Nations, which assigned major powers to govern territories of the former Ottoman Empire and German colonies. This system was criticized for contradicting the principle of self-determination and led to disappointment and unrest in places like China and Ireland. The mandates were seen as a means to rehabilitate imperial order under the guise of civilization's sacred trust, causing further instability and resentment.
🛑 The Illusion of Post-War Stability and the Rise of Fascism
This paragraph reflects on the illusion of stability after WWI, with the British and French Empires appearing strong but internally weakened. The United States' withdrawal and Soviet Russia's internal struggles created a power vacuum. The rejection of the Versailles Treaty by the US Senate and the subsequent impact on President Wilson are highlighted. The rise of fascism, led by figures like Benito Mussolini, is introduced as a 'third way' political phenomenon, distinct from both communism and liberal democracy.
🚨 Prohibition, Depression, and the Global Impact of 1920
The script describes the societal and economic challenges of the 1920s, starting with the introduction of Prohibition in the United States and its failure to stop alcohol consumption. The worldwide depression of 1920 is noted for its significant yet understated impact, particularly on Germany struggling with the terms of the Versailles Treaty. The script also touches on the British Empire's financial difficulties and the challenges of maintaining colonial territories amidst economic instability.
🔥 The Middle East's Geopolitical Shifts and Internal Conflicts
This paragraph details the geopolitical shifts in the Middle East, with Britain and France dividing the Ottoman Empire's territories. The script discusses the establishment of Iraq, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine under British and French influence, and the use of air power to suppress local resistance. It also mentions the conflict between French and Arab forces in Syria and the challenges of nation-building in the region.
🇮🇹 The Emergence of Fascism in Italy and Soviet Russia's Struggles
The script turns to Italy, where the 'two red years' of social unrest led to the rise of fascism, initially as a movement to counteract peasant unions and later as a political force. The situation in Soviet Russia is also discussed, with the civil war reaching its climax and the Bolsheviks managing to maintain power despite significant opposition. The introduction of the New Economic Policy in Russia is highlighted as a pragmatic response to the country's challenges.
🔫 Gangster Wars and the Jazz Age in America
This paragraph contrasts the violent reality of prohibition-era America, marked by gangland wars and the rise of infamous figures like Al Capone, with the cultural explosion of the Jazz Age. The script notes the social and economic impact of prohibition, the popularity of jazz music, and the cultural significance of figures like Josephine Baker and Langston Hughes. It also touches on political figures like President Warren Harding and the national sentiment for normalcy.
🏛️ The League of Nations and the Middle East's Artificial Boundaries
The script discusses the role of the League of Nations, particularly the Permanent Mandates Commission, in shaping the Middle East's political landscape. The Cairo Conference of 1921 is highlighted for its influence on the region's boundaries. The artificial creation of Iraq and the crowning of Faisal as its king are noted, as well as the broader implications of these actions for the stability and identity of the newly formed states.
💶 Germany's Reparations and the Rise of Political Extremism
The final paragraph examines Germany's economic struggles with the heavy reparations imposed by the Allies, and the government's response of printing money, which led to hyperinflation. The script connects these economic policies to the rise of political extremism, culminating in Adolf Hitler's ascension to leadership of the National Socialist German Workers Party. The potential for crisis and the focus on gaining public attention, regardless of the reaction, are emphasized.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡World Wars
💡Peace Conference
💡British Empire
💡Interwar Period
💡Versailles Treaty
💡League of Nations
💡Mussolini and Fascism
💡Prohibition
💡Great Depression
💡Mandates
💡Hitler and National Socialism
Highlights
Introduction to 'Timeline' documentary series by Dan Snow focusing on historical events and offering exclusive content on History Hit TV.
The First World War's enormous cost in lives and wealth, and the hope for a new world order post-war to replace inequality and injustice.
The transformation of the global economic system post-WWI, with the United States emerging as a dominant force and the end of British free trade era.
The Amritsar Massacre in 1919 and its impact on the Indian national movement, marking a turning point in British-Indian relations.
The breakdown of old empires post-WWI and the challenges faced by new states in establishing financial and social systems.
The Weimar Republic's establishment and the political instability that led to the rise of anti-democratic forces in Germany.
The Paris Peace Conference of 1919 and its role in shaping the new world order, with Woodrow Wilson's Fourteen Points and the challenges of self-determination.
The impact of the mandate system established by the League of Nations, which led to the rehabilitation of imperial order under a new guise.
The May Fourth Movement in China, 1920, as a response to the Paris Peace Conference, which contributed to the birth of the Chinese Communist Party.
The rise of fascism in Italy, with Benito Mussolini's political entry and the ideology positioned as a 'third way' between communism and liberal democracy.
The Prohibition era in the United States starting in 1920, its enforcement challenges, and the rise of organized crime.
The worldwide depression of 1920 and its understated impact on economies, particularly affecting Germany's ability to pay war reparations.
The establishment of mandates in the Middle East by Britain and France, and the artificial creation of nation-states with lasting consequences.
The rise of political extremism in Germany due to economic instability and the hyperinflation crisis, setting the stage for Hitler's ascension.
The Jazz Age in America as a cultural phenomenon reflecting the rhythm of life and the societal changes post-WWI.
The League of Nations' Permanent Mandates Commission and its role in shaping the Middle East, with Winston Churchill's involvement in defining modern boundaries.
The turmoil in Italy with multiple changes of government and the rise of fascist groups, leading to Mussolini's eventual leadership.
Transcripts
hi everybody and welcome to this
documentary on timeline my name is Dan
snow and I will tell you about history
hit TV it's like the Netflix for history
hundreds of exclusive documentaries and
interviews with the world's best
historians we've got an exclusive offer
available to fans of timeline if you go
to history hit TV you can either follow
the information below this video or just
Google history hit TV and use the code
timeline you get a special introductory
offer go and check it out in the
meantime enjoy this video two world wars
tour the heart out of the 20th century
they are a went in the fabric of history
one world before another after
between these two tragedies a mere 20
years 20 years of peace that produced
war
a piece that failed impossible please
[Music]
in four years of fighting the first
world war had claimed a life every 25
seconds and when the mincing machine
stopped on November the 11th 1918 the
bill that had been run up was enormous
Great Britain lost 15% of our entire
international wealth during the first
world war what had been the point of it
all
surely it was that cut of all the grief
and loss would come a new world order
one in which peace and prosperity would
replace inequality injustice and
dynastic swagger for a long time
historians saw this moment has a sharp
guillotine moment when the world pivoted
from this terrible conflict to a new era
it wasn't as tidy as that history is
only interesting because nothing is
inevitable that the first world war
would reverberate through to
tumultuously codes the 1920s and 30s to
reimagines formed and more deadly was
not inevitable but 20 years after the
guns fell silent they were again about
deathlessness louder and more lethal
than ever
why why did the peace people prayed and
paid for last little more than 20 years
[Music]
why did tyrants rise to control the fate
of continents
why did a world that had survived a wall
collapse into an unprecedented
depression
why was an age that nostalgia views
enthusiastically as a time of jazz
prohibition the talkies the radio and
the motorcar in reality an age of
anxiety when the underlying current was
flowing towards disaster the catalog of
questions of what if so why did this
starts with the first year of peace
[Applause]
at the beginning of the First World War
the United States owned Europe four
billion dollars at the end you're
opposed the USA ten billion dollars and
America was making half of the world's
manufactured goods and this bright
shining shadow spread by the mass
producing richly resourced supremely
powerful USA all over the small states
and old states of Europe
World War 1 really transformed the
global economic system because it
brought to an end the era of British
free trade dominated international
economy and introduced a much more
autarkic international economy dominated
by the United States how were the old
world states to avoid tumbling into
insignificance George v said well we've
got nothing to worry about now we are
top dogs now George that's a lovely
phrase in January 1919 against the
wishes of the British Cabinet minister
responsible the imperial government the
top dog in India proposed extending its
wartime emergency powers indefinitely
the result was popular and massive
protests
the end of the first world war in India
was a moment with great hope I mean
India had been a loyal member of British
Empire imperial armies almost a million
and a quarter Indian troops fought under
the British flag in fresco war in a few
short months cities were in an uproar
local martial law was being imposed in
Punjab sweeping preventative arrests
smart counter demonstrations in which
foreign fuel appeals were murdered
brigadier-general legend of Dyer was
sent with 300 colonial troops to
Amritsar
we're in April he faced a crowd of
20,000 which refused to disperse
so Brigadier Dyer gave the order to open
fire
[Music]
[Applause]
ten minutes without a result from the
unarmed crowd
after 10 minutes 379 men women and
children were dead hundreds more were
wounded
during the interwar period most
Americans disliked the British Empire
they saw it as a British heel on the
necks of people all around the world and
this of course was not helped by the
Amritsar Massacre which people rapidly
learned about
the Secretary of State for India Edwin
Montague presenting his report to the
House of Commons called the massacre at
Amritsar a shameful act of racial
humiliation and declared that Dyer was
guilty of terrorism and Prussian ISM in
one of the British Parliament's less
proud moments Montagu was shouted down
by the Tory opposition with racist
bluster and anti-semitic remarks the
massacre at Amritsar in 1919 transformed
the Indian national movement both for
the older previously loyal generation
and for the younger radical nationalists
they really felt what could no longer be
loyal to British imperial cause
perversely the British people remained
loyal to the unrepentant Dyer the London
Morning Post opened a fund for the
general which when it was closed had
raked in more than 26,000 pounds at a
time when a skilled worker like a brick
layer who's earning little over one
other empires did not confront the
challenge of a new world they have not
survived the war the German Empire was
gone
so to the austro-hungarian the Russian
had preceded them the Ottoman father
within 48 hours of the kaisers flight 25
German dynasties had abdicated the
break-up fall the Empire's the breakup
of the German Empire break up the
ottoman empire break up the
austro-hungarian empire
you have 13 states that had not been
States before they didn't have financial
systems they didn't have central markets
they had to be created out of out of
wartime debris one might also say
Germany had never had a functional
democracy the Chancellor was made
accountable to the washdown only two
weeks before the Armistice in the hope
that peace talks would be found more
congenial if the German delegates were
representing the democracy Germany the
traditional leaps were kicked out in
1918 the aristocracy ended monarchy went
the army was humbled reduced to a
hundred thousand men and so the people
who had maintained the kind of social
and physical stability before 1914
didn't disappear that they lost that
that function in Germany the Social
Democrats planned a parliamentary
democracy but they were obliged to share
power with the spartacists
led by Kyle each victim Rosa Luxemburg
were intent on following the path of the
Bolshevik Revolution
it seemed most likely that Germany like
Russia before it would follow defeat
with a revolution
but the fry corpse mainly ex-servicemen
homemade armies as Richard ovary called
them murdered leap minute and Luxembourg
and crushed the spartacists on the
streets of Berlin after the elections
and because of the unrest in Berlin the
assembly met for the first time in the
town insulin year that gave its name to
the Republic Weimar
[Music]
76% of the electorate voted for the vine
Republic
14 years later almost the same
proportion voted for the anti-democratic
parties of right and left
whose only common cause was destruction
of the Republic
the reason why they flipped is a
fundamental motif of the interwar years
the bimah political arrangement allowed
for very small parties to make it past
the post and so that created this
possibility that either no coalition can
be stable or that an infinite number of
coalition's in a way are possible and
that no strong political force can
really emerge Russia went from Tsarist
Empire the communist republic in nine
months Germany from authoritarian
monarchy to parliamentary republic in
nine days
allowances should have be made they went
[Music]
[Applause]
the event of 1919 that would codify this
new world order was the Peace Conference
a story of chaps and labs in historians
are a stylus phrase had the newly
elected German government being made
part of the peace process things might
have gone differently but it was not the
process was in the hands of Great
Britain France Italy and above all the
American President Woodrow Wilson a lot
of Europeans wanted the same sorts of
things that Woodrow Wilson was
portraying they wanted a better world
because they had just seen what the war
had done throughout Europe in 1919
you get lots of demonstrations well can
you listen people on the streets
everywhere thinking that this is a great
new moment and opportunity for a new
kind of world
so this sort of story of violence sits
against the story of optimism and hope
in May 1919 British Prime Minister David
Lloyd George remarked that as long as
America England and France stand
together we can keep the world from
going to pieces well Brad she was right
but the three victorious powers could
not stand together in any meaningful
sense they never had Wilson was the
neophytes in international negotiations
and he was pretty well played by the
Allies at Versailles and he had a
compromise on a number of things that he
did not want to compromise on the peace
which seems in the context a boundless
Lee unsuitable word added a million
square miles to Britain's Empire and
about a quarter of that to the French
in the carve up of Central Europe the
peacemakers created a buffer zone
Bartek comprised unstable uncertain
states
the Baltic States Poland Czechoslovakia
the diminished Hungary Yugoslavia and it
set them like a knot between the jaws of
a cracker it was hoped at the creation
of this choral sanitaire of small states
who would sponge-like absorb any leaking
Bolshevism before it contaminated
West lloyd-george said that was a
strategy which would not allow him to
conceive any greater cause of future war
[Music]
the division of Europe contrived
adversely contained population anomalies
that would approve destabilizing
the American president looked at the map
and preached self-determination but in
Europe ethnicities and language books
had been Criss crossing the confluent
for centuries and self-determination was
a tricky principle to apply the
president had kicked a hornet's nest
only 65% of the population of Poland was
polish
51% of czechoslovakians were checked and
only 44% of Yugoslavia ins we're from
the ruling and dominant Serbs
the 13th the Wilson's fourteen points
stipulated that Poland should have free
access to the sea
which could only be achieved by dividing
East Prussia from the rest of Germany
which might have looked quite neat on a
map infrastructurally it was a major
problem to create this new polish state
different judicial systems different
currencies when they started even the
the railway system was of course the
Blvd system so there was no connection
for example between the main the capital
Warsaw the new capital and a live one of
the major cities because this was in
Austria Hungary lost 75% of its
territory and 3 million of its
population at Versailles Austria must an
empire and Bulgaria similarly punished
for backing the wrong horse
lost territory and 1 million of its
population Woodrow Wilson placed great
store in the idea of self-determination
but there was a conundrum what should be
done with Germany's former colonies they
where after war populated by what even
the most enlightened called child and
races one of the most extraordinary
consequences of the 1919 settlement was
the mandate system where the League of
Nations mandated the major powers
particularly Britain and France to take
over areas of the Ottoman Empire and
former German colonists and so on on
January the 30th 1919 the Supreme
Council of the league agreed to the
administration by advanced nations
[Music]
of those places inhabited by people's
not yet able to stand by themselves
under the strenuous conditions of the
modern world whose well-being was a
sacred trust of civilization and so was
self-determination a basic promise on
President Wilson's agenda accommodated
the British expected it to mean that the
child races could choose whose arms they
rushed into and were alarmed mr. Spicer
of the British Foreign Office said we
cannot hope to take into the British
sphere all the peoples of the world who
would doubtless like to enter into it
the Chinese expected it to mean that
they would get back Germany's Chinese
territory of Shandong but astonishingly
they did Martin
kind of hope to take back the previous
concessions of the German control was
now given to Japan so the anti-japanese
sentiment was arising as well as
nationalist sentiment
what are the consequences of the Paris
Peace Conference in China was that it
stimulated one of the most important
student-driven political movements of
the 20th century one that actually gave
rise to the birth of the Chinese
Communist Party itself and that took
place on the 4th of May 1990 historians
Suzann Pettersen described the league's
mandate system as a program perfectly
tailored to the task of rehabilitating
the Imperial Order at its moment of
greatest disarray Wilford scorned blunt
poet diplomat Explorer and amorous
deplored the idea of mandates
he was opposed to britain spreading what
he called it's the based industrialism
it's crude cookery and it's flavorless
religious greed
[Music]
and thus innocent British Empire who did
seem to be less top dog than baited bear
nipped at by Ireland Palestine
rock
India Egypt everywhere yet it remained
the sole superpower as the USA withdrew
into itself and Soviet Russia dealt with
itself
one more illusion of the loose Natori
age writing mine come from 1923
Adolphe Hitler would call the United
Kingdom the greatest power on earth
which it was not
[Music]
was no doubt that the major global
empires the British the French Empire
they strong they became large rotted in
the First World War but in fact that
masked fundamental weakness they'd never
really been prepared either power to put
the money into defending those areas
they didn't seem to be a profound threat
well little girl it is finished the
President of the United States of
America wrote to his wife at the
conclusion of the Versailles peace
conference and as no one is satisfied
it makes me hope we have made a just
peace but it is all in the lap of the
gods but of course it was not
it was in the laps of men including
those who sat in the US Congress
[Music]
President Wilson presented the text of
the Versailles Treaty to the Senate on
July the 10th he said it was the hand of
God who led us into this way and he
asked dare we rejected and graped the
heart of the world and the Senate on
said yes we dare I think there were
probably sufficient swing votes in the
Senate that had Wilson been able willing
to compromise on some of these key
issues then he might well have got some
sort of sinners of the Senate agreement
[Music]
Loosli tried to shift American public
opinion on a whistle-stop to her but the
strain broke him
he took his campaign to the American
people over the heads of Congress he was
got to persuade them by the force of his
personality and of course of his ideals
that this was going to be a good thing
and in the course of that when he was in
Colorado he had severe headaches and
terrible stroke
when in November the Senate put four
sides of the vote rejected it and
spurned the League of Nations the
American president lay partially
paralyzed in his band my own view is
that the treaty probably could have got
through the United States could have
joined the League of Nations but it was
defeated by a combination of Republican
intransigence and Wilson's own
stubbornness now if the United States
had joined the League of Nations we'll
never know but the history of the 1920s
and 1930s might have been a bit
different on September the 12th
gabrielle intendancy and 1,000 followers
seized the humble adriatic town of fiume
pledging to defend the city's italian
meter against the whimsical decision of
the peace makers who were tossed it to
the newly minted Yugoslavia when writer
and poet
Osbert Sitwell visited fiume he thought
there was a chance that demuccio this
frail little genius he called him might
create an ideal land where the arts
might flourish an alternative to the
choice between Bolshevism and American
capitalism
a young newspaper editor decided he
would create the third way
his name was Benito Mussolini and in
November he launched fascism fascism is
indeed and has been spoken about by by
historians as a third way phenomena now
what do we mean by this I mean
essentially it's a it's a revolutionary
movement from the right and in that
respect it's fascism against communism
which is a revolution from the left but
of course the really important x-factor
in the middle is the Mauri born liberal
democracy like Hitler in 1923 mousseline
his first foray into politics was a
humiliating failure both men proved to
be resilient elsewhere the minds of 13
children the most celebrated sportsman
of the age the Manassa mauler Jack
Dempsey was beating Jess Willard for the
heavyweight crown
[Music]
the 70,000 spectators packed around the
ring in the blistering sunshine for the
big fight begin the mahogany huge empty
circle moving in and out with fatwood
equipment the champion lost a few teeth
suffered a broken jaw broken cheekbone
and some broken ribs
the more powerful but not the better man
won said the Morning Herald a slogan for
the age
[Applause]
[Music]
the United States only officially
becomes an urban nation in 1920 and that
simply means that more than 50% of
Americans in 1920 are living in towns
larger than 2,000 people and given that
low threshold it's still a rural Society
its cities are big but most Americans
are still living thoroughly on farms or
in small towns
[Music]
prohibition came to America on January
the 16th 1920 the first prohibition
Commissioner John F Kramer confidently
declaring that this law will be obeyed
and sit in his large and small and where
it is not about it will be enforced but
enforcement relied on a small number of
enforcement agents who paid two thousand
dollars a year were not immune from
temptation
except for Isadora Hine Stein who would
sally forth with old friend most smith
equally unlikely equally overweight in
any number of visible disguises to do
battle in the bookmakers the legend of
the loved feared lava belizean mouth was
born
[Music]
and a few more Izzy scattered over the
country wrote the Brooklyn Eagle and the
US would be bone dry parched and would
1920 was not a year when men like easy
and low were appreciated 1920 was a year
when the world needed a drink the impact
of the worldwide depression of 1920 is
widely understated
[Music]
in Europe dr. Walter rattle now via our
Minister for Reconstruction and later
for finance was baffled
they write down thoughts and my noughts
means a million but no one can imagine
billiard does a would contain a million
leaves over a million blades of grass in
the meadow who knows
when those responsible for a nation's
economy don't know and rata mejor was
one such they're about to be problems
and aware
Germany was struggling to adjust to a
peace treaty in which he had lost all of
her colonies main sources of coal zinc
potash and iron ore 15% of her wheat
crop 18 percent of potato cultivation
and all German capital held aboard she'd
lost nine-tenths of her merchant fleet
which didn't just mean changing the
flags on [ __ ] steamers some of the most
splendid ocean liners changed some heads
the imperative became two knives
flagship Berengar eeeh the Bismarck
sailed as the White Star Line's majestic
and the vital and crossed the Atlantic
as the Leviathan Germany was also
presented with a bill for reparations to
pay the cost of the war something that
had been done over centuries you make
your enemy pay because you'd won but the
payment was classically fixed around the
military cost but a French and the
British start to include all of these
social costs so they include the widow's
pensions which is something that was
completely puzzled me when I was a
student I think understand why everybody
was obsessed about these widow's
pensions now I know it's cuz it cost an
absolute packet on many important counts
Germany emerged better place than Great
Britain where the cost of living by late
1920 had reached three times its pre-war
level where inflation was 22 percent
unemployment was over 11 percent and the
highest ever recorded and the debt was
enormous and inescapable
whereas as historian Niall Ferguson has
pointed out the Germans were more
successful than any other country in
defaulting on their debts
in such a climate the cost of
maintaining what Gibbon the great
historian of empire called
the arbitrary Dominion of strangers
might have seen prohibitive but for
France and Britain the alternative to
retreat from Empire meant to surrender
great power status so they expanded
their
what is to become of the Ottoman Empire
who is going to get which piece of that
territorial pie if you like Britain was
to get control of what we would
recognize today as Iraq and Jordan
France was to get control of what we
recognized today as Syria and Lebanon
roughly the area that we recognize today
as the occupied Palestinian territories
and Israel was to become under the
control of a sort of international
condominium they were not supposed to be
colonies but the trenches was that the
British and the French treated these
places as if they were part of their
empire painted and pink and green on the
map and so on stands guard against raids
by camel riders of the Arab tribes
[Music]
when the Arab tribes threatened trouble
Winston Churchill as Secretary of State
for war and air cinta Miyamoto Hugh
Trenchard head of the Royal Air Force
I think you should certainly proceed
with the experimental work on gas bombs
Churchill Road especially mustard gas
which would inflict - wound on
recalcitrant natives without inflicting
grave injury the expectation on the
ground inside Egypt or Iraq or Syria is
that they're on their way to nation
statehood but really when you look at
the British in the French they don't see
this happening anytime soon
on July the 24th 1922 sure if Ian's
forces battled some 80,000 French mainly
colonial Senegalese and Moroccan troops
and the plains of may salon outside
Damascus supported by aircraft from
artillery
the French crushed those who opposed him
King Faisal fled and another step was
taken in creating the tortured patchwork
inheritance of the Middle East
the neighboring British sphere of
influence was similarly convulsed and
was only suppressed in November after
extensive use of air power and at a cost
of 40 million pounds
in 1920 to stabilize recalcitrant Iraq
the British sent in diplomat Sir Percy
Cox a man who could it was said keep
silent in a dozen languages little
wonder that in 1920 photoplay magazine
wrote an editorial imploring Charlie
Chaplin to make a new film because it
said we are dull fool and bewildered in
a dull fool and bewildered world Charlie
Chaplin who in 1914 is unknown and by
1919 as the most famous person in the
world many people have tried to explain
the appeal of the little trout I think
Chaplin because of his musical
experience had a very good rapport he
understood what people would be amused
by but they were being
the point about Chaplin was we would all
like to keep the policeman we would all
like to keep the lungs
in the aftermath of the war Italy had
multiple changes of government 1919 and
1920 were known as the be in euro also
the two red years this paralysis of the
established order created an opportunity
that was seized by the fasci it's a
military term it's about a bundle it's
also it's it's a formation of soldiers a
protective move of soldiers becomes
associated with her with a movement a
street movement it's only from 1919
onwards that we start talking about
fascism
as the political movement groups of
fascist sprang up all over Italy one the
fashioner combat amento had been founded
in 1919 by Benito Mussolini Italy was
unusual in having an advanced peasant
trade union and after the first world
war it became for a while in 1919 and
1920 it did manage to get quite a few
gains in the pay and condition of
Italian peasants and fascism was
designed to kill some of them to give
them castor oil to humiliate them to
suppress people like that
Soviet Russia meanwhile and mistakenly
thought it would make a grab for lands
loss when he made peace with Germany at
brest-litovsk
but Poland was no pushover and P asuka's
counter-attack on the 15th 16th of
August smashed into five Soviet armies
destroy three of them and continued the
route and tell on August the third in
Europe's last great cavalry battle
that's lost twenty thousand horsemen
charged and counter charged in formation
until the Polish lands had swept the
field
lenin sued for peace and the treaty of
riga was signed in march 1921 it was not
to be a lasting peace
in Russia
the civil war that had been tearing at
the nation since the Bolsheviks doctor
at 7 million losses were four times
greater than in the world war was moving
to a climax the Russian civil wars were
a very messy set of affairs with peasant
uprisings and we Michel greens anarchist
movements bikes anti Russian nationalist
movements
on the 20th of October general nikolai
yudenich was advancing into the suburbs
of Petrograd Denikin driving north
towards Moscow and Kolchak advancing out
of Siberia had they been United in their
purpose Bolshevism would have been
doomed they were not it was not the
ideology did the white movement formed
which was much weaker they failed to
communicate that ideology or their
vision for the future of Russia to the
wider population as well as the
Bolsheviks had
Trotsky managed to press two million men
into the Red Army by mid-november the
Revolution had been saved
[Music]
war Trotsky said is the locomotives of
history
amidst the conflict urban life began to
collapse quite quickly major cities
begin to depopulate extraordinary rates
people flee the cities return to rural
areas where they could have better
chance of eking out a normal life
lemon learned when he suppressed peasant
unrest in 1921 that bullets do not
fertilize the soil and terror does not
make the wheat grow in March the new
economic policy proved if nothing else
that Lenin was pragmatist enough to
correct his mistakes
a partial market economy was introduced
but it battled the cronyism and
inefficiency that were already evident
by 1921 the Bolshevik bureaucracy was
ten times the size of the czars and
employed twice as many people as Soviet
industry
in America a different sort of fighting
was out on the streets
we're Tommy gun's cost about $3,000 each
in today's money fired 800 rounds in
days and became known as Chicago
typewriters
prohibition inflated the cost of
drinking as much as twenty fold and
fortunes were made and paid out
[Music]
captain bill McCoy ran Caribbean rum
along the eastern seaboard
just one of the rumrunners but a man who
gifted his name to the english language
because of the quality of his contraband
it was the real McCoy the best known of
the gang bosses to trade in bootleg Al
Capone had business cards that described
him as a secondhand furniture dealer and
a real sense of himself as a leading
citizen in the depression he organized a
Chicago soup kitchen that cost him $300
a day it was legal for doctors to
prescribe liquor for medicinal purposes
and in 1921 8 million gallons of that
medicinal whiskey were withdrawn from
federal warehouses the most common
ailment
according to wags was the status
[Music]
when it came to electing their president
this America described as a country
impatient of problems - waiting for the
mind in the street chose a man who
shrank from problems which he knew to be
beyond his powers I don't seem to grasp
that I am president said President
Warren Harding who confessed I don't
know anything about the European stuff
prohibition is here and so is Warren
Gamaliel Harding elected president by a
record majority on the slogan back to
normalcy there is no such word as
normalcy but the people wanted just the
same america's conception of itself was
still as the refuge from europe and when
many Americans thought of Europe they
thought of intrigue with aristocrats and
monarchs and leading their countries
into bad Wars and America's mission was
to stand apart from all that
modern America stood apart some said all
three pillars
[Music]
the dollar movies and jazz
[Music]
Harlem's first Jazz Age hit was shuffle
along which featured an unknown
Josephine Baker in the chorus jazz
simply fit the times the first great
African American poet Langston Hughes
put it perfectly the rhythm of life is a
jazz rhythm
[Music]
the Jazz Age was boisterous nervous
scandalous in Hollywood scandal ended
the career of a comedian whose
popularity was second only to Chaplin's
a young actress died at a wild party
Roscoe Fatty Arbuckle was accused of her
murder tried and acquitted one juror was
moved to say that a gross injustice has
been done to him
but the stories of how Virginia Rappe
died persisted fake news and Fatty
Arbuckle was finished on October the 4th
1921 the permanent mandates Commission
of the League of Nations assembled in
Geneva for its first session
lord Kherson described the middle-east
mandate as self-interest discreetly
veiled by a facade of self-determination
during the Cairo conference of March
1921 Winston Churchill colonial
secretary by this stage brings together
military officials colonial officials
interested parties to literally sit down
over the course of a conference to put
all of their ideas on paper and to come
up with the arrangements that will
become the boundaries that we recognize
today
the British conceived a novel solution
to the troubles in their middle-eastern
mandate Iraq is probably the most
artificial of all the states that are
created essentially they are lumping
together three very distinct provinces
of Baghdad Basra and Mosul three
provinces that have existed in the in
the Ottoman Empire but have never
recognized themselves as affiliated in
in any sense
Britain essentially draws lines around
those three provinces and says you are
now a single nation-states
the British offered the throne of the
rock to Faisal recently tipped off the
throne of Syria on mr. 23rd 1921 Faisal
was crowned king of Iraq
the war had been over for three years
the peacemakers had gone home
they had transformed the maps of Europe
and the Middle East in the Middle East a
blade minefields and Europe was
unsettled perhaps incendiary fascist
power was not in the Parliament it was
with the squadristi the gangs of
paramilitary thugs whose violence bully
peasants and townspeople into surrender
but in 1921 as junior members of a block
put together by Italian Prime Minister
Giovanni Giamatti to check the lies of
the left they entered the Italian
parliament of them giannotti said the
fascist candidates will be like
fireworks they will make a lot of noise
but will leave nothing behind
except spoke he was right but they made
more noise and for longer than he
imagined
in August 1921 the reparations
Commission finally said the sum that
Germany was required to pay two hundred
and twenty-six thousand million marks
[Music]
the relationship between that
announcement and a notorious
hyperinflation that lay ahead was not
the sum demanded but the German
government's plan for paying the bill
which was to print money
an astounding Paperchase in which you've
got paid your wages than you rushed out
to spend them as quickly as you could
because by the time you got to the cafe
we were going to eat they'd be worth
half what they were when you were paid
officially there was repeated denial of
the possible link between the profligate
printing of money and inflation leading
historians to wonder whether these
people were stupid or if they had a plan
to bring on a crisis that might provoke
the Allies into canceling reparations
what they brought on was a rise of
political extremism in August
Adolf Hitler member number five five
five took over leadership of the
National Socialist German Workers Party
it makes no difference
Hitler said whether they laugh at us or
revile us the main thing is that they
mention us and he said course towards an
unimaginable Cataclysm
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