The impact of the Great Depression on Americans
Learn three facts about the economic devastation of the Great Depression.
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
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Public DomainLearn about Adolf Hitler's public speaking style by listening to him delivering the closing address at the 1934 Nürnberg Rally. Footage of this speech served as the climax of Leni Riefenstahl's film Triumph des Willens (1935; Triumph of the Will). This excerpt is translated as “The movement [National Socialism] is a living expression of our people and, therefore, a symbol of eternity. Long live the National Socialist movement! Long live Germany!”
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Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, MainzLearn about the monumental Tower of Babel in the ancient city of Babylon.
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Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.Learn about Operation Barbarossa, the German-led invasion of the Soviet Union that began in June 1941. From The Second World War: Triumph of the Axis (1963), a documentary by Encyclopædia Britannica Educational Corporation.
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Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.Overview of the Works Progress Administration.
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Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, MainzOverview of the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, 1940.
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Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.Spanish Republicans, abandoned by the democracies and relying on aid from the communists, carry on a losing struggle against fascism. From The Second World War: Prelude to Conflict (1963), a documentary by Encyclopædia Britannica Educational Corporation.
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© Open University (A Britannica Publishing Partner)Learn about American industrial design of the 20th century, particularly the work of Norman Bel Geddes.
News •
Trump attacks Ossoff, warns Georgia voters of another Great Depression
• Oct. 16, 2026, 9:45 PM ET (Chattanooga Times Free Press)
Transcript
The Great Depression
Did You Know? By 1933 about 15 million Americans were jobless and almost half of the United States' banks had failed. Americans did not foresee that the Great Depression would occur after the market crashed, since some 90% of American households didn't own any stocks in 1929. Even those in the United States who were able to keep their jobs saw their income shrink by a third.
Did You Know? By 1933 about 15 million Americans were jobless and almost half of the United States' banks had failed. Americans did not foresee that the Great Depression would occur after the market crashed, since some 90% of American households didn't own any stocks in 1929. Even those in the United States who were able to keep their jobs saw their income shrink by a third.
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