The West in the World, 4th Edition (Sherman)

Chapter 23: Darkening Decades

Chapter Summaries

When World War I ended, survivors were left with frustrating domestic economic and political obstacles, as well as a sense that the prewar world was gone forever. Western European governments faced union, communist, and socialist movements pushing for change. The Soviet Union confronted the realities of economic devastation and the challenge of recovery. In east-central Europe, authoritarian right-wing leaders replaced parliamentary governments with dictatorships. The onset of a worldwide depression magnified these difficulties.