The Great Depression was a period of worldwide economic crisis between World War I and World War II. It began with the Wall Street Crash of 1929 and spread around the globe. Overproduction, lagging demand, and an overexpansion of consumer credit led economies worldwide into crisis as demand could not keep up with supply. Franklin D. Roosevelt introduced his New Deal programs in the U.S. to revive the economy, while Adolf Hitler rose to power in Germany to lead a desperate population during this difficult time.

1. The Great Depression
THE DOWNTURN OF WORLDWIDE ECONOMY

2. Into the Economic Abyss
 The Great Inter-war Depression: between the wars the
capitalist world economy appeared to collapse
 Age of Catastrophe, 1913 - 1942: economic growth ceased to
continue developing
 Black Tuesday: New York Stock Exchange crash of October
29, 1929
 Economies all over the world are affected by the crisis

3. Into the Economic Abyss
 WWI became the world’s greatest industrial
producer, but also the world’s greatest creditor
 In 1929, the U.S. produced over 42% of total world
output…only to be affected by the Depression
 Demand could not keep up with the supply: the
result was overproduction…
 …a lagging expansion of demand had been “beefed
up” by means of an enormous expansion of
consumer credit.
 Banks failed

4. Roosevelt and Hitler
 Roosevelt: president through most of the Depression and creator of the
New Deal, aimed at reviving the economy
 Hitler becomes chancellor of Germany – two of the world’s biggest
powers
 Both worked towards bettering the lives of their desperate,
disillusioned people, perhaps elevating each to a too-high level (namely
Hitler)
 The people, desperate, just wanted someone to lead them, which
Roosevelt and Hitler did