Why was there so much uncertainty in the West between WWI and WWII?

Question

Specific dates and events helpful.

Answer 1

Well after WW1 uncertainty was high because the Russian and Ottoman and German Empires were all destroyed in WW1. Monetary inflation was rampant and over ten million Europeans lost their lives in World War One. This lasted for over twenty years are provided perfect opportunities for men like Mussolini, Stalin, and Hitler to take power and cement the foundations of what would become WW2

Answer 2

The period before World War I was called the "Belle Epoch". It was a time of optimism and a belief that science was making peoples' lives better. Then came World War I which was traumatic! Millions died. Never before had war been fought on such a scale. It was considered the war to end all wars. But an international influenza epidemic followed which caused millions of deaths. An uneasy peace followed in which the Versailles Treaty was drafted by the victorious Allies. It  blamed Germany for the war. Actually the war was not the fault of any one nation. A huge indemnity and a horrible inflation ruined the German economy. And then came the Stock Market crash and the Great Depression which forced millions of people out of work and ruined the economies of the U.S. and other countries. It was not certain that democracy could survive. In many countries like Germany, Italy, and Japan it didn't. Fascist dictatorships developed in these and other nations. Demagogues fed off this discontent. Communism developed in Russia and was strong in other nations. People became polarized between different ideologies. There were many ethnic problems that were caused or not solved by the First World War. For instance a German minority in that part of Czechoslovakia.

But the main reason for the instability between the World Wars was a failure to develop a lasting peace after WWI and the terrible economic conditions. I hope that this has been a help to you.