The Great Depression was a worldwide economic disaster. In the United States enormous numbers of people were left destitute by the stock market crash, bank failures, and business closures. President Franklin Roosevelt's administration offered the nation a variety of programs aimed at helping people survive the crisis by putting people back to work. In some parts of the world, the economic ruin of the Great Depression led to the rise of totalitarian governments. Many countries turned to dictators for the strong leadership they hoped would improve their situation. Despite President Roosevelt's new policies toward Latin America, some countries accepted their military dictators. In Italy and Germany, violent and brutal regimes came to power. Japan's leaders expanded their country's territories through military force.

The Axis Powers had conquered most of Europe by mid 1940. By mid 1944, however, the Allies had liberated both Italy and France. Hitler's earlier invasion of the Soviet Union meant that the Germans were fighting a war on two fronts. In the Pacific, Japan won many early battles. To turn the tide of the war in the Pacific, the Allies relied on island hopping tactics, which led to significant victories and served to cut off Japanese forces.

Through heavy bombing and ground assaults, the Allies forced a German surrender. In an attempt to force the Japanese to surrender, the United States dropped two atomic bombs on Japan. Shortly afterward, the Japanese surrendered, leaving the world to recover from the human and economic losses of another world war.

By the end of this period of exploration in history, you will be able to do the following:
- Determine the major causes of the Great Depression.
- Identify ways that the New Deal helped Americans through the depression.
- Examine the ways that dictators took power in Latin America and Europe during the depression.
- Describe events that led to conflict between the Japanese and the United States.
- Identify the major turning points of the war in Europe.
- Identify the turning points of the war in the Pacific.
- Explain how the Allies forced Germany and Japan to surrender.
- Describe events leading to the Holocaust.