Between the Wars—and the Path to Pearl Harbor Flashcards
The International History of the 20s
Post-World War I Disillusionment:
Versailles peacemaking and First World War embittered the U.S.
Rejection of League of Nations, immigration restrictions, and protective tariffs signaled isolationist sentiment
Scholarly Reevaluation:
Recent scholarship challenges the notion of postwar isolationism
Emphasis on U.S.-led globalizing trends during the interwar era
Interconnected World in the 1920s:
Increasing global interconnectedness and interdependence
Growing American participation in the world marketplace
Mass communications and entertainment internationalized culture
Republican Administrations’ Approach:
Harding, Coolidge, and Hoover administrations focused on nonmilitary methods
Washington Conference of 1920-1921 mandated naval armament cuts
Dawes Plan of 1924 facilitated German repayment through loans
Economic Expansion and Cultural Influence:
American exports flooded European markets with well-known brands
U.S. companies exported investment capital and built manufacturing plants abroad
Hollywood played a role in exporting American culture globally
Internationalism and Collaboration:
Kellogg-Briand Pact of 1928 declared war illegal, emphasizing international collaboration
Private sector, especially business interests, played a lead role in expanding U.S. international presence
Americanization Impact:
Uneven influence of U.S. consumer culture
Collaboration and tensions in Latin America due to commercial penetration
Impact on local producers, cultures, and labor unrest
Great Depression Disruption:
Global economic upheaval in the early 1930s
Trade wars, unpaid debts, and collapse of production and banking networks
Questions and Debates:
Debates on the effectiveness of U.S. policies and reliance on private interests
Consideration of the potential impact of multilateral approaches like League of Nations membership
Questions about the inevitability of the gathering storm leading to the Second World War
Relevance of historical questions to contemporary debates on globalization in the twenty-first century
