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Canada's Foreign Policy

An Interwar Project

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The first few years of the interwar period was characterized by general instability. Several pre-1914 regimes collapsed as new political groups took their place. World War I had been a financial drain for most of the participating nations. As a result, much of the world's economies became tied to that of the United States.

As the years passed by, the situation in Europe would turn for the better. Trade between nations prospered, and various treaties were signed. However, this would change as the Great Depression set in. The American economy crashed, bringing the economies of most other nations down with it. An anti-democratic mood prevailed as the public turned against their governments for permitting such a poor state of affairs to occur. They began to turn to political leaders who promised to bring an end to the instability and disorder.

Hitler was one of those who came to power as a result of the disorder caused by the Great Depression. He moved to overturn the Treaty of Versailles, with actions such as the rearmament of Germany and the reoccupation of the Rhineland. Great Britain and France were busy with their own domestic affairs, and tried to appease Hitler. It was not until Germany's invasion of Poland that they acted using armed forces, sparking the start of the Second World War.

Today, several situations around the world mirror those of which occurred during the interwar period. As a result, the actions we make now would likely have similar consequences as those of which had occurred then.