After the First World War, many nations faced grave difficulties. The Great Depression or

1. After the First World War, many nations faced grave difficulties. The Great Depression or time of severe economic contraction only worsened these problems.

2. The Great Depression began with the sudden and complete collapse of the New York Stock Exchange on October 29, 1929.

3. Economic troubles increased as people around the world lost jobs. Unemployment rates were high. Hunger and poverty increased.

4. In desperate times, people looked desperately for solutions.

5. But prices kept rising. Inflation was out of control. The unemployed couldn’t afford even higher prices.

6. Poverty was everywhere!

7. Unpopular governments were blamed for the suffering of the people.

8. Germany’s Weimar Republic was blamed for the Treaty of Versailles.

9. New leaders emerged in Germany and Italy. They promised the people an end to their suffering and humiliation.

10. Fascism, a new political system, developed. Fascist leaders were totalitarian rulers. They exercised absolute control over the people and the state.

11. In a Fascist nation, the state had supreme power and the individual served the state.

12. Criticism of Fascist governments was violently repressed.

13. Freedom of speech and press ceased to exist. The Fascist government controlled all media outlets.

14. But Fascist governments promised better days. Through military strength, a nation could be transformed.

15. Yes, hard times had fallen. But the solutions offered by Fascists promised glory. Yet in the end, only war and more suffering were given!