World History : The Great Depression

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for World History

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Example Questions

Example Question #1 : The Great Depression

The stock market crash of 1929 that led to the Great Depression is known as which of the following?

Possible Answers:

Black Tuesday

None of these

Black Friday

D-Day

The Shot Heard 'Round the World

Correct answer:

Black Tuesday

Explanation:

Black Tuesday was the day of the stock market crash and one of the major milestones of the Great Depression, so that would be the best answer. Black Friday is the Friday after Thanksgiving in the US and is a day of discount shopping, so that would not be the best choice. The Shot Heard Round the World was used describe the first battle of the American Revolutionary War at Lexington and Concord, so that would not be the best answer here. And finally, D-Day was the day of the invasion of Normandy during World War II, so that would not be a good choice either.

Example Question #164 : World History

The Great Depression was a prominent factor in leading to the birth of which new government?

Possible Answers:

Fascist Italy led by Benito Mussolini

Communist Russia led by Joseph Stalin

Imperial Japan led by Hideki Tojo

Nazi Germany led by Adolf Hitler

Correct answer:

Nazi Germany led by Adolf Hitler

Explanation:

Nazi Germany was the correct answer because the other three governments were formed either well before or after the stock market crash. Both Fascist Italy (founded in 1922) and Communist Russia (founded in 1922) were around before the crash in 1929. Imperial Japan was founded in 1868 and came to a forefront right before World War II in 1941, well after the crash. Nazi Germany was founded in 1933, only four years after the crash and at the height of the Great Depression.

Example Question #165 : World History

Which of the following was a policy used by Franklin D. Roosevelt to combat the Great Depression?

Possible Answers:

Complete state control of all forms of industry.

Widespread use of propaganda to try and create positivity for the economy.

A strong laissez-faire policy in hopes that the market will simply correct itself given enough time.

Large government spending to create public works projects to lower unemployment.

Correct answer:

Large government spending to create public works projects to lower unemployment.

Explanation:

FDR was very influenced by the school of Keynesian economics, which believed that the state should increase spending during times of economic crisis to boost spending.

Example Question #166 : World History

Which country(ies) thrived due to its isolationism during the Great Depression?

I. Japan

II. Soviet Union

III. Weimar Republic

IV. Great Britain

Possible Answers:

II only

I, III, and IV

II and IV

I and II

Correct answer:

II only

Explanation:

Due to the Soviet Union being a Communist country and thus cut off from trade in rest of the world, it was hardly effected by the Depression. In fact, due to the Soviet 5-year plans and its rapid industrialization, Soviet Russia was growing very fast, creating much pro-communist sentiment during this time period.

Example Question #167 : World History

The Great Depression was characterized by all of these EXCEPT for _____________.

Possible Answers:

low agricultural prices

isolationism

industrialization

unemployment

Correct answer:

industrialization

Explanation:

The Great Depression led to millions of people losing their jobs, a collapse in farming prices as farmers could not repay their debts, and an increase in isolationism as people began to focus solely on their countries problem. The Depression did not lead to more industrialization, but actually less as people no longer had the money to build factories and employ workers.

Example Question #2 : The Great Depression

In an effort to prevent the Supreme Court from declaring more of his "New Deal" policies unconstitutional, President Roosevelt attempted to pass the Judicial Procedures Reform Bill of 1937, which attempted which one of the following tactics to try and influence the Court?

Possible Answers:

Allowing Congress to vacate any decision of the Supreme Court by a 2/3 majority.

Allowing the president to fire any justice who disagreed with him.

"Packing" the court by allowing the president to add more justices to the court than the original nine. 

Allowing popular referendums on major Supreme Court decisions.

Allowing the president to "veto" any Supreme Court decision he disagreed with.

Correct answer:

"Packing" the court by allowing the president to add more justices to the court than the original nine. 

Explanation:

During Roosevelt's tenure, the Supreme Court struck now many of his "New Deal" policies as unconstitutional. The Judicial Procedures Reform Bill of 1937 would have allowed the president to appoint an additional justice to the Supreme Court for every member of the court older than 70 years, 6 months. This would have allowed Roosevelt to "pack" the court with justices that he appointed in an attempt to no longer have the court strike down his New Deal provisions. The bill was defeated in the Senate.

Example Question #3 : The Great Depression

What was the largest New Deal program, whose establishment and expansion resulted in the federal government becoming by far the single largest employer in the nation?

Possible Answers:

Civilian Conservation Corps

Federal Housing Administration

National Recovery Administration

Works Progress Administration

Tennessee Valley Authority

Correct answer:

Works Progress Administration

Explanation:

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) was formed in 1935 and renamed to Works Projects Administration in 1939 was the largest New Deal agency. It employed over 8.5 million workers during its eight year run, usually unskilled and unemployed male youth to work on public construction projects. The WPA built roads, highways, bridges and parks throughout the country. There was also a segment of unemployed artists that were part of the program for cultural projects. 

Example Question #170 : World History

The Dust Bowl and Great Depression led to thousands of migrant Oklahomans fleeing primarily to which state?

Possible Answers:

New York

Washington

Georgia

California

Texas

Correct answer:

California

Explanation:

The Dust Bowl destroyed family farms across wide areas of Oklahoma, Kansas, Arkansas, and Texas. While Oklahomans did disperse and migrate across the country, the majority of migrants sought agricultural work in California. Conditions in California were desperate, with little pay and housing often resembling rough camps or shanty towns.

Example Question #4 : The Great Depression

The National Recovery Administration, a New Deal agency created to set prices and reduce extremely competitive business practices, ceased to exist for what reason?

Possible Answers:

Eliminated by Harry Truman's Executive Order

Abolished by law passed through Congress

Ruled unconstitutional by Supreme Court

Made redundant by other programs

Absorbed by Labor Department

Correct answer:

Ruled unconstitutional by Supreme Court

Explanation:

A 1935 unanimous Supreme Court decision eliminated the NRA due to a ruling stating that the law infringed on constitutional separation of powers. The NRA was put into operation via Executive Order under Franklin D. Roosevelt; however it, was also a component of the National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA), passed into law at the same time as the EO.

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