Large depression (English "“Great depression"”) designates the heavy economic crisis in the USA, which began on 29 October 1929 with "“black Tuesday"” and which 1930er dominated years. It was part of the world economic crisis, in English is also synonymous the term with the world economic crisis.

This article itself with the political, cultural and social development of the USA in the time of the large depression (1929-1941). Detailed information to the causes and economic consequences of the crisis as well as to the attempts to overcome it is in the article world economic crisis.

Prehistory

Into the 1920er years experienced the USA one period large economic A unregulierter capitalism was favored. The presidency of Calvin Coolidge determined the decade. It operated a policy of the "“laissez-faire"”, i.e. the Nichteingreifens into the economy, the self adjustment. Its successor Herbert Hoover won the elections 1928 with the promise to continue in this way and to secure so the continuation "“prosperity"”.

Economics

As trip of the large depression the collapse of the US-American stock exchange is generally seen in October 1929. The world economic crisis concerned the whole western world in the consequence, in addition, of their dependent of other states. The world economy reached only far after the IITH world war in indicators such as industrial production, share prices and the world-wide gross national product again the conditions of 1929.

In addition, the world economy was already in the apron fastened. Different theoreticians see the trip of the crisis also in the collapse of the gold standard, to the collapse of the international trade, wrong handling with the state reserves of the USA and others

In the USA the economy reached its Tiefpunkt in the years 1932/1933, recovered for the center of the decade, but by the war entrance 1941 and arms production necessary thereby again was only stabilized.

To economic details see: World economic crisis

Politics

Herbert Hoover, successor of the president Calvin Coolidge, was felt of broad social classes as too weak and too little decisive, in order to step the substantial economic and social problems against, which were caused by the large depression.

Thus the democratic candidate Franklin Delano Roosevelt won the presidency election 1932. It should become one of the most important presidents of the USA. Up to its death 1945 it was three times red-elect. In order to meet the crisis, he adopted two new Deal programs so mentioned.

Since the stock exchange speculation and capitalism were made responsible for the crisis by the population, there was a general distrust in relation to the large companies. Also by the wide-spread social misery it came to a Radikaliserung of the US-American society. Alternative society ideals and mass movements found high Zuspruch in this time. Like that this was the time of the largest popularity, which had the communist party of the USA ever, in addition, it e.g. gave right-wing extremists and fascist organizations, who had influence in the population, like the union party of the Father Coughlin. Certainly the society was however by a "“link jerk"”, which expressed itself in socially oriented government politics (see social), in addition, in the social movements of the Popular front.

Social

By the collapse of the economy 1932 were approx. 1/4 all American unemployed, approx. 15 million humans - before the economic crisis unemployment was about 9%. A majority worked in badly paid, precarious jobs, in order to hold itself and the family over water: The average wages fell around 60%. The agricultural income was around 50% pleases.

Roosevelt got social reforms going, which were however revolutionary in Europe for a long time interspersed, for the USA in the context of the new Deal within shortest time. When the Social Security act (dt. social security decree) of 1935 seen heart of the social reforms, which introduced age, unemployed person and accident insurance, which were paid by employees and employers.

The Agricultural Adjustment act (AAA) (dt. about "“agriculture adjustment decree"”) 1933 were discharged by the congress, in order to facilitate the situation of the Farmer, which had already worsened into the 1920er years.

In the context of the first of new one Deal there were "“work-providing measures"”, first under the civil Works administration (CWA) (dt. about "“authority for public work"”) and then under the Works progress administration (WPA) (dt. about "“work transport authority"”) of the second new Deal. The particularly latter had above all the goal of taking the unemployed persons from the numbers of the receivers/inside national social welfare assistance. Public buildings, bridges, airports and roads were not only built, probes also cultural projects were promoted. Thus there was the Federal theatre Project (dt. '"“federal theatre project"”), the Federal kind Project (dt. "“Federal art project"”) and the Federal Writers Project (dt. "“Federal writer project"”).

Particularly of left critics it was criticized that many of the reforms were only halfhearted and they went not far enough. Until today there are European standards in the USA no appropriate social net.

Culture

When reaction to the economic crisis developed a strongly socialcritical and politisierte culture, which reflected itself in the literature, in the film, in the theatre, in the painting and in the music. This very day John Steinbecks novel of "“fruits of the anger"” ("“The Grapes OF Wrath"” applies, 1939; 1940 films) as symbol of the time of the large depression, although it was strongly attacked to its time of origin because of its Sozialkritk and forbidden in California even occasionally. The photographies of Dorothea long one reflected the misery from unemployed persons and the Migranten the Dust Bowl. The Woody Guthrie became with its songs a national legend. Many culture-creative, which had moved in the 1930er and 1940er years in the left political spectrum, fell the "“Kommunistenhatz"” the 1950er years to the victim, because they were brought in connection with the communist party. They were cross-examined and received partially direct and/or indirect professional disqualification, which ruined its careers.

On the other hand in the mass maintenance also on diverson was set, in order to be able to forget at least for one moment the state of distress. Thus the four years old Shirley Temple became 1932 the film star, that dominated the decade. Also musical were much likes. These had however also often hidden socialcritical allusions.

see also: Art in the USA

Important culture-creative of this time

• Dorothea is enough (Fotografin)
• John Steinbeck (writer)
• Woody Guthrie (musician)
• Richard WRIGHT (writer)
• Orson Welles (director)
• Tillie Olsen (authoress)

Symbol figures

• Shirley Temple (child star)

Literature

• Michael Denning: The Cultural front. The lab O-ring OF American Culture into the Twentieth Century, London 1996. ISBN 1-85984-815-X (English)
• Robert S. McElvaine: The Great depression. America 1929-1941, Toronto 1984. ISBN 0-8129-1061-3 (English)
• Murray N. Rothbard: America's Great depression, Ludwig von Mises institutes 2000, ISBN 0945466056 (English)

Related links

• http://www.bergen.org/AAST/Projects/depression/ English.
• http://www.english.uiuc.edu/maps/depression/photoessay.htm English/photo
• http://history1900s.about.com/library/photos/blyindexdepression.htm English/photo

Articles in category "Large depression"

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