The document discusses the Great Depression and its global impacts in the 1930s. It notes that over 11,000 banks failed in the US between 1929-1933, unemployment rose to 15-30% worldwide, and economies were affected across the globe. Some countries were able to reduce unemployment more quickly than others by taking control, though they also destroyed democracy. The document also discusses the rights movements that emerged in the US and South Africa in the 1960s to combat racial segregation and white supremacy, as well as the new feminism movements that arose in the US and UK during that same time period to advocate for women's rights.

1. Comparative History Articles By: Megan Morgan

2. The Great Depression In the United States alone, over 11,000 banks failed between 1929 and 1933. 13 million Americans found themselves jobless, unemployed. Economies around the world were affected. Some countries were able to take control and end unemployment more quickly than others, such as Japan, Italy and Germany, but the end result was that they destroyed democracy as well. Ending of World War I had a direct negative impact on every country’s economy. Unemployment was at 15 to 30 percent across the globe. Agricultural countries fared better than most due to their ability to sustain themselves on individual farming.

3. The Great Depression In the United States, the stock market crash of 1929 was akin to the collapsing of the “capitalist world market”. US production dropped as did their sales. Prices fell dramatically due to building stocks declining, affecting markets globally. Wage earners became unemployed over night. Prior to this, no social security program was in affect to compensate unemployment rise. USA to this point had been the premier import and export nation. “Reparations”, came under debate, how was the US going to collect on these WWI debts? Germany being the country owing the most.

4. The Great Depression Combination of credit boom and over-production, lagging wages, slow profits and the richer becoming richer helped trigger the collapse. 3 opinions arose as a result of the depression: Marxism A Macro-Economic Steering Fascism Worst hit countries by 1933 were Germany and the USA. Adolf Hitler came into power due to his charisma and strength at a time when Germany was in economic crisis. F.D. Roosevelt took office a mere month apart from Hitler, his personality also winning him the leadership seat. He had very little understanding of economics though. Each candidate appealed to the suffering lower classes, the poor, laborers, unemployed.

5. The Great Depression Approval ratings were huge for both leaders throughout their respective countries, bringing hope for the future with them. In many respects, New Deal America and Nazi Germany policies were alike. Unemployment aid, marriage loans, public works programs, tax rebates to companies who continued to hire employees. Work camps were set into place by both leaders to aid the jobless. Used these camps as a way to keep the young male workforce out of the labor market. Industry policy was set into motion, production controls limiting new corporation entry as well as price and wage manipulation. Social security and fair labor standards accounts benefitted workers, not just union members, thus increasing employment greatly.

6. The Great Depression Nazis lowered educational standards to allow working-class social economic stability. Both countries organized commercial agriculture to increase production. Roosevelt championed rural-life, seeing them as the backbones to American life. Hitler saw rural-life as the foundation. Neither leader had much success in relocating citizens towards the farms, programs failed to make headway. Both governments did much to use propaganda to achieve their goals. Swastika being the Nazi symbol, Roosevelt employed the use of the NRA Blue Eagle symbol, both leaders trying to use mass persuasion. Nazi’s were the most successful of the two countries in solving their unemployment crisis the quickest. Over-all, it was still an issue that globally, prosperity without war could not be achieved.

7. Rights Revolution: Resistance to White Supremacy in the US and South Africa 1960’s brought much needed change to the American climate, JFK was elected president, end of Cuban Missile Crisis, Communist alliance between Soviet Union and China ended. Civil-rights and women’s rights movements had the perfect breeding ground for growth. Both movements beginning as equal rights movements, but growing into more complex struggles. South Africa and the United States continued to foster obvious white supremacy during the 1950s and early 1960s, despite other countries having forsaken the practice long ago. South African early attempts at non-violent protest against segregation resulted in failure, and their Congress, while not making the obvious needed changes, was not able to stop the movement. PAC and ANC were South African civil rights organizations, fighting towards the same goal, but taking different paths. Eventually driven into hiding, they decided that non-violence would not be the way to triumph in their struggle.

8. Rights Revolution: Resistance to White Supremacy in the US and South Africa American non-violent movement began with the Montgomery bus boycott in1955 and it was a hugely successful campaign. This boycott led to the Civil Rights Acts of 1964 & 65, with the outcome being southern blacks allowed the vote. Original protest in South Africa had little following, the Defiance Campaign, due largely to various reasons, one of them being that America lacked the same movement at the same time. Mahatma Gandhi was the inspiration of these movements, through his own usage of non-violent protest in the fight for Indian Independence. Martin Luther King Jr., utilized this passive resistance as his foundation for the Civil Rights Movement in America. As with America, South Africa took note due to the presence of Gandhi in South Africa early in the 1900s, fighting for South African Indian right as British subjects.

9. Rights Revolution: Resistance to White Supremacy in the US and South Africa Ideology and social class were both common threads between the South African and American movements. Due to religious belief and support of church and emotion, gave American movement more power to succeed. South Africa also lacked a strong and forceful figure head, such as America had in Martin Luther King Jr. Federal government offering support to the American movement was crucial, where in South Africa Britain had recently ceded from power, leaving the movement without government backing. Forcing the issue to be international was a vital step for the American President’s. South Africa communist involvement hindered their progress. Martin Luther King Jr. appealed many times to the South African peoples and government to see how important this non-violent movement was for its country. His appeals fell on deaf ears. Ultimately, South Africa succeeded in a violent revolution for Civil Rights where its non-violent approach had failed.

10. Rights Revolution: New Feminism in American and Great Britain Betty Friedains book, “ The Feminine Mystique”, renewed interest in the 1960s of the feminist movement. Two types of feminism emerged, “Equal Rights” and “Women's Liberation”. End of the 1950s saw the frustration an contempt of women being discriminated against drawn to a head. Even though women in mass numbers were entering the workforce, the proportion shows an actual decline. Establishment of NOW was crucial in the movement as it put sex discrimination into congressional play. Changing attitudes from organizations such as the The Women’s Bureau helped give movement force.

11. Rights Revolution: New Feminism in American and Great Britain Women's liberation movement began independently from the equal rights movement. Met with ridicule and scorn, there was much hostility towards women in the workplace. Many different factions of movement groups were forming. Radical feminists arose , seeing the female gender as strictly oppressed, but still holding that the female values of “sex, love and marriage” very valuable. Radical feminists criticized the institution of marriage and the repression of female sexuality. Abortion was a strong issue and a link that joined the two movements. In Britain, these groups arose from American influence, although the Marxism feminist had more footing in Britain. Exclusion of men, abortion and marriage were all similarities between the two countries movements. Both movements have dwindled out and virtually died by the end of the 1970s.