The Great Depression and WWII
World War II lasted from 1939-1945. The war began in Europe on Sept. 1, 1939, when Germany attacked Poland, and ended on Sept. 2, 1945, with the formal surrender of Japan aboard the U.S. battleship Missouri in Tokyo Bay. The rival powers were the victorious Allies (Great Britain and the Commonwealth, France, the United States, the USSR, and China). The losing side consisted of Germany, Italy, and Japan, as well as smaller nations. World War II killed more people, destroyed more property, disrupted more lives, and probably had more far-reaching consequences than any other war in history. Casualties totaled about 17 million, civilian deaths numbered approximately 25 million. Expenditures for war materials and armaments totaled at least $1.154 trillion. The war brought about the downfall of Western Europe as the center of world power and led to the rise of the Soviet Union. During the 1930s, the Depression brought hardships to every country in the world. Leaders complained in Germany, Italy, and Japan that their nations did not have fair access to raw materials, markets, and capital investment areas, all of which were necessary for their economic health. They argued that their nati
Before the Depression began, Germany had to pay huge reparations (about $33 billion) for World War I, which crippled its economy. In 1922 and 1923, the German economy was in a major crisis when inflation ruined the value of German money. Then on October 29, 1929, the Wall Street stock market fell and started a worldwide depression. The German economy was especially vulnerable since it was built out of foreign capital. Germany took most loans from America and was very dependent on foreign trade. When those loans suddenly came due and when the demand for German exports fell, German businesses quickly came to a halt. As production levels declined, workers were laid off, causing massive unemployment. Along with this banks failed throughout the country, savings accounts were instantly wiped out. The Germans were cast into poverty and deep misery by events beyond their control. They wanted a solution to their problems and turned to Adolf Hitler. People were attracted to his promises to improve the economy, defy the hated Treaty of Versailles and rebuild Germany's military force. All of this helped bring Hitler to power. When the Great Depression struck, the Italian dictator, Benito Mussolini tried to distract the Italians from the economic cri
Some common words found in the essay are:
Wall Street, Ethiopia Japan, War II, Italy Japan, Asia Japan, World War, Britain France, Treaty Versailles, Benito Mussolini, France Hitler's, world war, war ii, world war ii, britain france, germany italy japan, attacked poland, economic crisis, raw materials, japan nations, germany italy, german economy, italy japan nations, 1 1939,
Approximate Word count = 848
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)
|
