Music recorded in 1936
In 1936, while recovery from the Great Depression proceeded with regional variations, the "brakes" of the international order rapidly weakened, and the process by which crises in various regions led to the next world war became visible. Italy declared the "Italian Empire" as a result of its invasion of Ethiopia, indicating that the League of Nations' sanctions regime was being overwhelmed by the dynamics of reality. Germany carried out the "Remilitarization of the Rhineland," and the framework of the Versailles system was shaken by this fait accompli.
A decisive turning point in Europe was the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939), which began with a military revolt in Spain, and which pitted Francisco Franco's (1892–1975) forces against the Republican forces, accompanied by cross-border support and propaganda campaigns. In Britain, the abdication of Edward VIII (1894–1972) and the accession of George VI (1895–1952) forced the country to simultaneously stabilize domestic politics and readjust its foreign policy. In France, the Popular Front government led by Léon Blum (1872–1950) was formed, and the expansion of labor and social policies coexisted with currency and investment concerns. In the Soviet Union, the Moscow Trials began, and the Great Purge came to the forefront, transforming the very nature of state administration. In the Middle East, the Arab Revolt in Palestine (1936–1939) expanded, prolonging the conflict between imperial rule and the nationalist movement.
In the fall of the same year, against the backdrop of the growing rapprochement between Benito Mussolini (1883–1945) and Adolf Hitler (1889–1945), talk of the "Rome–Berlin Axis" emerged, and the reorganization of spheres of influence became public. Tensions also grew in Asia, with the February 26 Incident in Japan further increasing the political influence of the military. In China, the Xi'an Incident led to the arrest of Chiang Kai-shek (1887–1975), creating an opportunity for the country to shift to cooperation with the Communist Party in response to the external crisis. Furthermore, the Anti-Comintern Pact was signed between Japan and Germany, institutionalizing the efforts to prepare for the future framework.
On the Atlantic coast, the 1936 United States presidential election was held in the United States, and the reelection of Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945) continued the New Deal. Meanwhile, North America was hit by a major heat wave and drought, which had a serious impact on people's lives and agriculture. The completion of the Hoover Dam was a symbol of public works, and the reorganization of power and water resources renewed urban life and the industrial base.
In parallel with political tensions, popular culture and media accelerated. The 11th Olympic Games (1936) were held in Berlin, placing sports on a major stage for national prestige and international propaganda. The exploits of Jesse Owens (1913–1980) assumed powerful symbolic significance. In broadcasting technology, the British Broadcasting Corporation launched the BBC Television Service, bringing simultaneous consumption of video and audio into everyday life. Military technology also saw the evolution of aircraft, with the first flight of the Supermarine Spitfire signaling that the impending war would include the skies as a major battlefield. On the theoretical side, Alan Turing (1912–1954) published "On Computable Numbers, with an Application to the Entscheidungsproblem," establishing the basic vocabulary of computer science. In economics, John Maynard Keynes (1883–1946) published "The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money," and the idea of policy intervention in unemployment and business cycles began to have a widespread influence. In film, Charles Chaplin's (1889–1977) "Modern Times" portrayed the humor and anxiety of a mechanized society, and his novel "Gone with the Wind," published in the same year, demonstrated the scale of the mass market. The simultaneous expansion of the radio, film, and recording industries not only increased the speed at which trends spread, but also strengthened the channels by which censorship and propaganda were made more efficient through popular entertainment. 1936 was a year in which the deepening crisis and the expansion of media progressed on the same timeline, shaping the conditions for future popular culture.
