The period between WWI and WWII was one of anxiety, economic misery, and mounting stress for individual people and nations. What caused this distress?
1 Answer
The Treaty of Versailles.
Explanation:
When World War 1 ended in 1918, the French in particular insisted upon war reparations from Germany. They quite literally wanted Germany to pay for the war. As absurd a concept as it was, the French refused to budge and Germany had to acquiesce. In today's dollars it amounted to $500 billion. The first payment by Germany was in the amount of $250 million which put a huge strain on the new republic's economics. And by 1922 the German Mark became virtually worthless.
The German army was limited to 100,000 men by the treaty and its total tonnage of war ships was extremely limited. The U.S. and Britain each were allowed to build more than twice the ships as Germany and Japan.
In Europe it was also a time of political upheaval. The Russian monarchy was overthrown and the USSR put in its place. The end of WW1 put an end to the old Austro-Hungarian Empire along with the Ottoman Empire and in its place a dozen new nations came into being.
Within Germany itself, Paul von Hindenburg was the aging President of the republic. It was during the years of 1928 to 1932 which Hitler came to power with the National Socialist Party. And with him Hitler brought old animosities and prejudices that had existed within Germany since before WW1. Of course Hitler used hatred and fear to gain power.
