The Great Depression/ Roaring Twenties

The Roaring Twenties

  • The time during germanys great economic downturn, though in other nations posed a time of great economic prosperity, and social/ technological change. - hence ‘roaring twenties’

  • characterized by the production of cars (1921 under 100 000 cars registered - 1939 over 560 000) and consumer goods. the rise of ‘talkie’ movies, and significant advancements in consumer goods. (collectively shaped the modern culture).

  • automated methods of mass production (machinery and assembly lines) = large production of cars and conumer goods could be produced. - items no longer seen as luxury for the rich

  • adveritisng campaigns ecnouraged purchase of new devices - toasters, vacumn, fridge in high demand

  • 1920s electrical lighting for the first time in Aus.

  • radio - first mass broadcasting system. (helped bring in the jazz age ‘phenomonon’)

  • hollywood motion picture industry: 1927 first talking movie (jazz singer) - called a ‘talkie’ - released. 1930 over 100 million americans going to the movies.

  • women: fashion celebrated youth and freedom. - women could present themselves differeny in public, - boyish style called a flabber. women didnt follow traditional code of behavoirs such as smoking/drinking in public. (women challenged social expectations placed upon them during the war)

  • jobs and women: were expected to work (to fill the economic gap after war), variety of jobs available but pay was still half of a mans.

The Great Depression

  • great depression was the result of ecnomic hardship and downturn

  • late 1920s the economy slowed - hard to find companies who were producing bulk consumer goods, and couldnt find people to buy these. prices for consumer goods and agricultural staple prices dropped worldwide (led to unemployment)

  • new york stock market: popular place to invest money because stock could be bought with credit, by 1929 high investors meant price inflation (led to shareholders losing confidence and the market crashed). - lots jobs, wages slashed, cutbacks in production.

  • (australia focused): 1930s dependent on overseas countries - when american ecnomoy collapsed in 1929 2/3 of world trading stopped - by 1932 32% unemployed.

  • no income or job meant australians had to live in subshared housing. - women and children were cheapest to employ while men searched for jobs on the road.

  • war veterans hit hardest - trauma/ ptsd meant high suicide rates (no jobs or family)

  • the stusso: how the government provided relief to unemployed in sustanence payments - often food rations or couspons. - 1932 more than 60 000 relied on stusso to live.