World War I and the Great
Depression Timeline
League of Nations
What
did it do?
Established the mandate system
 Mandates – former colonies/territories of
defeated Central Powers administered by
mainly France and Great Britain.
 Iraq, Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria are
examples of mandate territories

Mandate System
League of Nations
Why
did it fail?
United States did not become a
member – US wants to “isolate” itself
from Europe (isolationism)
 L of N did not have the power to
enforce its decisions

Wanted
United States
isolation from the rest of
the world.
Dominant world economy after
WWI
Led to economic “boom” =
immense prosperity.
People borrowed money on credit
for goods and stocks.
Great Britain
Horrors
of war deeply impacted
British society and economy.
Lost factory jobs to USA and Japan
Labour Party (worker’s party) won
general elections in the 1920’s.
France
 Devastated
by WWI
 Economic hardship

High unemployment, gov’t nearly
bankrupt
 Political chaos

No party could get a majority
 Horrors

of War
50% of men ages 18-32 killed in war
Italy
Resented
Treaty of Versailles
 Did not give enough rewards to
Italy
High unemployment and inflation
Political and economic chaos led to
the election of Mussolini and his
Fascist government in 1924.
Between the Wars: Global
Depression & Dictatorships
Fasces
Benito Mussolini
Germany
 Anger
and Resentment over the Treaty of
Versailles.
 Weimar Republic - democratic gov’t
elected in 1919.
 Reparations caused economic hardships in
Germany
 Loans from the US led to a period of
relative prosperity in the 1920’s.
 But…Political unrest still occurs…

Rise of Adolf Hitler
Between the Wars: Global
Depression & Dictatorships
Adolf Hitler
Hitler - Parade
Russia
Lenin’s
NEW ECONOMIC POLICY
Changes name – now U.S.S.R
Lenin Dies » Stalin in power
1st FIVE YEAR PLAN
 Industrialization
 Collectivization
Japan
 After
WWI – felt West did not treat it as
an equal.
 Industrialization – need for raw
materials
 Wanted more control in China
 Increasingly nationalistic and
militaristic
The Stock Market Crash
 Causes
Overproduction in USA – prices go
down sharply
 Excessive dependence on credit to
buy goods and stocks – people
cannot pay debts
 High protective tariffs stifle world
trade

The Stock Market Crash
 OCTOBER
1929
 Banks call in loans
 People unable to pay off their credit
bills
 Stock prices tumble
 Businesses start to fail, laying off
workers
 RESULTS IN…
Run on the Bank
The GREAT DEPRESSION
 WORLDWIDE
effects
 Production of goods cut around the
world
 Prices, Salaries, and Wages fell
(Deflation)
 Many workers lost their jobs

13 million in the USA alone
Franklin
United States
D. Roosevelt elected Pres.
in 1932
NEW DEAL –Fed gov’t would spend
money, put workers back to work.
Regulated banks, stock market
Social security and unemployment
insurance
France
 Fascists
and Communists constantly
battled for influence among workers
 1934 – Socialist-led gov’t comes to
power
 Passed many laws that benefited
workers and farmers
Germany
 1929
– Hitler appeals to German
workers - He can bring back economic
prosperity/German national pride
(nationalism).
 1930’s
– NAZI’s win big in elections
 1933 – Hitler is appointed
“Chancellor” or leader of the German
gov’t
Russia
 Results
of the FIVE YEAR PLAN
 Rapid Industrialization
 Workers work for little, no pay
 Food is scarce
 Famine
1930’s -
Great Purge – Stalin tries
to “eliminate” his “enemies”
Japan
 Japan
dependent on US market – Great
Depression in USA carried to Japan
 Millions unemployed, starving
 Military leaders promised stable
leadership and national pride
(nationalism)
 Eyed imperial expansion in Asia