COMPARATIVE HISTORY

ARTICLE READINGS

Sayda VegaHistory 141

Class # 50587

*The Great Depression was the time in which the American economy dramatically descended during the 1920’s*It lasted for many years until the beginning of World War II in 1939.*It is believed that the Great Depression started with the crisis of the New York Stock Exchange of October 29, 1929.*There is no doubt that this event was a devastating impact for the American nation.*“Between 1929 and 1933 over 11,000 American banks failed, and almost every person was unemployed.”*There were stronger central governments as a result of the Depression.

THE GREAT DEPRESSION

*Herbert Hoover was a Republican president of the U.S elected in 1928.*The “trade cycle” of boom and slump was common in the 19th Century.*The world economy, technology and globalization increased since the Industrial Revolution.*Globalization stopped advancing during the years of war.*The United States experienced a huge amount of migrants before the years of war and Great Depression.*Prices collapsed everywhere.*The years of 1932 and 1933 are said to be the worst period of the slump.*According to historical records this has been the worst economic catastrophe in the world.

*Incredible lack of social security and unemployment relief.*”When world trade fell by 60% states found themselves building high barriers to protect their national markets.”*Economic liberalism was also affected by The Great Depression.*Priority on social considerations rather than economic considerations in state policies.

*John Maynard Keynes (1883-1946) was a British economist during this time.*As a consequence of the Great Depression, installation of welfare systems had to be implemented.

*The United States was the largest economy nation in the world by 1913*The United States gained not only the popularity of being the world’s greatest industrial producer, it turned to be the world’s greatest creditor after war.*Some countries of the Americas ended up being worldwide lenders.*When The Great Depression arrived, the U.S’s exports severely decreased.*Periodic crisis and settlements under American patronage.

*According to the author of the second article, “The U.S. did not much need the rest of the world.”*“The second perspective on the Great Depression fixes on the failure of the world economy to generate enough demand for lasting expansion.”*The fundamentals of success of the 1920’s were not stable.*“The Great Depression confirmed activists, intellectuals and ordinary citizens in the belief that something was fundamentally wrong with the world they live in.” *J.M. Keynes became the most influential economist during that time.*The Great Depression was a catastrophe that destroyed people’s hope.

WORLD WAR II*The war started in 1939 and reached America in 1941.*Mobilization for war ended the Great Depression.*The World War II ended the American isolation.*Japan ended up being the world’s economic and political center and rival of America.*David Dimbleby and David Reynolds were the authors of the first essay.*Adolf Hitler, the Nazi leader of Germany played an important role.*At the beginning of war, President Roosevelt declared the nation neutral.

*Although the U.S. remained neutral, it permitted the sale of arms and provisions to England in a “cash-and-carry” basis.*There is people who believe that World War II could have been avoided.*Adolf Hitler came to power in 1933.*An important allied of Adolf Hitler and his Nazi movement was the Italian dictator Mussolini.*President Roosevelt considered that he could use the U.S influences to maintain peace.*The U.S. didn’t want to get involved into world affairs due to the big problems caused by the Great Depression.

*Neville Chamberlain became the Prime Minister in May 1937.*He tried to talk to Hitler and Mussolini to come up with an agreement.*Meanwhile the American trade still was declining.*August 31, 1939 Hitler invaded Poland and three days later Britain and France declared war.*The Phony War: period of inactivity.*Winston Churchill requested President Roosevelt’s help.*Roosevelt wanted, “ninety-nine year leases on eight British possessions in the Americas to build air and naval bases” in exchange of America’s help.*Churchill had no other option but to accept Roosevelt’s offer.*Many American people didn’t want to get involved in Britain’ war.

*America declared war on Japan and Hitler declared war on America.*Japan attacked the Pearl Harbor in December 1941.*”Japanese were looked upon as something subhuman an repulsive, the way people feel about cockroaches of mice.”*No one expected the attack and power of Japanese*Japanese people always suffered of discrimination and racism.*The genocide of Jews by Hitler was a perfect example of racism.*Japanese were looked up as subhuman.*”They were little men inferior to white.”

*Japanese were considered primitive, childish and mad.*Sometimes they were portrayed as supermen.*Japanese became the nightmare came true for its enemy nations thanks to their attacks in World War II.*Before the attack on Pearl Harbor, people tended to think that Japanese could not shoot, sail or fly.*Everybody underestimated the Japanese’s capacity to keep fighting and the damage they could provide.*August 1945 Japan was surrounded.*Japan appeared three decades later as an economic superpower.