True, but only to a limited extent, the claim that the Great Depression triggered World War II is accurate. The Great Depression, which lasted from 1929 to 1939, is widely regarded as one of the most devastating economic effects to have occurred in the United States.
Millions of investors lost everything after the stock market crash in October 1929 sent Wall Street into a tailspin. Despite the widespread belief that the Great Depression had only a minor role in setting the stage for World War II, there are numerous reasons to believe that it had a significant impact on the outcome of that tragic event.
The great economic depression that followed the stock market crash in October 1929 ended the widespread prosperity of the 1920s. All of these things were in jeopardy because of the depression. Over a quarter of the American workforce was unemployed during the depths of the Great Depression. These were trying times for a lot of people in the United States.
FDR's first two terms were dubbed the "New Deal," and they were marked by an atmosphere of hope and optimism. As long as the Great Depression raged, there seemed to be no end in sight to the gloom. As a result of FDR's own actions, some of this occurred. "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror," FDR said in his inaugural address in 1933. Most Americans put their faith in FDR because of his ability to lead.
The 1930s' economic woes were global in scope and impact. In many parts of the world, economic instability was a contributing factor to political unrest. This led to dictatorial regimes, like Adolf Hitler's in Germany and the military's in Japan, as a result of political chaos. (The Soviet Union and Italy both had totalitarian regimes prior to the Great Depression.) In the 1930s, these regimes pushed the world closer to war. After Europe and Asia went into full-scale war, the United States tried to stay out of it. However, a country with the clout and sway of the United States would be hard-pressed to stay out of the fray for long.
December 7, 1941, marked a turning point in American history when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, launching the United States into World War II. The depression was finally ended by mobilising the economy in preparation for World War II. Hundreds of thousands of men and women enlisted in the armed forces, and tens of thousands more took up lucrative defence jobs. World War II had an enormous impact on the world and the United States and continues to do so today.
One of the many causes of the Great Depression, which eventually led to World War II, was the decline in the economy. As a result of the economic decline, 650 banks went under in the first five years, according to research. Since then, consumer spending and investment have decreased sharply causing a steep decline in industrial output and employment as failing businesses lay off workers. About 15 million Americans were unemployed and nearly half of the country's banks had failed by 1933 when the Great Depression hit its lowest point. When so many banks went bust, it led to a decrease in spending and demand, which in turn led to a decrease in production, which exacerbated the downward spiral. Conflicts were more likely to erupt at a time when economies were weak. It wasn't until the late 1930s that things started to improve, but full recovery wasn't achieved until the end. These people will have to endure a long period of hardship.
Many dictators rose to power toward the end of the Great Depression. Germans, Italians and Japanese were fed up with the constant suffering and wanted to be able to follow leaders who could promise to return their country to its former glory. Several citizens began to demand that governments take action to alleviate the plight of their fellow citizens. Hitler, Stalin, and Mussolini all promised their people a better life and a brighter future, but when they realised how much power they wanted, they became despots who ruled their countries with brute force. It was the political leaders who had complete control over people's lives and their decisions. People who didn't agree with the dictatorship lost their right to free speech and religion. Many people were sent to concentration camps as a result of this. Political systems adopted by authoritarian governments in the 1920s and 1930s were two-fold. Communism and Fascism were the two major political ideologies at the time. In order to maintain their position of power, dictators began to use communist and fascist ideologies to justify their actions.
Because of these various influences, the Great Depression was not solely responsible for bringing about World War II. After World War I ended, Europe's nations did everything in their power to prevent another conflict. They hoped that an "appeasement" would keep the peace in order to prevent this from happening. Thus, it was imperative that both Hitler and Germany were satisfied by meeting his demands. Adopted appeasement backfired, allowing Hitler to become more aggressive and more time to build the army he had always desired. The terms of the "Treaty of Versailles" were so harsh that many Germans thought it was insulting that they should be held responsible for the war. Germany had formed numerous extremist groups and parties, which came as no surprise in the years to come and were on the verge of bringing about a second world war.
To sum up, it is clear that the Great Depression had numerous effects that led to the outbreak of World War II. Because of the economic downturn, there was a greater chance of conflict rising because the economies were at their lowest point. Despite this, a number of dictators were given the chance to rise to power and take over the lives of many citizens during this time period. Therefore, it is clear and proven that the Great Depression had a significant impact on the outbreak of World War II.
Author: Olsen Andersonn
Profile: Online Essay Help Expert associated with LiveWebTutors
Country: United Kingdom
