Discussion Thread #6

Discussion 1: The Great Depression What were the underlying causes of the depression? Why did the Great Depression of the 1930s seem so much worse than any occurring either before or since? Can you see any modern parallels to the Great Depression? Elaborate. Our discussion in this forum is going to surround the causes, effects, and proposed solutions to one of the greatest challenges of United States (and world) history: the Great Depression. The 1930s were marked by a nearly decade-long economic downturn and two American presidents are linked to any discussion regarding it: Herbert Hoover and Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Our text outlines their approaches in Chapter 22, pp. 656-666 ("The Early Days of the Depression" and "A New President and a New Deal"). Each had their own style of dealing with this massive problem. You'll have read about the potential causes of the Depression, so don't worry about listing them here. What I would like a discussion of, however, is what the differences were between how these two men sought to handle this issue: Compare and contrast their beliefs and actions in regard to the desperate times of the Depression. Why is it that, for many, FDR is ranked among our greatest Presidents and Hoover remains near the bottom? Which do you agree with more? Who, imagining someone living in the early 1930s, would you have voted for and why? Discussion #2: World War II What were the underlying causes of World War II? Select one event that you think irrevocably led the world (and the U.S.) to war more than any other event. Argue your selection with details that support your answer. This week's focus will be the transition from WWI to WWII and the reasoning behind America's involvement in wars far beyond its borders. We will begin our discussion with a look at Chapter 20's "The Decision for War" on page 594. It has often been said that WWI is the result of imperialism... but also led to its downfall (if we define imperialism as the taking of colonial territory for the benefit of the colonizer). We've read thus far that the US's contribution was relatively negligible - however historians argue, the US did not commit anywhere near as many troops as their allies, not did they fight anywhere near as long. So, what was the rationale for going to war? There were many reasons, e.g. the breakdown of trade neutrality, the Lusitania, invasion of Belgium, Zimmerman Telegram, etc. - but which do you think was the "final straw"? Argue for which of these you think most contributed to the US extending its military to Europe for the first time. Additionally, what was the overall outcome for the US? Was it a net positive? Negative? Like previous wars, did we gain territory? Think not just economically, but also politically and socially. You may have to go beyond the textbook to answer this question, but since WWI is such a huge topic in world history (not just the history of the US), I feel you should have little trouble finding information for you to go on.