We explain what the interwar period was like, what the most important events were and their chronological order from 1919 to 1929.
The treaties of the interwar period triggered resentment and conflict.
What was the interwar period?
The interwar period was the twenty-year span that included between the end of the First World War (1914-1918) and the beginning of the Second World War (1939-1945)It was an era that began with peace negotiations and war reparations (such as the Treaty of Versailles) and reconstruction efforts in war-ravaged European countries.
The international position of The United States was strengthened by its industrial capacity and its role as creditor to European nations.while the economy in Europe only recovered from 1925 onwards. The rise of mass consumption in The 1920s, which were dubbed the “crazy years,” culminated in 1929 with the crash of the New York Stock Exchange that gave rise to the Great Depression.a global crisis that spanned most of the 1930s.
Due to the atrocities of World War I, resentments arising from post-war treaties and reparations, and the subsequent crisis of the thirties, support for communism grew in Europe (inspired by the triumph of the Bolshevik revolution in Russia in 1917) and the nationalist movements that gave rise to the fascism in Italy (which came to power in 1922) and Nazism in Germany (which came to power in 1933).
In the interwar period Alliances were forged and rearmament policies were implemented which paved the way for the Second World War. The outbreak of the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), which pitted the Republicans (who received military support from the Soviet Union) against the Nationalists (who received military support from Nazi Germany and fascist Italy), served as a test for the Rome-Berlin Axis forces of the tactics and weapons they later used in the world war.
Frequent questions
What was the interwar period?
It was a span of almost 21 years that took place between the two largest wars of the 20th century: World War I and World War II.
When did the interwar period begin and end?
It took place between the end of the First World War (1914-1918) and the beginning of the Second World War (1939-1945).
What were the most important events of the interwar period?
The most important events were:
- Treaty of Versailles (1919). It was an agreement that meant the end of the First World War, and laid the groundwork for the Second World War due to the harsh conditions it imposed on Germany.
- Emergence of socialist and fascist movements. Socialist movements and totalitarian and fascist parties (such as Benito Mussolini’s in Italy and Adolf Hitler’s in Germany) spread throughout the world. They gained power, in particular, in the face of economic and political crises in liberal democracies.
- Great Depression (1929)It was a major financial crisis that began in the United States, spread worldwide, and lasted throughout the 1930s.
Chronology of the interwar period
From the Treaty of Versailles to the crash of the New York Stock Exchange (1919-1929)
1919
- JuneFollowing the armistice marking the end of the First World War (November 11, 1918), the Treaty of Versailles was signed between the Allies and Germany (June 28, 1919), which came into force in January 1920. The treaty imposes war reparations on Germany and establishes the League of Nations. The Allies subsequently signed treaties with Austria (Treaty of Saint Germain, 1919), Bulgaria (Treaty of Neuilly, 1919), Hungary (Treaty of Trianon, 1920) and Turkey (Treaty of Sèvres, 1920; Treaty of Lausanne, 1923).
1920
- JanuaryProhibition begins in the United States (in force until 1933), prohibiting the production and sale of alcoholic beverages.
- MarchThe United States Senate rejects the signing of the Treaty of Versailles and the accession of the United States to the League of Nations.
- AprilThe Russo-Polish War begins with a Polish offensive against Soviet-controlled Ukrainian territories. The war ends with the Treaty of Riga in March 1921, with an agreement on territorial boundaries.
1921
- FebruaryAn alliance is signed between France and Poland, against possible future threats from Germany or Bolshevik Russia.
- MarchThe Bolshevik government adopted the NEP (New Economic Policy), oriented towards a mixed private-state economy.
1922
- FebruaryThe Washington Conference leads to the signing of three treaties on the Pacific and East Asia, with the intention of limiting naval armament in the area: the Four-Power Treaty (United States, United Kingdom, France, Japan), the Five-Power Treaty (Italy is added) and the Nine-Power Treaty (Belgium, China, the Netherlands and Portugal are incorporated). In addition, the United Kingdom grants political independence to Egypt (which ceases to be a British protectorate).
- AprilThe Treaty of Rapallo is signed between Germany and the Soviet Union, establishing diplomatic and economic relations between the two states.
- AugustThe Little Entente is formed between Czechoslovakia, the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (later Yugoslavia) and Romania, as a defensive alliance against possible threats from the Kingdom of Hungary.
- OctoberThe March on Rome gives power to Benito Mussolini (founder of the National Fascist Party) in Italy.
- NovemberTutankhamun’s tomb is discovered in Egypt, sparking worldwide interest in ancient Egypt and legends about the pharaoh’s curse.
1923
- January. French and Belgian troops occupy the Ruhr region of Germany due to the Weimar Republic’s (German government) inability to pay reparations for World War II. A campaign of passive resistance by the German population begins.
- September. German passive resistance in the Ruhr ends.
- October. With the premiere of the musical Runnin’ Wild on Broadway, the Charleston dance, a dance that characterizes the “crazy years”, began to become popular. In Turkey, a republic was proclaimed, presided over by the nationalist leader Kemal Atatürk.
- NovemberHyperinflation in Germany peaks, prior to an economic recovery with the introduction of a new currency (the Rentenmark). The National Socialist German Workers’ Party led by Adolf Hitler stages a failed coup in Munich (the “Munich Putsch”).
1924
- JanuaryWith the death of Lenin, Joseph Stalin becomes the supreme leader of the Soviet Union.
- AprilThe Dawes Plan, supervised by the United States government, is approved to reduce the burden of reparations on Germany and guarantee its payments to the victorious nations.
1925
- March. Scottish inventor John Logie Baird makes the first demonstration of image transmission via a television screen.
- AugustFrance and Belgium withdraw their troops from the Ruhr.
- OctoberThe Locarno Treaties are signed, by which Germany, France and Belgium agree not to attack each other militarily, and Germany accepts its western borders established in the Treaty of Versailles.
1926
- September. Germany joins the League of Nations.
1927
- May. American aviator Charles Lindbergh makes the first solo, non-stop transatlantic flight.
- OctoberThe Jazz Singer, the first sound film that marks the end of the silent film era, is released in the United States.
1928
- August. Fifteen countries sign the Briand-Kellogg Pact, by which they agree not to use war to resolve their disputes (more countries later join).
- SeptemberScottish physician Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin.
- OctoberStalin begins the implementation of the First Five-Year Plan in the Soviet Union, an accelerated industrialization process based on forced agricultural collectivization.
1929
- February. The Lateran Pacts are signed between Italy and the papacy, recognising the independence of the Vatican as a sovereign state. The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, allegedly ordered by gangster Al Capone, takes place in Chicago (United States).
- SeptemberAristide Briand, President of France, proposes a European Federal Union.
- October. The New York Stock Exchange crashes, triggering the Great Depression, which affects most of the world during the 1930s.
From the Great Depression to the outbreak of World War II (1930-1939)
1930
- November and dicember. A bank run affects numerous American banks, exacerbating the financial crisis.
1931
- April. The Second Spanish Republic is proclaimed. The deposed king, Alfonso XIII, flees Spain.
- SeptemberThe Japanese invasion of Manchuria takes place.
1932
- OctoberIraq gains independence from the United Kingdom.
1933
- JanuaryAdolf Hitler is appointed Chancellor of Germany.
- MarchFranklin D. Roosevelt assumes the presidency of the United States and implements a plan of measures (“New Deal”) to promote economic recovery and overcome the Great Depression. On the other hand, Japan leaves the League of Nations.
- OctoberGermany leaves the League of Nations and strengthens its rearmament policy.
1934
- February. Romania, Greece, Türkiye and Yugoslavia sign the Balkan Pact to secure their borders.
- SeptemberThe Soviet Union joins the League of Nations.
1935
- March. Hitler reinstates compulsory military service in Germany
- AprilThe Stresa Conference between the United Kingdom, France and Italy agrees to reaffirm the principles of the Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Locarno regarding German rearmament.
- JuneThe United Kingdom and Germany sign the Anglo-German Naval Agreement, which accepts German naval rearmament but with restrictions, which violates the principles of the Treaty of Versailles.
- OctoberThe Italian invasion of Ethiopia (Abyssinia) takes place, which is condemned by the United Kingdom and France and leads to the breaking of the agreement of the Stresa Conference.
1936
- March. Hitler remilitarizes the Rhineland, a border area with France and Belgium, which violates one of the points of the Treaty of Versailles.
- JulyThe Spanish Civil War breaks out following the military uprising against the Second Republic. General Francisco Franco becomes head of state in the regions controlled by the rebels.
- August. Nearly thirty European governments sign the Non-Proliferation Pact…