Follow me on slideshare. http://www.slideshare.net/gohbangrui These slides are used in lower secondary History lessons to illustrate the effects of external events on Singapore before World War I. It aims to explain the start of world war 1 and how it affects Singapore. Any feedback is welcome.

1. Chapter 5
Effects of External Events on
Singapore Before World War II

2. World War I
(1914-1919)

3. War may sometimes be a necessary
evil. But no matter how necessary, it is
always an evil, never a good. We will
not learn how to live together in peace
by killing each other's children.
Jimmy Carter
39th USA President
(1924 - )
“
”

4. Objectives of the day
World War I
1. Causes
2. What happened?

5. “The Great War was without precedent ... never had so
many nations taken up arms at a single time. Never had
the battlefield been so vast… never had the fighting been
so gruesome...”
Jay Winter & Blaine Baggett, The Great War, And the Shaping of the 20th Century
What does the above quote tell you about World War I?

6. “The Great War was without precedent ... never had so
many nations taken up arms at a single time. Never had
the battlefield been so vast… never had the fighting been
so gruesome...”
Jay Winter & Blaine Baggett, The Great War, And the Shaping of the 20th Century
What does the above quote tell you about World War I?

8. World War I (1914-1919)
1. Britain
2. France
3. Russia
4. Italy (joined later)
1. Germany
2. Austria-Hungary
3. The Ottoman
Empire
Europe
The Central
Powers
The Allied
Powers

9. By 1914,
Europe was divided into two groups which were rivals
The Central Powers vs The Allied Powers
The tension between these two groups could trigger a war
anytime.

10. Trigger
The Archduke of Austria-
Hungary was murdered.
European countries started
to take sides in a war.
Franz Ferdinard

11. Initially, only a few European countries were involved
but soon it involved about 30 countries.
Austria-Hungary
Belgium
Brazil
British Empire
Bulgaria
China
France and Colonies
German Empire
Greece
Guatemala
Haiti
Honduras
Italy
Japan
Liberia
Montenegro
Nicaragua
Ottoman Empire
Panama
Portugal
Romania
Russia
San Marino
Serbia
Siam
United States of America

12. The war escalated into WWI.
died.
10, 000, 000

13. 20 Singapore’s Population Died.

14. What we have learnt
World War I
1. Causes
2. What happened?

15. The Great Depression
(1930-1939)

16. Depression
A time when there is a collapse in a country’s
economy with widespread unemployment.

17. What happened after
WWI ended?

18. After WWI, the economy of the world thrived once again.
In the early 1920s, many companies in America enjoyed
good profits through the buying and selling of shares.

19. Shares
refer to the ownership of a
company by investing money
in it.

20. 1928
The share prices rise.
This encouraged even more
people to make quick money
by buying shares of different
companies.

21. Some people
borrowed money
from banks (on
credit) to buy
shares.
$
When most of the
companies started
to suffer losses in
1929, many people
decided to sell their
shares as they
wanted to get back
their money.

22. This massive selling off of the shares caused the share
prices to plunge greatly and this led to the
WALL STREET

24. What about the banks?

25. Banks tried to collect the
loans from the people who
borrowed on credit but
many did not have the
money to repay.
Others who tried to
withdraw their savings
from the bank lost their
savings as the banks did
not have money to pay
them.
This led to the banks being forced to close down.
$

26. The Great Depression
(1930-1939)

27. Shops
PeopleFactory
The Great
Depression
With the increase in the
number of poor people, shops
closed down as people had no
money to buy goods.

28. Shops
PeopleFactory
The Great
Depression
With the increase in the
number of poor people, shops
closed down as people had no
money to buy goods.
Many people
lost their jobs
and could not
find new jobs.

29. Shops
PeopleFactory
The Great
Depression
With the increase in the
number of poor people, shops
closed down as people had no
money to buy goods.
With no demand,
factories had to be
closed down and those
remaining had to
retrench workers Many people
lost their jobs
and could not
find new jobs.

30. Although the Great Depression started in America, it soon
spread to other countries that traded with America,
including Singapore.

31. Impact of the Great Depression
in Singapore
Widespread
Unemployment
Decrease in
Trade

32. Widespread
Unemployment
1

33. Singapore’s
economy largely
dependent on
overseas trade

34. Singapore’s
economy largely
dependent on
overseas trade
Decrease in
trading
activities

35. Singapore’s
economy largely
dependent on
overseas trade
Decrease in
trading
activities
Loss of wealth
for companies
in Singapore

36. Singapore’s
economy largely
dependent on
overseas trade
Decrease in
trading
activities
Loss of wealth
for companies
in Singapore
Businesses
forced to close
down

37. Singapore’s
economy largely
dependent on
overseas trade
Decrease in
trading
activities
Loss of wealth
for companies
in Singapore
Businesses
forced to close
down
Workers were
retrenched

38. Singapore’s
economy largely
dependent on
overseas trade
Decrease in
trading
activities
Loss of wealth
for companies
in Singapore
Businesses
forced to close
down
Workers were
retrenched
High rate of
unemployment

39. Employment Rate
Unemployed Employed
1/31931

40. Many had to depend
on relatives/ friends.
Many immigrants
returned to their
homeland.
What
happened to
the
unemployed?
Passed a law in
1930: Reduce &
Restrict number of
immigrants from
coming to Singapore.
Sent a large number
of unemployed
Chinese/ Indian
workers back to their
homeland.
What did the
government
do?

41. Decrease in
Trade
2

42. America and Europe were
major buyers of raw
materials such as tin and
rubber for the manufacturers
of goods in factories.
With Great Depression, the
demand for these raw
materials decreased and the
trade of these commodities
decreased even further.

43. Timeline of
Important Events

44. • Beginning of the
Industrial
Revolution in
Britain
1750
• Building of the
New Harbour in
Singapore
1852 • Work on the
Suez Canal
began
1859

45. •Opening of the Suez
Canal
1869
•The New Harbour
was renamed
Keppel Harbour
1900 •Establishment of the
Singapore Harbour
Board to look after
the new port.
1912

46. • World War I broke out
• Emden arrived in Asia
in Sept
• The Sinking of Emden
in Nov
1914
• The Sepoy Mutiny
took place
1915 • The Wall Street Crash
took place
1929

47. What we have learnt so far…
World War I
1. Causes
2. What happened?
The Great Depression
1. How did the Great Depression affect Singapore?
• Widespread unemployment
• Decrease in trade

48. Conclusion
The development and
prosperity of Singapore is
largely dependent on the
world.
It is hence important to be
aware of the main external
events that affected
Singapore and the chain of
effects that these events had
on Singapore.

49. Created by
Goh Bang Rui
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