In the late 1920s, a deep economic depression engulfed much of the world. Its scope and severity were unprecedented. Although commonly associated with the United States, countries as different as Indonesia and Canada, Peru and Japan, Great Britain and the Belgian Congo reeled from devastating losses. Few experienced a full recovery until the onset of World War II ten years later. This “Great Depression,” as it came to be known, had profound repercussions for world history. The increasingly interdependent global economy of the early twentieth century splintered as governments raced to erect tariff walls and devalue currencies. In the face of high unemployment rates and declining revenues, economic nationalism prevailed over international cooperation. The catastrophe also produced a significant shift in political allegiances, both to the left and to the right of the ideological continuum. With large numbers of people enduring misery and hardship, populist politicians and movement leaders rallied support by targeting scapegoats, promising improved conditions, and promoting government intervention in every aspect of life. Although outwardly incongruous, national welfare programs, fascism, labor strikes, and anti-colonial protests all resulted from the depression.
1920年代後半、世界的な大不況に見舞われた。その規模と深刻さは、前代未聞であった。1920年代後半、世界各地を襲った大不況は、前代未聞の規模であり、その深刻さは、米国だけでなく、インドネシアやカナダ、ペルーや日本、英国やベルギー領コンゴなど、さまざまな国が壊滅的なダメージを受けた。10年後に第二次世界大戦が始まるまで、完全な回復を遂げた国はほとんどない。この「世界恐慌」は、世界史に大きな影響を与えた。20世紀初頭、相互依存を強めていた世界経済は、各国政府が関税の壁を築き、通貨の切り下げを急いだため、分裂してしまった。高い失業率と収入の減少に直面し、国際協力よりも経済的なナショナリズムが優勢になった。この大災害はまた、政治的な忠誠心を、イデオロギーの連続体の左側と右側の両方に著しく変化させた。多くの人々が不幸と苦難に耐えている中、ポピュリストの政治家や運動指導者は、スケープゴートに的を絞り、状況の改善を約束し、生活のあらゆる面への政府の介入を促進することによって、支持を集めました。外見上は不釣り合いだが、国民福祉計画、ファシズム、労働争議、反植民地主義的な抗議行動はすべて、恐慌から生じたものである。
This unit on the global impact of the Great Depression works on two levels. First it provides students with a comprehensive overview of what happened. They learn not only about the causes and consequences of this event but also about national similarities and differences. In addition, students will discover how governments turned inwards or undermined each other in the midst of the crisis, gain some appreciation for what it meant to live during the 1930s, and realize how the Great Depression fractured the modern world system and contributed to the outbreak of World War II. Third, this unit challenges the historical thinking of students. By utilizing a comparative framework, it underscores how United States history is intricately connected to the history of the rest of the world. The American experience did not unfold in isolation. The unit uses primary materials and online research to reveal the interplay of economic, political, and social history, for example, how global events influenced and reflected the actions of Vietnamese rice farmers or Canadian autoworkers. Finally, through discussion and debate, the unit reveals the complexities of history—that patterns of development are not straightforward, predictable, or uni-causal.
Upon completing this unit, students will be able to:
1. Describe and analyze the Great Depression as a global experience.
2. Define and graph GDP figures.
3. Identify and assess different causes for the Great Depression.
4. Analyze primary documents like photos, political cartoons, and speeches.
5. Define and explain the rise of populism.
6. Compare the development of welfare states in Mexico and the United States.
7. Analyze connections between the Great Depression and both industrial unionism and colonial freedom movements.
Lesson 1: A global experience
Lesson 2: Causes of the Great Depression
Lesson 3: Populism and politics
Lesson 4: Populism and protest
http://worldhistoryforusall.ss.ucla.edu/units/eight/landscape/08_landscape3.pdf
