Mrs. Ruland's U.S. History Class Project
The Efforts of Foreign Nations in Combating the Great Depression
This is a Webiliography about how other nations recovered from the Great Depression. This is an important subject because it was due to the Depression that some dictators were able to gain power. The dictators then started WWII which was a dynamic time because there were many evils but also many good things. There has to be problems in a country for a new leader to fix otherwise the population wouldn't evict the old ruler for doing a bad job. This is how Hitler gained power, he promised to help Germany become great again so the people elected him. Without the Depression there would have been no war.
Axis Recovery
German Recovery
History Place-The Rise of Hitler This is by an organization called The History Place written by a man with a MS and other authors with PhD's. This article is about how Germany was hit with by the Depression. It also includes how Hitler gained power in the crumbling government and was able to take over. The other pages about Hitler's life on this web page are very interesting. Did you know he loved his half sister's daughter and was devastated when she committed suicide?
Germany and the Great Depression This is part of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy which is an educational and research institute. Laurence W. Reed has a degree in economics and taught economics at Northwood University then oversaw the department. The article is about why the depression hit Germany so hard. It says that the flaws in the Treaty of Versailles allowed Hitler to gain power.
Nazi Germany This is part of a series on totalitarianism from the Corner of the World web site which was written by a college graduate who has taught History in schools.One should begin at the section called "The Great Depression and the Rise of the Nazis". This section includes information on the Depression, how it hit Germany, and how the Nazis were able to gain power.
Italian Recovery
Fascist Italy This is also part of a series on totalitarianism from the Corner of the World web site which was written by a college graduate who has taught History in schools. On this page you should begin at the section called "New Problems after the First World War". This page has information on how economic distress after WWI led to the rise of Mussolini. After Mussolini gained power he had to enact new economic plans to reform the country then to deal with problems such as the depression. The Depression information is mostly under the section called "Economic And Social Life Under Mussolini" because it includes the events of Italy in 1929.
Japanese Recovery
Did Takahashi Korekiyo Rescue Japan from the Great Depression? This is an abstract of a journal article written by Myung Soo Cha a professor in South Korea . The entire journal is available by subscription. Korekiyo became the Japanese Finance Minister and was able to shrink the amount of damage that the Depression did to Japan . The “how” of his tactics are explained in the abstract. It is interesting that the Axis powers were some of the first nations out of the Depression.
Japan, the Great Depression and Rural Revitalization This is by Kerry Smith who is a part of the Harvard University Asia Center and this is another abstract. But this one is about how the Depression hit the rural areas of Japan and how the people survived. The book includes eyewitness accounts and laws that affected the peasants.
Other Nation's Recovery
Chinese Recovery
Chinese Silver Standard This page includes an abstract of the book titled "The Chinese Silver Standard Economy and the Great Depression" written by Cheng-Chung Lai from the National Tsing Hua University and Joshua Jr. Shiang Gau who is the Director of the general budget, accounting, and statistics in Taiwan. The book argues that the Chinese silver standard insulated the Chinese economy from the Great Depression. It also states that if China had been on the Gold Standard like other large nations then they would have been in as much, if not more, economic trouble than the rest of the world.
European Recovery (plus a little on Japan)
Sliding into the Depression This is an accurate source because it was written by a professor at Berkeley . It includes lots of good information about the depression in the US but later under the “Golden Fetters” heading it has information about how the gold standard hindered some countries in escaping the depression. After this section there is more information about the gold standard was abandoned by most nations. And who got out of the depression first and how.
The Great Depression This is a web site from the Macro Center which is unbiased and critiqued by professors. Start at "Economic Recovery In Sweden, France Italy, and Britain" for information that is relevant to this page. Sweden wasn't hit as hard as the United States and recovered faster because they reduced taxes and did other things. France was hit later but just as hard. The French government said that if the people believed in Socialism then anarchy would rule. Under Mussolini the economy was still bad because of erratic policy making. Britain was on the gold standard like the U.S. so that hurt them a lot.
The Great Depression This is a site with materials for teachers or parents who home school their kids. Under the category called "Effects and Some Facts" they have information on how the depression effected Britain, Canada, France, and Germany. Not many sites give information on countries in the Western Hemisphere but this gives some information about Canada. It also includes information about France which was very difficult to locate.
The End of Optimism The pages are designed for introductory level survey courses at colleges and universities and for advanced history courses at the secondary level. This page was created by faculty and graduate students at Virginia Tech. This is a paper which includes how the depression came about.Plus the effects of the Depression on Germany, Britain, and France
Katie R.
Last updated March 28, 2007
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