How World War II Contributed The End Of The Great Depression

Modernism began around the late 1800s or early 1900s, with artists and writers in Europe producing many extraordinary and influential works. This period spans many events, including both World Wars and the Great Depression. World War I appeared to be a major event that helped to start Modernism; this was because of the destruction and ruin that came from it and events that followed. This poem is consistent with the values of Modernism because of alienation, time, and self- consciousness; however, it continues to resonate with readers today because isolation, change, and insecurities are things that humans may face.

Economically the United States had its highs and lows. One would have not wanted to be an American during the time period of the "Great Depression". The depression lasted from 1929-1940 and brought hard times for any family across the continent. In Midwest families who relied on farming were hit with sudden and drastic economic droughts known as The Dust Bowl. Along with the depression came unemployment and sent the United States into a tailspin. These rates of unemployment were at all time highs. These times were as hard as they get if you are American. Although they developed programs to help people in the depression rebound from

After the wealthy and roaring 1920s, America entered one of the hardest economic crises in history in the late ‘20s and early ‘30s. The majority of people sank below the poverty line, but through the government and Franklin Delano Roosevelt (known as FDR), America was able to endure this time of struggle. The Great Depression lead to organizations such as the Public Works Administration and the National Recovery Administration which helped when so many Americans were unemployed, and struggling to stay healthy.

One would say that the Great Depression is one of the darkest times in American history. The Great Depression did not only affect the United States, but also other countries who were heavily invested in the United States, such as Germany and Great Britain. Following the crash of the stock market in 1929, the level of unemployment skyrocketed and economies around the world plunged. The United States faced those dark years until about the later part of the early 1930s, when things start to head in an upward trend. Some of this success could be contributed to Franklin D. Roosevelt’s implementation of the New Deal in an attempt to restore confidence in the economy, and the political system. Ultimately, it would still take years until the world economy and especially the United States economy was anywhere near its pre stock market crash levels. The success of the New Deal was short lived when the economy started to take a turn downward in the late 1930s, because FDR could not get enough demand to successfully implement his New Deal. In 1939 there was another positive trend with the beginning of World War II. Although the New Deal helped to restore confidence in the economy and the political system, nevertheless it was the spending of World War II that ended the Great Depression, because it lowered the level of unemployment, increased productivity, and helped to boost the United States economy upward, although capitalism still survived.

World War I, The Great Depression, and World War II brought instability to the United States. As World War II came to an end in 1945 people were looking for stability, which is what the 1950’s resulted in. The 1950’s was a decade of conformity in all aspects of life; politics, economy, and culture.

The traditional view of Franklin D. Roosevelt is that he motivated and helped the United States during the “Great Depression” and was a great president, however, as time has passed, economist historians have begun analyzing Roosevelt’s presidency. Many have concluded that he did not help America during the Great Depression but instead amplified and prolonged the depression. Jim Powell wrote about FDR economic policies and did an excellent job explaining Roosevelt’s incompetent initiatives. Roosevelt did not know anything about economics and his advisors made everything worse by admiring the Soviet Union.

The Great Depression is one of the most misunderstood events in not only American history but also Great Britain, France, Germany, and many other industrialized nations. It also has had important consequences and was an extremely devastating event in America. It was the longest and most severe depression ever experienced by the industrialized Western world. When the New York Stock Exchange crashed in October 1929, the United States dropped sharply into a major depression. The world was in wide demand for agricultural goods during World War I, but they had rapidly decreased after the war and rural America experienced a severe depression throughout most of the 1920's and even on into the 1930's.

As Canada was maturing, many currencies were circulating throughout the colonies. “It was not until the Province of Canada’s revised Currency Act of 1857 that dollars and cents were recognized as the only official units of Canadian currency” (Vardy, J., 2005, p 3) “Silver and bronze coins, denominated in cents and bearing the word “Canada” issued for the first time in 1858, were the first distinctive Canadian Currency”. This currency was referred to as Dominion Notes and could be issued by “commercial banks, private enterprises and governments” (Vardy, J. , 2005,p 3). These notes “became the official currency of Canada in 1876” (Vardy, J., 2005, p 3).

When considering time between 1865 and 1945, United States history evolved and differed from period to period. It began with times of slavery and reconstruction, and proceeded with transformation in the Gilded Age. This then led to the Progressive Era, World War I, the Great Depression and its aftermath, as well as World War II. As one can see, history seems to fluctuate from times of peace and order to times of chaos and turmoil. A process of trial and error explains both how and why the U.S. changed the way it did. In other words, these periods and events reveal that history in itself is a recurring process of learning from past mistakes.

Before the 1940s, the United States had to endure an era of unemployment, bankruptcy, and poverty. The Great Depression plunged Americans into a hopeless time period, for years American citizens had no jobs and lived on nothing. Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected in 1932, he successfully lead the United States out of the Great Depression. The most significant event that helped pull the United States out of the depression was World War II. In the first half of the war the United States isolated itself, deciding to stay neutral. Instead, they provided equipment and products to countries that were involved in the war. This dramatically increased the job opportunities for Americans.

World War II was the biggest and most fierce armed conflict ever. At the point when the Great Depression influenced the American economy, America was going to just concentrate on their issues and not fret about some other undertakings. After Pearl Harbor on December 6th of 1941, America transitioned its gigantic economy into a Total War economy. The United States actions were positive based on: The War in the Pacific, America’s Spending in the War, and the Contribution of American People.

Before World War I, the United States was in a period of isolationism, and a determination to stay out of European wars and affairs, while trying to maintain its status as one of the world’s biggest superpowers, militarily and economically (“United States Before”). America was just exiting the Gilded Age, which was an important time of growth and prosperity. Despite this, the American economy was in a small recession when entering the war, which was reversed by a 44 month period of growth caused by production for the war (NBER). This 44 month period helped the economy expand, and furthered the strength of the country. It also furthered the confidence of American businesses and the government which contributed to the attitude that caused overconfidence and helped to spread the Great Depression.

When the citizens had bought all that they could buy, there was a decrease in demand. Suddenly, the industries had an excess of goods and no one to sell it to. At this point, the Fordney-McCumber Act began to cripple the economy of America. Other nations introduced high tariffs to boost their revenue and to spite the United States. Sadly for the United States, these high tariffs and low demand were instrumental in the depression that America experienced. When the stock market crashed on October 29th, 1929 or “Black Tuesday”, the united states, along with other nations were in economic turmoil and the widespread prosperity of the 1920s ended abruptly. The depression threatened people's jobs, savings, and even their homes and farms. During the heart of the depression, over one-quarter of the American population was out of work. For many Americans, these were extremely hard times. When Roosevelt was voted into office, he introduced the New Deal. While this plan tried to help the united states out of it’s isolationist rut, the second world war was the final solution. Mobilizing the economy for world war finally cured the depression. Millions of men and women joined the armed forces, and even larger numbers went to work in well-paying defence jobs.

From 1929 to 1945, two catastrophes occurred: the Great Depression and World War II. American political leaders established a cause-effect relationship between economic collapse and total war, based on these two events, which defined their policy approach in the post-war period. In the 1930s, American leadership, and most importantly, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, came to view economic decline, political radicalization, and instability as forming a vicious cycle that led to utter chaos and war. Although FDR did not know the future consequences of the economic fallout, he did know that breaking the cycle was of systemic importance. FDR’s policy platform, known as the New Deal, disregarded the historical wariness for government intervention and boldly connected economic security to freedom. Essentially, he attempted to push the American system to its limit in order to save it. Even with conservative elements constantly attempting to restrain his initiatives, FDR expanded his focus in the latter years of the 1930s to include international affairs as war broke out in Europe, Africa, and Asia. FDR and other government elites openly talked about the responsibility America had to build a new world order.

Ah yes the million-dollar question, did WWII end the Great Depression. To answer this and have a consensus of global economist might just earn this MAH student a Nobel Peace Prize. There is no doubt that the Great Depression ended with the ending of WWII, not the beginning. Therefore, I would say that it is a safe to support the theory that yes, WWII ended the Great Depression. Clearly, Franklin D. Roosevelt’s policy of government spending and John Maynard Keynes tax and spend economic theory was not working. Yet, Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR) was certainly willing to try Keynesian economics in an effort to jump-start the sluggish American economy, between 1929 and 1939.