Director ＆ Collaborators' Essey
NHK High School Course World History Inquiry: “The Great Depression and World War II”, by Toyomi ASANO
Faculty of Political Science and Economics, Waseda University Professor
Professor Toyomi ASANO, served as both an academic supervisor and lecturer for Episode 29, “The Great Depression and World War II,” of NHK’s educational program World History Inquiry.
【Overview】
This episode examines the historical processes through which the Great Depression of 1929 led to the collapse of international cooperation established after World War I, ultimately plunging the world into a second global conflict.
During the Great Depression of the 1930s, three competing political and economic systems emerged as alternatives to laissez-faire capitalism: New Deal-style modified capitalism, socialist planned economies, and Nazism and Fascism. These systems competed for dominance in shaping the international order. In Asia, the Manchurian Incident, the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War, and Japan’s withdrawal from the League of Nations intensified regional tensions. As these developments became increasingly intertwined with the outbreak of war in Europe, the conflict expanded into World War II, including the Pacific War, drawing in the United States and the Soviet Union.
The lecture also explores the structural factors and profound emotional upheavals that led to these conflicts, including disputes over treaty revisions, xenophobic sentiments, and clashes involving foreign residents.
Program Information
Program: NHK High School Course, World History Inquiry
Episode: Episode 29, “The Great Depression and World War II”
Written by Kosei, SATO