War, Revolution, Depression, Fascism and More War

I.                    The Dilemma of the Twentieth Century

a.      Democracy and Suffering

II.                 World War I

a.      First global war

b.      Scale of dealth and suffering – widespread disillusionment

III.               Revolution

a.      WWI  and Russia

b.      Seen as threat to industrial capitalist powers

IV.              Depression

a.      Interwar years and Europe – hyperinflation

b.      Crash of ‘29

c.      Unemployment and the threat to liberal democratic triumphalism

d.      The “New Deal’ and Keynesian thought

V.                 Fascism

a.      The assumed progress of democracy

b.      Elements of fascism

c.      Liberal democracy in retreat

VI.              World War II

a.      Absolute destruction

b.      ‘Democratization’ and mechanization of war

      c.   What’s at stake in politics?