Postwar Uncertainty

Chapter 15 Section 1

Main Idea

• The postwar period was one of loss and uncertainty but also one of invention, creativity, and new ideas that changed the way people look(ed) at the world

The world changed after WWI

1900

1928

A changed world

• The horrors of WWI shattered the Enlightenment belief in progress and reason

• So people began questioning these and other traditional beliefs which lead to new ways to see the world and new ideas

A Revolution (change) in Science

• Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity– Albert Einstein was a German-born physicist

who came up with new ideas on space, time, energy and matter

– One such idea is his theory of relativity: the speed of light is constant (always the same), but time and space are NOT constant (they change). Space and time are relative to the speed of light• Time will be less if traveling at the speed of light

or faster• THE UNIVERSE IS UNCERTAIN!

A Revolution (change) in Science

• Sigmund Freud’s theory on the human mind– Sigmund Freud was an Austrian physician

who treated people with psychological problems

– He developed the theory that: Much of human behavior is irrational. This irrational part of the mind is the unconscious, and it is driven by a desire to gain pleasure; NOT by reason

– Freud’s ideas weakened faith in reason!

New Literature• In their works, writers expressed

the anxieties felt after World War I (WWI)

• New literary themes included– Loss of faith and hope; ex: F. Scott

Fitzgerald– An uncertain future– A bleak life– No escape from bad situations; ex:

Franz Kafka

• New way of writing: stream of consciousness– Written as if it’s the thoughts and

feelings as they happen in the mind

New philosophy• Existentialism: belief that there is no

universal meaning to life; each person creates his or her own meaning

• Existentialist were influenced by Friedrich Nietzsche

-Nietzsche was a Germanphilosopher; believed democracy, reason,

and progress stifled creativity and action-Nietzsche urged humans to return to valuing pride, assertiveness, an strength

Revolution (change) in the Arts

• After the War, artists rebelled against the earlier realistic styles of painting– They didn’t want to be traditional– They didn’t want use reason when creating– Wanted to depict the inner world of imagination

and emotion

Revolution in the Arts

• Expressionism: show emotions and feelings– With bold colors and distorted forms

Revolution in the Arts• Cubism: Inspired by non-Western cultures

(African culture, Native American culture, etc); geometric shapes

Revolution in the Arts

• Surrealism: depict dreams or objects in unrealistic ways; inspired by Freud’s ideas

Revolution in the Arts

• Music composers moved away from traditional styles and experimented with new styles– Irregular rhythms and harsh combinations of sounds– Example:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0aoAKKZ1UNk

• New popular music style emerged, called jazz– From the United States, developed by African American

musicians– Lively, loose beats– Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xO3k-S_pqK4

Society Challenges Convention

• World War I had disrupted traditional social patterns – People, especially young people were willing to

break with the past and experiment with new values

1900 1920

Women’s Roles Change• During the War, women had

been on their own (men were gone to war) and many had had to work in the war effort– They realized they could be

members of public society (not just at home)

– They realized they could be independent and work

Women demanded the right to vote, which they received in several nations after the War• U.S., Britain, Germany, Sweden,

and Austria

Women’s Roles Change• To show their

independence, many women adopted new styles– New hairstyles: “bobbed”

hair– New fashion: looser and

shorter dresses, less cloth; makeup

– New lifestyle: drove cars, smoked in public, voted, worked; began using birth control

Technological Advances Improve Life

• Many technological advances developed for the war were put to use after the war for the benefit of society

• Other new technologies were also developed after the war

The Car Alters Society• A lot of the technology used to

improve the car was developed during the war: electric starter, air-filled tires, better engines

• Before the war only the very rich could afford to have a car, after the war the car middle class people could afford them as well– More people driving– People travel for pleasure now– People moved away from the

city (could live far from your job)– New types of service industries

to serve tourists

Airplanes Transform Travel• Planes had been used for combat in the War, now people

were interested in using them for travel during peace time• In 1927, American pilot Charles Lindbergh became the

first man to fly across the Atlantic, from New York to Paris• In 1932, American pilot Amelia Earhart became the first

woman to fly across the Atlantic• Most major passenger airlines were established in the

1920s; only the rich could afford it though

Radio and Movies• After the war, radios were mass produced, so most people

could have one. The first radio station appeared in 1920, after that the radio became the most popular for of entertainment

• The movie industry grew after the war, it grew into an entertainment industry (not just art)– Charlie Chaplin

• This allowed for the emergence of a mass culture, with everyone watching, hearing, the same things across nations and across the world