Inter War Years Class Notes

 Unit 3

Interwar Years Literature: General Characteristics

Introduction:

- The Interwar Years followed WWI, leading to significant socio-political changes in Europe.

- Europe faced economic depression, political extremism, and the rise of totalitarian regimes.

- The League of Nations aimed to maintain peace but failed to prevent the outbreak of WWII.

- The period was characterized by sharp ideological divides, with extreme left and right viewpoints dominating.

Literature during WWI: Cultural Mobilization (1914-1918):

- Literature played a crucial role in shaping public opinion before and during WWI.

- Imagined invasion literature, like Sir George Chesney’s "The Battle of Dorking" (1871), heightened anticipation of war.

- The War Propaganda Bureau (WPB) in Britain engaged prominent writers like H.G. Wells, Thomas Hardy, and Arthur Conan Doyle to produce pro-war literature.

- Some authors produced realistic accounts, while others created propagandistic or speculative fiction.

  

Literature Responses Across Nations:

1. Britain:

   - Works like Wells’ "Mr Britling Sees It Through" (1916) depicted civilian life during the war.

   - Authors had varied responses to the war, from enthusiastic support to criticism of propaganda.

2. United States:

   - Initially, the war had limited public support, but this changed after the U.S. entered the war in 1917.

   - American authors like Edith Wharton and Upton Sinclair wrote about Americans in the war, reflecting diverse perspectives from pro-war to critical.

3. France:

   - France, being a major battleground, had widespread cultural mobilization.

   - Popular works like Barbusse’s "Le Feu" (1916) reflected the war’s horrors and were often interpreted in various ways, from naturalistic to pacifist.

4. Germany:

   - German literature during the war focused on defending German actions and values.

   - Notable figures like Thomas Mann supported the war, while others like Fritz von Unruh expressed anti-war sentiments.

5. Austria-Hungary:

   - The Austro-Hungarian response was varied due to its diverse cultural and linguistic makeup.

   - Writers like Robert Musil and Karl Kraus produced notable works reflecting on the war and its impact.

6. Russia:

   - Russian literature initially supported the war, but enthusiasm waned as the conflict continued.

   - Figures like Maxim Gorky signed manifestos supporting the war, but doubts and conflicts arose as the war progressed.

Conclusion:

- Interwar literature across Europe reflected diverse reactions to WWI, from initial enthusiasm to growing disillusionment.

- The literature of this period played a crucial role in shaping post-war understandings of the conflict and its impact on society.