THE GREAT

DEPRESSION
By: Nazahat, 10A
 Table of Contents
■ What Was the Great Depression?
■ The Roaring 20s
■ Causes of The Great Depression
■ Effects on the US
■ Effects on Australia
■ Effects on Europe
■ How did it Start WW2?
■ The End of the Great Depression
What Was the Great Depression?
■ It was the worst economic turndown in history.
■ It lasted 10 years from 1929-1939 .
■ The Great Depression was noted as the longest and most
severe economic depression ever experienced by the
industrialized Western world.
■ It started in the United States, but then spread out to cause
drastic declines in output, severe unemployment, and acute
deflation in almost every country of the world.
 The Roaring 20s
■ After WW1, the next 10 years faced fast economic growth and rapid cultural change
■ The post-war period created a mood of optimism as well as more leisure time.
■ This led to newer forms of entertainment.
■ People moved from rural areas to urban areas.
■ Good economic times allowed more women to
enter the workforce.
■ Fashion began to change for women as they wanted
to flaunt their newer freedom and confidence.
■ The US, being the only nation to profit from the war, emerged as the world’s
economic leader.
■ American loans made economies prosper, which
allowed governments to build infrastructure.
■ Electrical goods were mass produced and therefore, more readily available.
 Causes/Start of The Great Depression
■ The stock market crash of 1929
■ The feds in the US raised interest rates again to preserve the dollar’s value.
■ They did not increase the supply of money to combat deflation.
■ Bank failures, which also led to people losing their savings
■ Fearing further economic woes, individuals from all classes stopped purchasing items, leading to
a reduction in manufacturing and in the workforce.
■ American economic policy in Europe - As businesses began failing, the government charged a
high tax for imports, leading to less trade between America and foreign countries.
■ Drought conditions in Mississippi Valley- Due to this, many couldn’t pay their taxes or other
debts and had to sell their farms
Effects of The Great Depression
Effects on the US
■ The US was the most affected by the Great Depression.
■ The working class suffered the most.
■ Factory workers were unemployed.
■ Prices steeped too high.
■ Rise in malnutrition.
■ In 1932, 12,000,000 people were
unemployed.
■ Desperate for a scapegoat, the
citizens decided to blame the
government and started hating on
capitalism.
■ Led to rise of communism.
 Effects on Australia
■ Australia was reliant on borrowing vast sums
of money.
■ As they also relied on

International trade a lot as a source of income,

their economy collapsed with an
unemployment peak.
■ It took them almost a decade to recover
financially and economically.
 Effects on Europe
■ On 1931, Austria’s largest bank
collapsed.
■ Concerns over the possible weak
conditions of other European banks,
people rushed to get back their
deposits, and further weakened
banks to a higher degree.
■ Germany became unable to pay
back its debts, which caused
economic problems in countries
reliant on the loans.
■ Unemployment rates across Europe
were soaring.
■ Responses were militarism (Germany), fascism (Italy), dictatorship
(Russia) and capitalism (Great Britain and France, which only made
matters worse by being a cause of WW2.
How did it Start WW2?

■ Struggling economies and political instability led to the spread of fascism.

■ German Nazis took advantage of al this to reverse the Treaty of Versailles and grow the
German empire.
■ It decimated entire colonies and left devastating poverty among the different regional
societies.
■ The Great Depression also led to protectionism among countries, which led to depressed
international trade.
■ Those most affected by this resorted to war.
The End of the Great Depression

■ Lasted 12 years.
■ Has long-term effects even affecting people today, such as new cities.
■ Essentially started one of the most catastrophic events-WW2.
■ Ended after WW2 and Franklin Roosevelt’s ‘New Deal’.
■ Due to better safeguards, and developments in monetary policy help manage the
economy, it’s unlikely for something like this to happen again.
Resources
■ “The Great Depression in Global Perspective.” Digital History,
http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/disp_textbook.cfm?smtID=2&psid=3433.
■ History.com Editors. “Great Depression History.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 29 Oct. 2009,
https://www.history.com/topics/great-depression/great-depression-history.
■ “The Great Depression.” Khan Academy, Khan Academy,
https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/us-history/rise-to-world-power/great-depression/a/the-great-depression.
■ Amadeo, Kimberly. “What Happened During the Great Depression?” The Balance, The Balance, 5 Aug. 2019,
https://www.thebalance.com/the-great-depression-of-1929-3306033.
■ Romer, Christina D., and Richard H. Pells. “Great Depression.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia
Britannica, Inc., 16 Aug. 2019, https://www.britannica.com/event/Great-Depression.
■ 5 Causes of The Great Depression - Cland.k12.Ky.us. PDF file,
https://www.cland.k12.ky.us/userfiles/13/classes/441/5causesofthegreatdepression.pdf?id=8459.
■ Amadeo, Kimberly. “How the Lows of the Great Depression Still Affects Us Today.” The Balance, The Balance, 5
Aug. 2019, https://www.thebalance.com/effects-of-the-great-depression-4049299.
■ "To what extent is the Great Depression responsible for WWII? How did the Great Depression contribute to the
start of World War II?" eNotes Editorial, 2 Sep. 2012,
https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/what-extent-great-depression-responsible-wwii-357130.