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The Great Depression and World War II
Overview of the Great Depression
The Great Depression was a really bad time for the world's economy.
It started in 1929 and lasted until around 1939.
It was the worst economic crisis ever for modern countries.
It caused big changes in how countries managed their money.
In the US, the economy was weak, and the stock market crash in 1929 made things much worse.
Many people had a hard time, were poor, and felt hopeless.
Countries like the US and those in Europe were affected, along with others.
Factories and businesses made less money. Many closed, and people lost their jobs.
People didn't have much money, and many became homeless.
Aims and Impact of the Great Depression
The Great Depression led to economic problems, which caused political problems around the world.
It made things chaotic and helped dictators like Adolf Hitler in Germany and the military in Japan rise to power.
Economic problems created extreme ideas and environments that led to war.
In the USA:
Businesses had to make less stuff, cut hours, or close down.
Banks ran out of money and closed.
Sales dropped by half between 1929 and 1933.
Businesses didn't make as much money because people weren't buying as much.
About 23% of people lost their jobs.
Many people became homeless because they didn't have jobs or money.
America didn't have programs to help people, so they relied on charities.
Farmers couldn't pay their debts or mortgages and lost their farms.
Farmers couldn't pay workers, so they lost their jobs.
There were also bad droughts and the soil was ruined.
Events and Processes Following the Great Depression
Japan bombed Pearl Harbor in December 1941, so the United States declared war on Japan.
Germany and Italy then declared war on the U.S.
The U.S. quickly started getting ready for war.
People in America worked hard to help the war effort.
The U.S. joining the war helped the economy recover after the Depression.
Leaders like Hitler used the bad times to take control.
The Great Depression's Contribution to World War II
The Great Depression helped cause World War 2 by making the economy bad and the world unstable.
This helped aggressive leaders in Germany, Italy, and Japan gain power.
These leaders promised to fix the economy and expand their countries, leading to wars and ignoring international rules.
The Great Depression made things tough in Germany, which helped Adolf Hitler and his Nazi Party rise to power.
The stock market crash made stocks lose a lot of value.
The economic problems and instability made countries angry with each other, leading to tensions that caused war.
Justification and Blame
The Great Depression is to blame because it made the economy in Germany bad, which helped Hitler and the Nazis rise to power.
It hurt businesses like banks and factories, which hurt people.
It was caused by problems in the US economy.
Problems in the US Economy:
Money wasn't shared equally.
Farming problems: Farmers made more food, but prices went down because people didn't need as much.
Trade wars made it hard to sell extra food, so farmers had big debts and lost their farms.
Businesses made more than people could buy.
Countries put taxes on American goods because America taxed their goods.
The Wall Street Crash was a big reason for the Great Depression.
Conclusion
The Great Depression really hurt the world's economy.
It started when the stock market crashed.
It is thought that the Great Depression was one of the reasons for World War II.
It was a global crisis that showed how people and countries suffered and caused economic problems.
The Great Depression was a main cause of World War II and hurt the world economically and socially.