Interwar Turmoil and Recovery in Europe:
– Turmoil in Europe post-World War I (1918-1924).
– Russian Civil War ongoing and Eastern Europe recovering from devastation.
– Emergence of new or restored countries in Southern, Central, and Eastern Europe.
– U.S. dominance in world finance aiding European recovery.
International Relations and Conflicts:
– Resolutions of wartime issues and boundaries.
– American involvement in European finances and disarmament.
– League of Nations’ failures and peace efforts.
– Japanese aggressiveness toward China and rise of fascism in Italy and Germany.
Social and Economic Changes in the Roaring Twenties:
– Sustained economic prosperity leading to social and cultural innovations.
– Jazz Age and Art Deco becoming prominent.
– Evolution of women’s fashion with knee-length skirts and bobbed hair.
– Normalcy returning to politics post-World War I and rise of leftist revolutions.
Rise of Totalitarian Regimes and Independence Movements:
– Rise of communism and fascism post-World War I.
– Independence movements challenging British, French, and other empires.
– Dismantling of Russian, Ottoman, Austro-Hungarian, and German Empires.
– Rise of fascism in Europe and Latin America during the Great Depression.
Colonial Changes and Imperial Shifts:
– Economic changes including petroleum-based energy production and territorial ambitions.
– Effects and causes of the Great Depression globally.
– Rise of fascism and collapse of democracy in Europe and Latin America.
– Specific events like the Spanish Civil War and British imperial policies in India, Egypt, and Iraq.
In the history of the 20th century, the interwar period (or interbellum) lasted from 11 November 1918 to 1 September 1939 (20 years, 9 months, 21 days) – from the end of World War I to the beginning of World War II. It was relatively short, yet featured many social, political, and economic changes throughout the world. Petroleum-based energy production and associated mechanisation led to the prosperous Roaring Twenties, a time of social and economic mobility for the middle class. Automobiles, electric lighting, radio, and more became common among populations in the first world. The era's indulgences were followed by the Great Depression, an unprecedented worldwide economic downturn that severely damaged many of the world's largest economies.
- Baltic States War of Independence and Russian Civil War
- White Army of Yudenich
- North Russia intervention
- White Army of Kolchak: Siberia
- Denikin: White Army
- Petliura: Ukrainian directorate
- Polish–Soviet War
- Silesia tension between the Poles and Germans.
- Romanian occupation of Hungary
- Gabriele D'Annunzio seizes Fiume, creates the Italian Regency of Carnaro
- Promiscuous fighting in Albania
- Turkish War of Independence
Politically, the era coincided with the rise of communism, starting in Russia with the October Revolution and Russian Civil War, at the end of World War I, and ended with the rise of fascism, particularly in Germany and Italy. China was in the midst of a half-century of instability and the Chinese Civil War between the Kuomintang and the Chinese Communist Party. The empires of Britain, France, and others faced challenges as imperialism was increasingly viewed negatively and independence movements emerged in many colonies; in Europe, after protracted low-level fighting most of Ireland became independent.
The Russian, Ottoman, Austro-Hungarian, and German Empires were dismantled, with the Ottoman territories and German colonies redistributed among the Allies, chiefly Britain and France. The western parts of the Russian Empire, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland became independent nations in their own right, and Bessarabia (now Moldova and parts of Ukraine) chose to reunify with Romania.
In Russia, the Bolsheviks managed to regain control of Belarus and Ukraine, Central Asia, and the Caucasus, forming the Soviet Union. In the Near East, Egypt and Iraq gained independence. During the Great Depression, countries in Latin America nationalised many foreign companies (most of which belonged to the United States) in a bid to strengthen their own economies. The territorial ambitions of the Soviets, Japanese, Italians, and Germans led to the expansion of their domains.
