IBDP: HoA Review

IBDP: HoA Review

Any 3 Qs in 2 ½ Hours

Remember, it’s 35% of your IB Hist HL composite score!

Strategy: Attacking the Paper 3

Use the 5 minute review period to pick the 3 questions you will answerYou can pick any 3 questions to answer

You should concentrate on the Cold War!

50 minutes per essayUse the first 5 minutes to outline your answerUse only 45 minutes per essay to write!

Strategy: FOCUS on this content

The Great Depression and the Americas (1929-1939)

We will be reviewing the Great Depression

Political developments in the Americas after the Second World War (1945-79)

The Cold War and the Americas (1945-81)These we reviewed vis-a-vie the Presidential Administrations

Strategy: Choosing your questions

You should concentrate on the post-World War II / Cold War questionsPresidential administrations from FDR to ReaganBe sure to distinguish between domestic and foreign policies of those administrationsFor 20th Century Topics (Paper 2), we focused on foreign policiesFor HoA (Paper 3), your answers should focus on domestic policies

Great Depression (1929-39)

You should know what happened in the US and one country in Latin AmericaQuestions may ask you to compare / contrast either the social, political, or economic impact of the Great Depression in two different countries in the regionOr, questions may ask you to focus on a condition, such as: Examine the view that the Great Depression was caused primarily by political rather than by economic factors


What became known as the Great Depression was a severe and persistent worldwide economic downturn that began in 1929 and ended in 1941

Economic interconnectedness on nations in a world of increasing trade and investment across oceans resulted in economic distress that included causes beyond the borders of any individual country


Separate your analysis of the Great Depression distinctly by either the Hoover (1929-1933) or the FD Roosevelt (1933-1945) administrations

Hoover happened to be president at the time of the Wall Street crash of 1929

He believed in minimum government involvement, letting business “do business”


BUT … first things first … lets set the sceneIt is difficult to separate the economic and political causes of the Great DepressionDivide the GD into 4 phases, and examine the causes by phase

Phase 1 – leading up to & including the crashPhase 2 – late 1929 to 1933 as the US moved from ‘panic’ to deep depressionPhase 3 – 1933 to 1937 as a period of recoveryPhase 4 – 1937 to 1941 as the US enters WWII


Phase 1 – What caused the crash ?!?1920s were a time of economic boomCoolidge was pres from 1921-1929 – he was very pro-business & this was the era of the Titans of Wall StreetWall Street was riding high … the big bankers were buying on margin & making huge profitsBut the small investors were usually left holding stocks after the big sell-offs …

Great Depression (1929-39)Phase 1 – What caused the crash ?!?

Because there was little regulation over banking practices (Coolidge was very laissez-faire), banks began to make unsafe extensions of credit to fuel consumption (autos, appliances, houses) and ‘main street’ became seriously indebtedOverproduction fueled deflation, people began to make less $, demand decreased, sales declined … but the banks were still riding high because of consumer purchasing on credit and buying stocks on marginBUT, as main street couldn’t make their pmts, neither could the banks on their stock purchases

Great Depression (1929-39)Phase 1 – What caused the crash ?!?

SO, stocks began to fall and the market took wild swings … experienced one crash … appeared to stabilize … then CRASHED!!!

1. Growth of income disparity – by 1929, almost ½ of families in the US lived at subsistence or below!

2. Overproduction of housing & auto industries, combined with growing disparity in purchasing power, led to lower wages & layoffs

3. Growing economic instability abroad – especially in EUR – led to decline in overseas markets


Phase 1 – What caused the crash ?!?What did Hoover do ???He initially did not try to stimulate the economy, rather did the opposite

1. He supported the Fed’s decision to decrease the money supply

2. He reduced gov’t spending3. He signed the Hawley-Smoot Tariff Act

(June 1930) establishing a high tariffThat, in turn, caused other nations to retaliate


Phase 2 – From panic to deep depression, 1931-33

There was very little relief for citizens

Hoover believed businesses & the community would step up to help, but didn’t realize these organizations simply lacked funds to help !!

Stigmatized the poor, attributing their poorness to personal failure

Despite the shame that accompanied asking for help, increasing numbers asked the government for assistance – to little avail



Shanty towns, known as Hoovervilles, sprung up as more families lost their homes

Coupled with the deepening depression was a decade-long drought that began in 1930 (the Dust Bowl)

The 1930s set all minority groups back – African Americans, Hispanics, women – whatever economic gains they had previously made were lost



By 1932, 75% of black people were unemployed compared to the general figure of 25% unemployment

Also discriminated against in access to relief programs, leaving many black families malnourished and homeless

As a result of worsening economic & social conditions, about ½ million blacks moved to northern cities to find work during the GD

Great Depression (1929-39)Phase 2 – From panic to deep depression, 1931-33

Hispanic Americans, Latinos, were also discriminated against regardless on their citizenship statusOften, due to large job-loss rates, Latinos would move to inner cities (barrios) – as city populations swelled, local officials would try to force them out by raiding the barrios and rounding everyone up, including US citizensBecause of blatant discriminatory practices, it’s estimated close to ½ million Latinos moved to Mexico during the GD



The effects on women were a bit differentDuring WWI, women had made gains working outside the homeBiggest change during the GD was in the working status of married womenNumber of married women working increased 50% during the 1930sDuring the same period, number of single women working increased 10%


Phase 2 – From panic to deep depression, 1931-33Stratified between poor married women and middle-class married womenPoor married women worked for subsistenceMiddle-class married women worked to maintain “an appropriate lifestyle” driven by consumerism from the roaring 20sThrough the wages of working women that millions of households clung to middle-class lifestyles, or at least had roofs and regular meals



For some women (particularly minority), they entered survivalist entrepreneurship – in response to exclusion from the labor market a person is forced to form his/her own business to provide for him/herself and familyFor black women, mostly boarding homes and beauty parlors


Phase 3 – Recovery, 1933-37

FDR and the first New Deal

In his first few months, he acted to reform the economic system, stimulate industry, and develop a sense of confidence in the American people

FDR’s public persona was as important as his gov’t programs!His warmth & use of media, esp the radio

Contrasted greatly w his aloof predecessor

He and the New Deal Democrats created a new understanding of the role of gov’t in people’s lives




Two days after taking office, FDR proclaimed a banking holiday and closed the banks for the next four days

Passed the Emergency Banking ActStabilized large banks, gave the FED add’l powers, took $ off gold std, mandated federal inspection of banks before they reopened

The Economy Act – tried to balance the federal budget by cutting salaries, reducing pensions




Fireside Chats – FDR gave very informal radio addresses to explain to the American people how the new laws would work and what they could expect in the upcoming daysGave 36 over the 13 yrs of his presidency



FDR and the New Deal, part 2

Focused on recovery

During 1933, FDR delivered 4 fireside chats to discuss important conceptsThe May 1933 address the New Deal Programs

Alphabet Agencies – the many agencies formed by legislation and executive actionAgric Adj Agency (AAA), Glass-Steagall Banking Reform Act created the FDIC, Nat’l Industry Recovery Act created the Nat’l Recovery Adm (NRA) that oversaw businesses



FDR and the New Deal, part 3

Focused on relief

Federal Emergency Relief Agency (FERA) to create new jobs through loans to states

Part of FERA was the Civil Works Adm (CWA) to accelerate job creation through building roads, repairing schools, installing sewers

Great Depression (1929-39)Phase 3 – Recovery, 1933-37

Also, the TVA, CCC, PWA, SEC, FCC, FHA, Civil Aeronautics Auth (became FAA)FDR and the New Deal, part 3Many of his programs also focused on reforming and oversightAll told, 1933 and 1934 brought 17 new agencies to gov’tSupreme Court declared many of his new programs as unconstitutionalHe tried to pack the court after his landslide vicotry in November 1936, and the court was much ‘nicer’ to him

Great Depression (1929-39)Phase 4 – Road to WWII, 1937-41

There was a mini-setback in a recession that began in May of 1937Economy had recovered to levels not seen since 1930 by then (bottomed out 1933)GDP had been up 80%, declined a bit over 6% from May 1936 to June 1938 (not consecutive)FDR had tried to slow gov’t spending on programs, FED had tightened money supply (reforms)Entry into WWII (increase federal spending on ‘war machine’) got us out of GD


Were FDR’s policies successful?

Historians criticize FDR fornot providing enough stimulus to the economy

removing gov’t spending before recovery was complete

FDR failed to enact major reforms, hence allowed for successive major recessions

FDR’s response was pragmatic and not ideological (not true reform), perhaps his approach was even too conservative!


Were FDR’s policies successful?

The numbers are mixedEconomy recovered over the decade and returned to pre-GD levels

However, unemployment did not return to 1929 levels until war production

Reforms encountered significant oppositionSuccess was limited when considering they were intended to avoid second GD

Relief was strong as people were put to workHowever, benefits to minorities were uneven at best

IBDP: HoA Review

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