Did the great depression end in the US before, during or after World War II?

Answer 1

This is a controversial question. My opinion is that it ended when WWII gave everyone in the U.S. a job who wanted to work, including women who had never even thought of working before. It had certainly ended before the end of WWII. The major question is whether Roosevelt's New Deal government programs ended or prolonged the Depression. The answer is probably more a matter of one's political and economic philosophy than one of straight history or economics. I would say that some of the programs helped alleviate the great povery in the U.S.,--e.g. WPA, and some laid the foundation for the nation's victory in the War and its later economic success, e.g. TVA, but others probably had the effect of tending to prolong the Depression--e.g. limits on the powers of banks.

Answer 2

The Great Depression ended before World War 2.

Answer 3

Depends on what you want to site and the end of the depression. Repressions are when economic growth ceases for two quarters in a row. Depressions are when the economy actually shrinks. By 1936, Roosevelt had the economy growing again, but the effects of the depression will still being felt and personal debts and other tragedies of loss were still having rippling effects. During the War, the same deprivations that people had experienced during the depression continued, the difference being that now it was not caused by economic shrinkage, but was endured in order to support the war effort. Strictly speaking, I'd say the depression ended before we entered the war. In terms of cultural attitudes towards work and money, I'd say after the war.

Answer 4

"During" is the answer. The "Great Depression" ran from 1929 to 1941 in the United States. Things got a little better in 1935-36, but then there was a "recession" during the Depression in 1937. The outbreak of the war in 1939 helped a little because of orders placed by England and France for American goods, but people were still scrounging for work clear up to Pearl Harbor.

Answer 5

I say before the U.S. entered WWII, from the late 1930s on. Demand for food, manufactured goods and weapons to gear up for war after the Spanish Civil War boosted the economy. This lead to a recovery of the American economy quicker than even the "New Deal" programs FDR began to bring the country out of the Depression.

Answer 6

You're getting a lot of different answers because there is no certain end date. Stock market crash in 1929 began it, the U.S. seemd to be pulling out by 1937... but the economy started slipping again. Supplying arms to Europe for WWII boosted the economy... and the European and Asian air wars (bombing) pretty much eradicated all of America's industrial competition. After the war, only the U.S. had the industrial capacity to supply goods. It wasn't until the 1960s that Europe and Asia started to regain a solid industrial economic footing and compete with the U.S. again.

Answer 7

The sales of war supplies to England before the Pearl Harbor attack and during the war to the US military got the economy moving again.

The rationing of nearly all goods kept the economy in check during the war, but after the rationing ended the US economy boomed.

Answer 8

Thats a very good question, considering there isnt any actual date for its end. It started as the stock market crashed in 1929, and continued despite the efforts against it made by our president FDR in 1932. WWII raged from 1932-1945 and in my opinion is the greatest reason for our recovery from the Great Depression. It stimulated jobs, as we sold many guns and armaments to our allies then when we entered it gave our citizens a focus other than the depression. So to answer your question in short, I believe it was during and afterwards. Thanks and I hope this helps.

Answer 9

Actually was well on it's way to recovery by the time we went to war, although it was still going on. WWII jump started everything though and we almost overnight were totally out of the depression as far as most folks were concerned. On paper though the country was simply way the heck further in debt.

Answer 10

Wow both above are very long answers!! And also have a very focused on Hitler and not the wider forces Simplified WWI - Germany forced to take blame for the war and pay outrageous reparations to the french --> German economy was ruined so they got loans from the US to the french and english --> Wall Street Crash --> Great depression --> US could not afford the loans anymore and germany's economy went back to being ruined --> During times of poverty and economic instability it is not unusual for extremists to arise. In germany communist parties, socialist parties, and many other extremist parties began to form (this of course included the Nazi's) --> Hitler gained popularity for the Nazi party through patriotic speeches ensuring people of hope for the future --> Hitler was elected chancellor of Germany in the democratic period of germany known as the Wiemar republic --> He then turned that into a totalitarian regime called the Third Reich! --> Plans to expand his empire for included many boarders that was not apart of germany --> Allies won the war --> The great powers left were Communist Russia and allies America and Britain --> America and Britain saw communist russia as a threat to the great democratic powers --> The invention of anti-communist propaganda entered the western world Affects on the US? US gained allot of money selling guns to both the Brits and Germans during WW1. Then the wall street crash and great depression. Only affected by WW2 when pearl harbour was bombed, Won the war in the pacific not in the west (common misconception of many people, but i think its fair to say russia won that one). Political and economic instability during the cold war. Though i must say people could write 100's of books on a battle in ww1, so i must say it is hard to wholly encapsulate that whole time period of International conflict in a Yahoo answer!!