WW2 the Great depression

Question 1

“buying on margin” is a term that refers to

Answer 1

borrowing money from stockbroker to play the stock market

Question 2

W.l Mackenzie king was defeated in the election of 1930. Who was the new prime minister?

Answer 2

R.B. Bennett

Question 3

Why did the Prairie provinces suffer the most during the great depression

Answer 3

A drought added to the already great problem of low wheat prices.

Question 4

Bennetts “new deal” included

Answer 4

A promise to grant health care and unemployment insurance to Canadians

Question 5

What is the term used in the Great depression to describe relief payments

Answer 5

Pogey or dole.

Question 6

Germany printed off money to pay back its debts, resulting in the devaluing of it currency. This is known as…

Answer 6

Hyperinflation

Question 7

Adolf Hitler’s Nazi party was____ meaning a right-wing party based on extreme nationalism that used propaganda to maintain power.

Answer 7

Fascist

Question 8

Japan invaded_____, leading to a war between these countries that would last for 7 years.

Answer 8

Manchuria, China

Question 9

During an antisemitic pogrom, called_______a coordinated attack took place n Germany on Jewsihhomes, business and synagogues.

Answer 9

Kristallnacht- night of broken glass.

Question 10

Why/how did people suffer during the great depression in cities…

Answer 10

• Hughe unemployment rates and poverty
• Long lines on soup Kitchens
• The DOLE (or POGEY): assistance that was handed out by church groups and the government had a negative stigma

Question 11

Why/how did people suffer during the great depression in the Prairies

Answer 11

The DUST BOWL: a severe drought beginning in 1928 turned topsoil to dust, nothing could grow
By 1931 constant wind storms blew topsoil away
People had to cover their faces with wet cloths to be able to breathe
Dust filled in ditches and drifted halfway up barn doors
Massive numbers of grasshoppers ate anything left

Question 12

Why/how did people suffer during the great depression in the Maritimes

Answer 12

• Was already in a bad economic situation before the depression & so it made it worse.
• Fish demands were also low.

Question 13

How effective was the response of the Canadian government to the depression? refer to specific actions taken by the government.

Answer 13

1. It was not very effective. The government thought the issue would be resolved by itself over time/
2. The government gave money to provinces to build relief camps that were not very succssecful
3. The government also thought it was not responsible m but rather the municipal or provincial leaders.

Question 14

Why do you think authoritarian leaders such as Hitler, Mussolini and Stalin became so popular during the 1930s

Answer 14

1. With global economic depression, came desperate demand for totalitarians.
2. People wanted help and fascist-like Hitler and Mussolini gave hope that the country would become better.
3. People were not really considered with dictatorship and authoritarian ruling as long as the situation improves.
   - The strongmen used propaganda to persuade people.
   - The treaty of Versailles stripped Germany of property, money, military and total blame for ww1, so Hitlers passionate speeches made Germans hopeful again.

Question 15

What was too much and not enough for the cause of depression

Answer 15

too much
-margin buying
-production of goods
-American influence 
not enough
- wages for workers.
- protection for savings

Question 16

The stock market crash

Answer 16

October 28, 1929 – values of shares on the Toronto stock exchange fell by $1 million a minute
the next day… (October 29, 1929 –“Black Tuesday”), stock exchanges in New York, Montreal, and Toronto continued to plummet created an economic disaster that would last through the 1930s

Question 17

What did Bennet do when he was in power from 1930-1935

Answer 17

He raised tariffs (taxes on imports) to record levels
During his term, he gave money to the provinces for relief – The Unemployment Relief Act
After his death, it was discovered that Bennett sent some of his own money to needy Canadians

Question 18

Unemployment relief camps

Answer 18

As soon as young men turned 16 they were cut off relief and expected to find work
Labour camps were set up – men would build roads or cut trees
Wages were terribly low – only 1 / 10 what a regular worker would normally make

Question 19

On-to Ottawa trek

Answer 19

-Labour unions recruited unemployed workers to go to Ottawa and press the government for better wages and working conditions
-In Regina, Prime Minister Bennett send the RCMP and the Regina police to break up the protest
-On July 1 1935 a riot broke out – hundreds were injured and a police officer was killed
The On-to-Ottawa Trek was unsuccessful - workers did not have their demands met

Government leaders had always believed that things would eventually improve on their own

As people grew frustrated with the government, Bennett realized he needed to take action before he was defeated in an election

Question 20

Bennets new deal

Answer 20

The “New Deal”, was Bennett’s plan for re-election
Had it been implemented, it would have given the government more power over the economy with controls such as:

Introducing a minimum wage
Cutting the workweek down from 60 hours to 48
Creating the first employment insurance program

However, Bennett lost the 1935 election to W.L. Mackenzie King, so the promises made in the “New Deal” never went into effect

Question 21

Distraction from despair.

Answer 21

Movies and magazines were very popular, featuring a “fantasy” life that was a relief from hardship
Dionne Quintuplets, born in northern Ontario in 1934, became an international sensation and tourist attraction

Question 22

What was the legacy of the depression

Answer 22

Canadians expected their governments to play a bigger role in keeping the economy strong
They also expected the government to look after individual and family security
New ideas such as unemployment insurance, welfare payments, better pensions and children’s allowances all had their origins in this period