1. Trials of the “Greatest Generation:” The Great Depression and World War II (1929-1945)

2. Onset of the Great Depression

3. Major Features of Depression Unemployment rate as high as 25% (which does not even count underemployment) Bank failures in the thousands with deposits lost Wave of home foreclosures Dust Bowl devastating Southern Plains states Massive transient population, including hobos and “Okies”

4. A Nation Coming Apart at the Seams

5. Bonus Army March - 1932

6. Election of 1932 Herbert Hoover vs. Franklin Roosevelt

7. The New Deal

8. Dimensions/Goals of New Deal Relief: Most immediate, short-term goal; attend to basic needs of public such as food and shelter; least controversial, but many Americans were initially reluctant to accept charity Recovery: Moderate-term goal of bringing the economy out of a depression; entailed Keynesian policies of using government spending to stimulate economic growth; included many public works programs to employ Americans; downside is that it requires running budget deficits and relying upon government bureaucracy that may not be as efficient as private sector

9. Dimensions/Goals of New Deal (continued) Reform: Longest-term goal of making structural changes to U.S. economy to prevent future depressions; most controversial because it more permanently places government in the business of managing the economy

10. Civilian Conservation Corps

11. Works Progress Administration

12. Social Security Act

13. New Deal Setbacks/Limitations Gender differential in pay Much segregation in New Deal programs Certain amount of “goldbricking” or “shovel- leaning” Conservative Supreme Court justices struck down several FDR initiatives

14. FDR’s “Court Packing” Plan - 1937

15. Consequences of New Deal Brought the U.S. economy out of the worst depths of the Great Depression, but did NOT by itself produce a recovery. Helped shift the focus of the American public onto the executive branch as the driving force in the government. Solidified the notion that the federal government should provide some degree of a safety net for its citizens.

16. Rise of Fascism

17. Japanese Empire

18. Nazi Domination of Europe

19. Pearl Harbor Attack – 12/7/41

20. Allied “Big Three” Leaders

21. Race War vs. Conflict of Ideologies

22. U.S. War Effort in Europe

23. Dwight Eisenhower

24. Invasion of Normandy

25. Collapse of Nazi Germany

26. U.S. War Effort in the Pacific

27. Battle of Midway

28. Fall of Iwo Jima

29. Use of Atomic Bomb

30. Surrender of Japan

31. Homefront

32. End of World War II

33. Recommended Primary Sources for Papers & Other Assignments The 25 Points by National Socialist Party (1920) First Inaugural Address by FDR (Mar ‘33) “Share Our Wealth” Plan by Huey Long (1934) “Blood, Toil, Tear and Sweat” speech by Winston Churchill (1940) Arsenal of Democracy speech by FDR (Dec ‘41) Four Freedoms speech by FDR (Jan ‘41)