In this Grade 5 World History and Geography lesson from Chapter 28, students examine the causes of instability in Europe after World War I, including the failure of the League of Nations, the German reparations crisis, and the hyperinflation that made the German mark nearly worthless. Students also learn how the Dawes Plan and the Treaty of Locarno attempted to restore stability before the Great Depression triggered a new wave of economic and political upheaval. Key vocabulary such as depression, deficit spending, collective bargaining, and the uncertainty principle help students connect economic collapse to broader shifts in society, politics, and culture during the 1919–1939 period.
Section 1
Nations Struggle for Stability After World War I
The 1919 peace settlement left nations unhappy, with strict reparations causing German economic collapse, while the League of Nations proved ineffective without U.S. participation, weakening global security efforts.
Section 2
Economic Crisis Triggers Global Depression
The Great Depression began in 1929 when the U.S. stock market crashed. American investors withdrew funds from Europe, causing trade to slow, production to decline, and unemployment to rise worldwide.
Section 3
Governments Respond to Economic Catastrophe
Nations addressed Depression-era challenges through increased government involvement in economics. The U.S. New Deal created public works, France established labor protections, while Britain used balanced budgets and tariffs.
Section 4
Artists Express Post-War Uncertainty
After World War I, artists reflected society's disillusionment through movements like surrealism. Salvador Dali and others depicted unconscious thoughts and dreams, making the irrational visible in their challenging artwork.
Section 5
Scientists Challenge Traditional Understanding
Werner Heisenberg's uncertainty principle revolutionized physics by suggesting subatomic particles behave unpredictably. This new worldview rejected Newtonian certainty and reflected the era's broader social and political instability.
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Section 1
Nations Struggle for Stability After World War I
The 1919 peace settlement left nations unhappy, with strict reparations causing German economic collapse, while the League of Nations proved ineffective without U.S. participation, weakening global security efforts.
Section 2
Economic Crisis Triggers Global Depression
The Great Depression began in 1929 when the U.S. stock market crashed. American investors withdrew funds from Europe, causing trade to slow, production to decline, and unemployment to rise worldwide.
Section 3
Governments Respond to Economic Catastrophe
Nations addressed Depression-era challenges through increased government involvement in economics. The U.S. New Deal created public works, France established labor protections, while Britain used balanced budgets and tariffs.
Section 4
Artists Express Post-War Uncertainty
After World War I, artists reflected society's disillusionment through movements like surrealism. Salvador Dali and others depicted unconscious thoughts and dreams, making the irrational visible in their challenging artwork.
Section 5
Scientists Challenge Traditional Understanding
Werner Heisenberg's uncertainty principle revolutionized physics by suggesting subatomic particles behave unpredictably. This new worldview rejected Newtonian certainty and reflected the era's broader social and political instability.
Book overview
Jump across lessons in the current chapter without opening the full course modal.
Continue this chapter