1930s1941

The period from the early 1930s to 1941 was dominated by economic crisis and its political fallout. The Great Depression produced high unemployment, deflation, and social strain, prompting government interventions and social reforms in various countries. Recovery varied, with the United States implementing New Deal programs and European nations experimenting with fiscal and monetary measures, social welfare schemes, and policy adjustments aimed at stability.

Politically, the decade saw the rise of totalitarian regimes in Germany, Italy, and Japan, along with aggressive nationalism and militarization. In Europe, democracies wrestled with how to respond to expansionism, while appeasement policies and alliances shaped early alliances and conflicts. The Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) served as a testing ground for tactics and weapons later used in wider conflict, highlighting ideological divides that complemented economic strains.

World War II began in 1939 with Germany's invasion of Poland, drawing Britain and France into war. The early years saw Axis successes in Western Europe, followed by the aerial campaigns and battles of 1940, including the Battle of Britain. The conflict expanded through Africa and Asia as Allied and Axis powers pressed global ambitions and supply lines.

In 1941 the war broadened markedly: Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union, and Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, bringing the United States into the conflict. This year shifted the war toward a truly global scale and set the stage for coordinated Allied efforts and the eventual trajectory toward victory and postwar restructuring.