Successor States of Eastern Europe after World War I - Lecture 20

Explore the complex aftermath of World War I in Eastern Europe through this 45-minute lecture from Yale University's European Civilization course. Examine how the Treaty of Versailles divided Europe both geographically and ideologically, leading to the rise of revisionist powers and ethnic tensions. Analyze the concept of the interwar period as part of a larger Thirty Years' War from 1914 to 1945. Discover how debates over ethnic majorities and state identities at Versailles set the stage for future conflicts. Investigate the persecution of minority groups, particularly Jews, as scapegoats in Central and Eastern Europe. Learn about revisionist movements in Italy, Germany, and former Austro-Hungarian territories. Understand the impact of agricultural depression on peasant populations and its connection to the rise of fascism. Gain insights into the historical factors that ultimately led to the atrocities of World War II.

- Chapter 1. The Wilsonian Illusion and War Guilt: The Aftermath of the First World War.
- Chapter 2. Revisionism in Italy and Germany.
- Chapter 3. Revisionism in Eastern Europe: The Former Austro-Hungarian Empire.
- Chapter 4. Ethnic Tensions in Interwar States .
- Chapter 5. The Peasant Majority: Agricultural Depression and the Rise of Fascism.