Treaty of Versailles and the Great Depression

The Paris Peace Conference

Jan 11, 1919

The conference was a meeting of allied victors after WWI. This took place in Paris, and involved over 32 countries.

Germany Rebels

May 3, 1919

The Germans were not happy with the conditions of the Treaty, so they protested against it.

Treaty of Versailles is signed

Jun 27, 1919

The treaty was signed by Britain, France, Italy, Japan, America, Belgium, Brazil, Bolivia, China, Ecuador, Peru, Panama, Australia, New Zealand, and more.

First Meeting of League of Nations

Jan 15, 1920

The League was set up as an international police force, but Germany was not allowed to join until they proved to be a peaceful country.

France and Belgium take what's owed

Dec 31, 1922

Germany failed to pay in full its reparation payments in 1922, and in 1923 Belgium and France seized what they were owed in raw goods and materials.

Stock Market Crashes

Oct 29, 1929

Unemployment averages 3.2% for the year.The crash started on October 24, and by October 29, stock prices plunged. About $30 billion in stock values vanished by mid-November.

Unemployment

Mar 6, 1930

Over 3.2 millio people are unemployed, compared to the 1.5 million people that were unemployed before the stock crash.
Unemployment averages 8.9% for the year.

Smoot-Hawley Tariff

Jun 17, 1930

Congress passes this tariff. The intention behind the legislation was to increase the protection afforded domestic farmers against foreign agricultural imports. The tariff increase had insufficient impact on the American economy, yet plummets Europe further into crisis.

Unemployment Rate

Jan 1, 1931

Unemployment averages 16.3% for the year.
This lasted all year.

Food Riots

Feb 1, 1931

Several hundred people broke into grocery stores and stole food. The riot is brought under control by about 100 police officers, and 7 people are arrested. During the month of February, roughly 6,024 Mexican Americans are deported, because they were being accused of stealing jobs. There is no specific day listed for this event.

NY Bank Collapses

Dec 1, 1931

NY's Bank of the US collapses, and the bank had had over $200 million in deposites, which made it the biggest single bank failure in US history. This event does not have a specific day listed.

Unemployment Rate

Jan 1, 1932

Unemployment averages 24.1% for the year.
This lasted all year.

Unemployed March

Mar 1, 1932

3 thousand unemployed workers march in River Rouge, Michigan, on the Ford Motor Company's plant. Policeman and Ford's company guards besieged the workers, killing 4 and injuring many more.

Roosevelt is Elected

Nov 8, 1932

Franklin D. Roosevelt, a Democrat, defeats President Herbert Hoover, a Republican.

Hitler Reconstructs Germany's Military

Dec 31, 1934

Hitler was appointed Chancellor in 1933, Hitler appointed Hjalmar Schacht as President of the Reichsbank, and left Schacht with the directive to focus on rearming Germany.

Germany's reparations finish

Oct 3, 2010

A concluding reimbursement of 59 million pounds ends Germany's WWI reparations after 92 years.