The Great Depression changed the global dynamic. It postponed decolonization and Indian independence. However, Gandhi's example deeply influenced Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights activists worldwide. Meanwhile, governmental changes in America and Germany set the two nations on an eventual collision course. Adolf Hitler swallowed up its neighbors provoking the British and French into war. Meanwhile, Franklin Roosevelt struggled to bring America out of the Great Depression while keeping an eye toward an eventual confrontation with Nazi Germany.
Gandhi’s Salt March (March 12, 1930):
Gandhi abhorred violence and British dominance over his native India. He decided to resist British control through nonviolent actions. In 1930, Gandhi initiated a protest against the British salt monopoly. He launched a 24-day march to the sea in order to produce salt without paying the salt tax. After achieving his goal, large protests emerged across India. It marked the first time large numbers of Indians joined the independence movement. The act and its aftermath deeply affected British views on India. Indian independence eventually came in 1947. It might have come earlier had World War II not occurred.
FDR Elected President (November 8, 1932):
The Great Depression savaged the United States and President Hoover seemed impotent in its wake. He would have lost the 1932 election to Mickey Mouse. However, Franklin Roosevelt was his opponent and his victory changed the course of American history. His New Deal modernized the government and created the welfare state. However, it failed miserably in its efforts to end the depression. Roosevelt’s greatest legacy is leading the nation through World War II and essentially saving the civilized world.
Hitler Becomes Chancellor (January 30, 1933):
The Great Depression opened doors for the Nazi Party. As the economy worsened, German voters opened themselves to extremist groups and began rejecting more mainstream elements. They hoped the more extreme parties could accomplish what others could not. In 1932, many turned to the Nazi Party and their leader. After the 1932 campaign, politicians could no longer marginalize Hitler and invited him into the government hoping to control him. In the end, neither the mainstream politicians nor corporate interests could control Hitler. He slowly accumulated power, eliminated enemies, and established a totalitarian government.
Programmable Computer Invented (1936):
The Sumerian abacus might be the world’s first computer. If so, computers are 4500 years old. However, it is only within the last century that they have become integral to society. In 1936, Alan Turing developed the first algorithm with his “Touring Machine.” His work led to the creation of modern computers. Today, it seems computers control every aspect of modern society.
Munich (September 30, 1938):
In 1938, Adolf Hitler initiated his plans for eastern conquest. He annexed Austria with the Anschluss. Later in the year, he moved to unite the Germans living in the Czechoslovakian Sudetenland with his Reich. His used Wilsonian logic to justify his demands. Hitler argued Germans living in the region belong with Germany. Unlike Wilson, he threatened war to achieve his aims. Italy’s Benito Mussolini invited a frightened Britain and France to a conference to settle the dispute. At Munich, Britain and France surrendered Czechoslovakia’s territory to Hitler. British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain boasted how he secured the peace with Germany. About one year later, Hitler began demanding further eastern lands.
Kristallnacht (November 9-10, 1938):
On November 9, the Nazis initiated attacks on Jewish citizens in Germany and Austria. Thugs attacked Jewish homes, shops, and property. Attackers savaged almost 1700 synagogues. The Nazis killed 91 and took ¼ of all Jewish men in Germany to concentration camps. The term Kristallnacht means “night of broken glass” and refers to the pieces of smashed windows left in the streets.
Germany invades Poland (September 1, 1939): Fascist powers attacked Ethiopia, China, and annexed parts of Eastern Europe. In late summer 1939, Adolf Hitler began saber rattling over Polish territory. He invented Polish atrocities against German citizens living in Poland as a justification for invasion. On September 1, 1939, the Nazi Wehrmacht overwhelmed Poland’s borders. At the same time, the Soviets invaded Poland from the east. In response, Britain and France declared war on Germany, but not the Soviets. By the end of 1940, the Germans had conquered Poland, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Denmark, and Norway. World War II cost between 50 and 120 million lives.
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