Respond to two discussions must be 100 words in length, which is equal to about 0.4 page of double-spaced writing in Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman 12 point font in a Word document.
Discussion 1 response:
These five treaties contributed to the rise of nationalism and fascism immensely throughout Europe primarily through their punitive and territorial terms. [1] The victors held Germany primarily responsible for the start of World War I, and punished them with the Treaty of Versailles, imposing harsh penalties, including loss of territory, massive reparation payments, and demilitarization. The treaty of St Germain and Trianon caused major territorial losses for Austria and Hungary respectively, and the Treaty of Neuilly forced Bulgaria to reduce its army, pay reparations and cede lands to Yugoslavia and Greece. The treaty of Sevres abolished the Ottoman empire and obliged Turkey to renounce all rights over Arab Asia and North Africa. This led to Turkey rebelling against the Sultan, which resulted in the Treaty of Lausanne in 1923, which removed foreign control over the economy and allowed Turkey to regain some land and control over Dardanelles. This instability for Turkey contributed to a rise in nationalism. Ultimately, these treaties posed harsh terms on defeated countries, which inevitably led to economic hardship, loss of territory and a sense of national humiliation, creating opportunity for nationalist and fascist movements.
Often times when countries suffer from economic hardship, they turn to radical movements such as Fascism. “Fascism is a reactionary and revolutionary ideology [2], and the losers of World War I were no exception to this. When nations struggle, the middle class tend to worry less about civil rights for certain ethnic groups, and worry more about their own means of survival. This mindset can often sway the majority to follow ideologies that take a more radical approach to problem solving and give favor to doctorial figureheads. The prime example of this is Germany and the rise of the Nazi party. The Treaty of Versailles caused widespread inflation towards the German people. People were famously carrying wheel barrels of money to purchase everyday items such as newspapers. The German people were looking for a savior, someone to restore national pride for their country, and catapult their national from brinks of total capitulation.
Discussion 2: The rise of fascism in Germany after World War I was caused by resistance against the Treaty of Versailles, economic troubles, fear of communism, and Anti-Semitism, all of which were exacerbated by allied and American policies that failed to stabilize the post-war situation.
The Treaty of Versailles, led by the Allies, subjected Germany to several significant sanctions, causing resentment among the German population. Hitler manipulated this public sentiment and gained public support by promising to restore Germany’s national pride. Allied policies’ applying such punitive measures without offering any opportunity for Germany’s recovery contributed to this widespread resentment and hence made Nazi propaganda appealing to the German population.1
One of the consequences of the Treaty of Versailles was the economic troubles that devastated the German economy. Germany attempted to pay the heavy reparation costs by printing more money, which devastated its economy and eventually led to Germany resorting to external financial support from America. These economic conditions made extremist solutions, such as those proposed by the Nazis, more appealing to the German population.2 Germans were desperate for Hitler’s promise of economic recovery.
Furthermore, the fear of communism contributed to the rise of fascism in Germany by creating a political climate where radical rightist ideologies gained traction. The working classes in Europe were excluded from the benefits of industrial and colonial growth in the late nineteenth century and were also threatened by the rising new privileged ethnic groups.3 In an attempt to protect the ethnic community, nationalism developed into a more conservative ideology that emphasized the rights of the ethnic majority over individual rights. Rightist parties took advantage of the fear of socialism and communism by presenting themselves as defenders of ethnic unity, thereby opening the floor for fascist movements, which promised to restore national pride, social order, and economic stability through authoritarian rule and anti-communist policies.
Lastly, anti-Semitism seriously intensified in Germany after the First World War. Hitler manipulated the prejudices and societal conditions that were already conducive to anti-Semitic views to present the Jews as scapegoats for the instabilities Germany was facing. Consequently, he successfully united the population against a common target.4 Now that Anti-Semitism has been spread among the population, Nazi propaganda could exploit and amplify these feelings to promote and sustain their fascist regime.
