Fascism and Communism: The Great Depression of the Early 1930s

Fascism and Communism
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Question One
The Great Depression of the Early 1930s
The Great Depression was the deepest, longest and the most pervasive economic depression that has ever been witnessed in American history. The depression started in 1929 and ended in 1939. Although it started in the United States, but its impacts were felt practically all corners of the world and it has been ranked as one of the great economic calamities in the books of history and economics. The Great Depression was the far reaching economic meltdown that was caused by over confidence, over extended stock market and the drought that struck the South. Different countries with different political or political ideologies responded differently to the Great Depression of 1930s. To the United States and the Western Europe, the Great Depression proved that the achievements that had been made in these countries in 1920s were actually fragile. The response to the great depression was actually counterproductive as far as the crisis was concerned as some of the economic policies that ended up worsening the situation even further. There was a decline in the confidence for normal politics; those radical political parties were able to gain new support. Even the parliamentary form of governments was in most cases weakened. In France, for instance, the Popular Front government that was largely dominated by the socialists later won an election in 1936. The government of Scandinavia responded to the great depression more active in the economy that gave positive results. In Britain on the other hand, new Industries emerged due to creativity in business leadership. After figuring out for a few years, the united finally responded by initiating new economic programs that were baptized as the New Deal that was based on social welfare as well as government intervention. Through the guidance of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the economic idea of New Deal hugely increased the size of government and hence restored the public confidence, despite the fact that the problems of the great depression were solved after the Second World War.[Cole, Harold L., and Lee E. Ohanian. "The Great Depression in the United States from a neoclassical perspective." Handbook of Monetary and Fiscal Policy (2001): 159.]
In Germany the Great Depression led to the creation of fascism. The parliamentary democracy of Germany was attacked by the fascists; they claimed that the parliamentary democracy was corrupt and weak, the proposed a strong leader that had a forceful military and foreign policy. This made the fascists to gain respect and support from the business community due to the way they attacked the socialists and unions. This saw the rise of Adolf Hitler to power in Germany and he called for government and the people of Germany to guide the society, since that was greater than individuals’ interests put together. The Jews were used as the scapegoat for the modern problems and as a result, Hitler sanctions and restrictions on them.[Calomiris, Charles W., and Joseph R. Mason. "Consequences of bank distress during the Great Depression." The American Economic Review 93, no. 3 (2003): 937-947]
There have been arguments between people as t...