The Great Depression and World War II

1929–1945

The Great Depression of the 1930s ushered in an age of unprecedented violence and suffering around the globe. Millions were out of work, hungry, and disillusioned. Authoritarian leaders capitalized on the downhearted, gaining widespread support with their promises to revive the economy and to restore national glory. As the first document vividly shows, the Nazi Party, led by Adolf Hitler (1889–1945), was one of the most menacing of these new political forces. Ultimately, the combination of ideology and advanced technology that fueled Hitler’s ambitions would have devastating consequences. In 1936, when right-wing rebels staged a coup against the republican government of Spain, Hitler and fascists from elsewhere in Europe came to their aid, eager for the opportunity to test new weapons and military tactics aimed at civilians. Although the human impact of such tactics was dreadful, as the second document reveals, no one was prepared for the scale of the slaughter that lay ahead. Western democracies responded cautiously to the Nazis, hoping to contain their aggression through a policy of appeasement rather than military might. The third document illustrates this policy in action at a critical juncture in Hitler’s march toward war. The last two documents expose the horrible physical and psychological toll World War II had on the civilian population, setting a dangerous precedent for the future.