Inter-War Period: 1918-1936

History of the International System – Lecture Notes

Lesson 6 – Inter-war Years – Search for Order

Hungary lost out with breaking up of Austro-Hungarian empire
3 big problems; legitimacy, economic difficulty, security
France was the big winner of the Treaty of Versailles, but was fearful of German revenge, looked to British and American assurance of safety. America went home. They looked to the new states to form alliances that would replace the Russians. But though Britain agreed to protect parts of France, they wanted nothing to do w/ Eastern Europe
Britain see themselves as world power as opposed to European power, had stronger alliances w/ America than France
Lenin + Soviet Union – managed to survive with use of violence but ended up standing alone in a society of non-communists
Germany initially surprised by loss as they’d been told they were winning, kaiser flees, Germany builds republic (Weimar Republic), not prepared for the massive reparations and war guilt put upon them

Lesson 8 – Search for Order – Asia

China

China – largely independent but with forced concessions – shared similarities w/ Ottoman empire
Tsing Tao, German colony (beer)

Japan

Japan – 1st non western state to successfully acquire marks of Western power to compete in the world of imperial comptition
- Studied German armies
- Go to war against China, take Korea, Taiwan, Manchuria
1905 – japan defeats the Russians
1914 – Japan declares war on germany, seizes tsing tao
Screwed over during Paris Peace Treaties – 1919
Japan has very little natural resources – economic growth & development dependent on trade, open door
Surplus population and discrimination abroad
Constantly curtailed in imperialist aspirations by other world powers – hypocrisy
Mukden Incident – incited war w/ China, invades Manchuria – League of Nations condemns Japan

India

India – British Colony – East India Company – not many English actually lived there who weren’t w/ the Raj, sent their kids back to british schools – India had been promised greater autonomy for their con scripture in the war – riots break out in Punjab, British officers fire on crowd
Ghandi – promotes a free India
Burma – also British colony
Thailand/Siam – quasi independent state
Indo-China taken by French
Indonesia – Dutch
Phillippines – US