USA
The First World War is not affected by the Americas. US Army took part in the fighting only in the summer and autumn of 1918 Casualties US compared with other countries were much smaller: about 120 thousand. Dead and the dead from disease and 230 thousand. Wounded.
The war enriched the country. Total net income for the monopolies 1914-1919 biennium. Was 33.6 billion dollars. This made it possible to make a significant investment in American industry, create jobs, reduce unemployment.
Industrial growth has increased the US share in world industrial production. By 1920 the share of the United States accounted for almost half the world's coal, 3/5 of iron and steel, 2/3 of extracted oil in the world, 85% of the production cars.
Thus, the United States at that time were economically most powerful country in the world.
The United States has significantly increased the export of capital. His main form were military loans. The total amount of the early 20's. Reached 11 billion dollars. Also during the war grew more than twice the amount of US private investment abroad. So the US turned from a debtor to the world's largest creditor.
Increase the share of the US in international economic relations paved the way for greater invasion of the United States in the sphere of world politics. The Government of the Democratic Party led by President Woodrow Wilson in 1917 headed for gain "world leadership." After the war, during the Paris Peace Conference Wilson tried to consolidate the new status of the United States, but the decision of the Paris Peace Conference were not like his administration had hoped. In the USA grew isolationist sentiment. In the end, defeated in the diplomatic game in Europe, USA 20-30-ies. The main edge of their geo-strategy directed to Latin America and Asia Pacific.
However, along with the economic rise of the 20s and there were some disturbing trends. Shipbuilding, manufacture of railway equipment, textiles and coal industry fell into decay. Production capacity in engineering and metallurgy were not fully loaded. Agriculture experienced a prolonged crisis. In the country, there were 2.3 million unemployed. Every year increasing sales on credit, at the expense of future income, indicating a narrowing of the internal market and a deepening of sales.
This was due to uneven distribution of national wealth. Salaries barely grew while profits of big business tripled. The rich have become richer. They bought expensive cars, houses, yachts, but they were few and they could not replace the mass market in terms of rapid development of mass production.
Was unstable and the financial system. In the 20-ies. On the New York Stock Exchange - the largest in the world - there was a boom caused by the unprecedented increase in the stock price. This has involved the stock market significant financial resources. All wanted to buy shares only in order to then sell them. When this speculative boom at the highest point, started a collapse of stocks, and eventually crisis.
The collapse of the New York Stock Exchange October 29, 1929 ("Black Tuesday") have ushered in unprecedented depth and destructive power of the economic crisis. In one day, the total drop in the share price was $ 10 billion. By the summer of 1932, industrial production in the US fell by almost half to 1929 Thousands of banks, industrial and trading company went bankrupt. But large corporations that have absorbed a lot of small and medium-sized firms declined with the help of the government.
Turned a mass movement of the unemployed who have organized two "hunger march" on Washington. They demanded provision of work, the introduction of social insurance and unemployment benefits issuance, suspension layoffs, maintaining earnings workers, recognition of the right to organize trade unions. Unemployment first time in history reached astronomical figures - 17 million people.
The Republican administration of President Hoover was helpless in this situation.
An attempt to resolve the crisis to mitigate social tension that later turned out to be the beginning of serious reform of American society, was the policy of President Franklin Roosevelt in the 1933-1939's. She went down in history as the "New Deal". It is because of reforms in the banking sector, labor relations, agriculture, and introduction of state regulation of economic and social processes have been lifted out of the US deep crisis.
Since the late 30s Roosevelt administration began to pursue a more active foreign policy. This was due to the fact that aggressive states Germany, Italy, and especially Japan began to threaten the economic interests of the United States.
Features of Latin America
Latin America is south of the border between the US and Mexico. The name of this region of the world was due to domination of the Spanish and Portuguese languages, which emerged from the ancient Latin language.
In Latin America, which gained independence in the first half of the nineteenth century., Have developed a kind of political relations, largely inherited from the colonial past.
Prominent position in political life sat descendants of Spanish and Portuguese nobility colonialists who used the work of landless peasants (mostly Indians and blacks).
The domination of large estates determined predominantly agrarian character of Latin American countries. It certainly put them dependent on industrialized nations - first England, and then - Germany and the US, which provide Latin American manufactured goods, capital and were the main markets for their products. Countries had monocultural nature. In Argentina dominated the production of meat and grain, Brazil and Colombia - coffee, Cuba - sugar and tobacco in Central American countries - tropical fruit (which was the basis for the past called "banana republics").
The combination of political sovereignty and economic dependence has become an important feature of the region.
At the end of the nineteenth century. Latin America began to develop industry, mainly mining and processing of agricultural products, is focused on the markets of Europe, USA and dependent on foreign capital.
The First World War is not directly affected Latin America, but was significant for their development impact. Increased consumption of agricultural products and raw materials in the warring states led to higher prices for these products. This increased income Latin American countries that have been used for industrial development. In countries formed national capital and the working class. So to unresolved agrarian question participated problems inherent in industrialized countries. The war also led to the withdrawal of capital of European countries, which immediately took advantage of the United States. After opening in 1914 of the Panama Canal, which became the property of the United States, increased political weight and influence of the United States.
In the 20-30's. Latin America has become a popular slogan of strengthening national independence and eliminate the influence of other states. This has led some governments to reform. The most radical reform in the first quarter of the twentieth century. was held in Argentina and Mexico.
For example, in Argentina president Irihoyyen Ippolito (1916-1927 gg.) Allowed trade unions, introduced an 8-hour workday and a two-week paid vacation. There were land reform, under which farmers were given for a state fund 8 million hectares of land and protected the rights of tenants.
In Mexico, as a result of the Revolution 1910-1917 biennium. Dostupylasya to power the new political elite. May 1, 1917 there took one of the most democratic constitutions at the time. It enshrines the rights of the nation for the land and its mineral wealth, obliged to return all seized by the peasants in their land, and to provide them land from the state fund. In addition, each state establishes the maximum tenure and surplus redeemed and distributed among the peasants. The Constitution recognized the rights of trade unions, claimed 8-hour workday. Primary education became compulsory and free. Mexico proclaimed Democratic presidential federal republic.
The economic crisis of 1929-1932's. Hit hard the economies of Latin American countries. Collapsed export earnings. In warehouses accumulated a significant amount of agricultural products that had to destroy, to somehow keep prices from a sharp fall. This crisis has shown the dangers of preserving whole economic dependence. Started a new rise of anti-imperialist movement (largely anti-American and antyanhliyskoho), resulting in a convergence of Latin America from Germany and Italy.
Latin America took to industrialization, which had, in their opinion, to compensate for the inability to import of machinery and equipment from industrialized countries. In order to develop their own industry local capital provided various benefits. Attempts to change the structure of exports, to reduce its dependence on only one type of product. Establish control over the activities of foreign capital. In Argentina, Mexico, Bolivia nationalized the oil industry.
Thus, in Latin America, as in Western countries, the crisis has led to increased government regulation of the economy. But the forms of change were different. In Brazil, the initiative for reform by President Zhetulio Vargas (1930-1945 gg.). He established a regime of personal power, and in the early years of his reign sympathetic fascism around trying to be like Mussolini, but during the war radically changed views and even sent to fight on the side of the anti-Hitler coalition 30,000th case that took part in the fighting in Italy.
In Chile had a similar reform Popular Front government led by President Aguirre Cerda.
The most profound transformation realized in Mexico, President Lázaro Cárdenas (1934-1940 gg.). Under his reign was ended with the dominance of large estates, nationalized railroads and oil industry, established democracies.
Along with solving economic problems for countries in Latin America has become urgent and the stability of power and the development of democratic institutions. For the 20-30's. Was characterized by political instability, almost continuous wave of military coups, rebellions, civil wars. Military dictatorship on the one hand were the means of struggle against the old elite estates connected with the other - a way to suppress social performances population. The most negative fame became dictators in Central America (Somoza in Nicaragua, Batista in Cuba, etc.). The only country that has avoided a dictatorship, was Mexico.
US and Latin America
Since the late nineteenth century., Especially after the Spanish-American War in 1898, on Latin America policy applied "big stick", "gunboat diplomacy" and "dollar diplomacy." Almost all countries in Latin America experienced the presence of US troops. In some countries political life completely revolved around the representation of a powerful American company. Thus, "Yunayt fruts" totally dominant in Central America. Cuba and Puerto Rico US did in fact have turned to their colonies.
Strengthening anti-Western, especially anti-American, sentiment forced the US to adjust policy in Latin America. President Roosevelt declared that the United States pursue policies of "good neighbor" and does not carry out the intervention. US came to rely on the development of the Inter-American cooperation based on equality. Important in this respect was to hold the Pan American congresses and conferences. This policy contributed to the weakening influence of Germany and Italy created the preconditions for the participation of the region in World War II on the side of the anti-Hitler coalition (19 countries in the region have declared war on Japan, Italy, Germany, and became members of the United Nations). Really took part in the war Brazil and Mexico.
Inter-state conflicts
Latin America often fought among themselves. In the interwar period the most serious conflict raging between Bolivia and Paraguay went into history as the Chaco War (1932-1935 gg.). The conflict between the two poorest countries in the region was due nevyznachynostyu border in the sparsely populated area of Gran Chaco. The impetus for the opposition were found here oil deposits. Furthermore Bolivia, previously lost access to the Pacific, hoping to gain a port on the Paraná river for easier connection to the world. She initiated the war carefully prepared army, having purchased advanced weapons, hiring German instructors. However, the Bolivian army, marched for acquisition of the disputed territory, narazylasya the desperate resistance of small arms and Pagano paraґvayskoyi army. War has become a tedious lingering conflict in the jungles and deserts Chaco. Finally, after three years of fighting paraґvayska army defeated Bolivians. In 1938 the disputed territory under the peace treaty were assigned to Paraguay.
Another volatile region was the area where the borders of Peru, Ecuador and Colombia. The desire to control these unsettled areas of spoil relations between neighbors until the late twentieth century. When the largely failed to solve territorial disputes. Almost all disputed territories became part of Peru.