Roosevelt's Revolution: How FDR Led America From The Great Depression | Impossible Peace

Summary

This documentary explores the pivotal year of 1932, a time of global turmoil marked by the Great Depression, political upheaval, and the rise of totalitarian regimes. It delves into the economic collapse, the despair it wrought, and the emergence of leaders like FDR and Hitler, setting the stage for the catastrophic events of World War II. The script provides a historical narrative that intertwines personal stories, political shifts, and societal impacts, offering a comprehensive view of a year that changed the world.

Takeaways

• 🎥 The introduction promotes a new history channel called 'History Hits', which is likened to 'Netflix for history', featuring documentaries and interviews with renowned historians.
• 🌏 The script discusses the profound impact of the two World Wars on the 20th century, highlighting the global despair and hopelessness, especially during the Great Depression.
• 📉 The Great Depression is depicted with stark statistics, such as the 25% drop in production in the U.S., 50% drop in investment, and a 20% unemployment rate, illustrating the severity of the economic downturn.
• 🏛️ The political landscape of the 1930s is explored, with the rise of leaders like Franklin D. Roosevelt in the U.S., who brought a sense of optimism and experimentation to the American people.
• 💥 The script covers significant political shifts, such as the formation of the Fascist Party in Britain by Oswald Mosley, influenced by Mussolini, and the rise of Stalin in the Soviet Union, where propaganda and personality cults were prevalent.
• 🔨 The aggressive actions of Japan in the early 1930s, including the bombing of Shanghai, are noted, reflecting a period of unchecked military expansion that would later involve the U.S.
• 🎭 The script touches on the influence of media and propaganda, both in promoting leaders like Hitler and in shaping public opinion, as seen in the case of the Reichstag fire and the subsequent crackdown on civil liberties.
• 📚 The intellectual and cultural climate of the time is highlighted, with references to the burning of books in Germany and the impact of censorship on the arts and sciences.
• 🏦 The economic challenges faced by countries like the U.S. and the U.K. are detailed, with the U.S. implementing the New Deal under President Roosevelt to combat the effects of the Great Depression.
• 🤝 The failure of international cooperation is underscored by the collapse of the World Economic Conference in 1933, which aimed to address global economic issues but was undermined by national self-interest.
• 🕊️ Amidst the turmoil, there are also lighter moments, such as the first film collaboration between Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, symbolizing cultural resilience and the human spirit.

Q & A

What is the significance of the Lancaster bomber in the documentary?

The Lancaster bomber is significant as it serves as the filming location for a show about the Dambusters raid in 1943, illustrating the historical context of World War II.

What was the impact of the Great Depression on the global economy?

The Great Depression had a profound impact on the global economy, causing massive poverty, social dislocation, a sense of capitalism's failure, and a rise in unemployment rates, with over 20% in the United States alone.

How did the banking system in the United States fare during the Great Depression?

The U.S. banking system was severely affected, with the entire system being described as a 'collection of imbeciles' by former Treasury Secretary Mcadoo, and a significant reduction in profits and increase in losses.

What was the Battle of Anacostia Flats and why was it significant?

The Battle of Anacostia Flats was a confrontation between the U.S. Army and World War I veterans demanding early payment of their war service bonus. It was significant as it marked a low point in President Hoover's presidency and highlighted the desperation of the times.

Who was Al Capone and why was he convicted in 1932?

Al Capone, also known as Scarface, was a notorious gangster who controlled a large crime syndicate. He was convicted of tax evasion in 1932 and sentenced to prison, marking a shift in law enforcement's ability to tackle organized crime.

What was the political climate like in Britain in 1932?

In 1932, Britain saw the formation of the British Union of Fascists by Oswald Mosley, who was influenced by Mussolini and adopted similar fascist practices, indicating a rise in far-right political movements.

How did the Soviet Union's propaganda machine operate during the 1930s?

The Soviet Union's propaganda machine was pervasive during the 1930s, with Stalin's image and ideals being promoted everywhere. It created a cult of personality around Stalin and controlled the narrative through strict censorship and propaganda.

What was the significance of the 1932 presidential election in the United States?

The 1932 presidential election was significant as it marked a major political shift in the United States with Franklin D. Roosevelt's victory over the incumbent, signaling a demand for change and the start of the New Deal era.

What was the role of the Reichstag fire in Hitler's rise to power?

The Reichstag fire was used by Hitler and the Nazis as a pretext to claim a communist plot, allowing them to pass an emergency decree that abrogated civil liberties and set the stage for the establishment of a totalitarian regime.

How did the international community respond to the early signs of aggression by Japan in 1932?

The international community, including the United States, largely responded with indifference to Japan's aggression, such as the bombing of Shanghai, which set a precedent for inaction that would later prove detrimental.

What was the impact of the New Deal on the American economy and society?

The New Deal had a significant impact on the American economy and society by introducing a series of programs and policies aimed at recovery, relief, and reform. It helped stabilize the financial system, provided jobs through public works, and implemented social safety nets.

Outlines

00:00

🎥 Introduction to History Hits and the Impact of World Wars

The script introduces a new history channel called 'History Hits', described as a Netflix-like platform for history documentaries and interviews with renowned historians. The narrator mentions filming in a Lancaster bomber for a show on the Dambusters raid of 1943. The paragraph then transitions to discuss the profound effects of the two World Wars on the 20th century, highlighting the Great Depression, its economic impact, and the rise of extremist ideologies like communism and fascism, setting the stage for the political landscape of the 1930s.

05:02

📉 The Great Depression and Its Global Consequences

This paragraph delves into the devastating effects of the Great Depression, detailing the economic downturn in the United States, where production and investment plummeted, and unemployment soared. It paints a picture of widespread poverty, social dislocation, and a crisis of faith in capitalism. The script also touches on the political and social unrest, including the significant reduction in world trade and the Battle of Anacostia Flats, which marked a turning point in President Hoover's reputation.

10:04

🗳️ Political Shifts and the Rise of Fascism in the 1930s

The script discusses the political shifts of the 1930s, including the election of Franklin D. Roosevelt in a landslide victory, the rise of organized crime with Al Capone's conviction, and the emergence of fascist parties in Britain and Italy. It also covers the Soviet Union's propaganda efforts to deify Stalin, turning communism into a religion-like movement, and the political climate in Ireland under Eamon de Valera, who introduced a constitution reflecting his austere Catholicism.

15:04

🇯🇵 Japan's Aggression and the Lead-up to World War II

This paragraph focuses on Japan's military aggression, including the bombing of Shanghai's Chapai district and the rise of ultra-nationalists who assassinated moderate political figures. It also mentions the Nazi party's simple yet effective election slogan in 1932, which capitalized on the widespread unemployment and dissatisfaction in Germany, and Hitler's eventual rise to power not through democratic means but through manipulation by conservative elites.

20:04

🤝 The Failure of International Cooperation and the Path to War

The script highlights the failure of the 1932 Geneva peace conference, which aimed to reduce armaments but was undermined by Hitler's withdrawal of Germany's delegation. It discusses the subsequent rise of private armies in Germany, such as the SA and the Reichsbanner, and the fear they instilled in the populace. The paragraph concludes with the ominous prediction of unchecked aggression leading to future conflict, foreshadowing World War II.

25:05

🏛️ The Nazi Ascendancy and the Transformation of German Society

This paragraph details Hitler's rise to power, his initial political strategies, and the manipulation of the Weimar Constitution to consolidate his authority. It describes the Reichstag fire as a pivotal event used by the Nazis to justify the suppression of civil liberties and the elimination of political opposition. The script also touches on the establishment of Goebbels' Ministry of Popular Culture and Propaganda, which controlled the narrative and shaped public opinion in Nazi Germany.

30:07

📚 Book Burnings and the Suppression of Dissent in Nazi Germany

The script describes the cultural and intellectual purge in Nazi Germany, including the infamous book burnings at universities and the censorship imposed by Goebbels' propaganda machine. It also mentions the impact of fear on German society, the acquiescence of the majority to Nazi rule, and the limited but significant acts of resistance against the regime.

35:07

🌉 The Challenges of the British Economy and the New Deal in America

This paragraph contrasts the economic struggles of Britain, particularly in the shipbuilding industry, with the bold measures taken by President Roosevelt in the United States. It outlines the initial actions of Roosevelt's New Deal, including the bank holiday, fireside chats, and the National Industrial Recovery Act, which aimed to revive the American economy during the Great Depression.

40:08

📉 The Global Economic Struggle and the Failure of International Cooperation

The script discusses the global economic challenges of the 1930s, the failure of the World Economic Conference in London due to a lack of political will for international cooperation, and the continuation of the Great Depression throughout the decade. It also touches on the political developments in Germany, including Hitler's first speech as chancellor and the publication of the Brown Book of Hitler Terror, which documented Nazi atrocities.

Keywords

💡Great Depression

The Great Depression refers to a severe worldwide economic downturn that began in 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s. It was characterized by widespread unemployment, poverty, and a collapse in production and trade. In the video's context, the Great Depression is central to understanding the desperation and social upheaval that set the stage for political changes, such as the rise of extremist ideologies and leaders.

💡Dambusters Raid

The Dambusters Raid was a famous British military operation during World War II, where bombers attacked German dams using a specially designed bouncing bomb. The video script mentions filming in a Lancaster bomber, which was the type of aircraft used in the raid, to highlight a historical event that exemplifies the technological and strategic innovations of warfare.

💡History Hits

History Hits is mentioned as a new history channel in the script, akin to 'Netflix for history,' offering a vast collection of documentaries and interviews with renowned historians. It represents the modern way of consuming historical content, making history more accessible and engaging through on-demand streaming services.

💡Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR)

Franklin Delano Roosevelt, commonly known as FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States. His New Deal policies, aimed at recovery from the Great Depression, are a significant part of the video's narrative. FDR's leadership and the introduction of social and economic reforms are highlighted as a response to the economic crisis of the time.

💡New Deal

The New Deal was a series of programs, public work projects, financial reforms, and regulations enacted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the United States during the 1930s. It was a response to the economic crisis of the Great Depression and aimed to provide relief, recovery, and reform. The video script discusses the New Deal as a pivotal policy initiative that reshaped the American economy and society.

💡Adolf Hitler

Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician who led the Nazi Party and became the dictator of Nazi Germany. His rise to power and the subsequent actions of his regime are central to the video's exploration of the 1930s. Hitler's appointment as Chancellor and the subsequent totalitarian shift in Germany are highlighted as critical events leading to World War II.

💡Reichstag Fire

The Reichstag Fire was an arson attack on the German parliament building in 1933, which the Nazi Party used as a pretext to suspend civil liberties and consolidate power. The video script refers to this event as a pivotal moment that allowed Hitler and the Nazis to strengthen their control over Germany through fear and manipulation.

💡League of Nations

The League of Nations was an international organization founded after World War I to promote peace and cooperation. The video script mentions Germany's withdrawal from the League of Nations, which signifies the breakdown of international cooperation and the rise of nationalistic and aggressive policies leading to World War II.

💡Nazi Propaganda

Nazi propaganda refers to the use of mass media by the Nazi Party to promote their ideology and policies. The video script discusses Joseph Goebbels' role in creating a Ministry for Public Enlightenment and Propaganda, which was instrumental in spreading Nazi ideology and shaping public opinion in Germany.

💡Economic Nationalism

Economic nationalism is the policy of promoting economic self-sufficiency and protecting domestic industries. The video script touches on economic nationalism as a theme, particularly in the context of the World Economic Conference of 1933, where countries struggled to cooperate economically due to nationalistic interests and the prioritization of national recovery over international agreements.

💡Auschwitz

Auschwitz was a complex of concentration and extermination camps during World War II, established by the Nazis in German-occupied Poland. While the script does not explicitly mention Auschwitz, the reference to concentration camps and the Nazi's persecution of various groups, including Jews, Communists, is implied.

Highlights

Introduction of 'History Hits', a new history channel with documentaries and interviews with leading historians.

The Great Depression's profound impact on global economy and society, with a focus on the United States' economic downturn.

The rise of extremist political movements during the 1930s, including the Nazi Party in Germany and the Fascist Party in Britain.

The portrayal of the 1932 presidential election in the United States, highlighting the victory of Franklin D. Roosevelt.

The transformation of the Soviet Union under Stalin, with the propagation of his image and the suppression of dissent.

The description of the 1930s as a time of fear and uncertainty, with the rise of totalitarian regimes and the decline of democracy.

Historical events leading to Adolf Hitler's rise to power in 1933, including the manipulation by conservative elites.

The establishment of the Nazi regime and the subsequent crackdown on civil liberties and opposition in Germany.

The economic policies of President Roosevelt, including the New Deal and its impact on the American economy.

The significance of the 1933 World Economic Conference in London and its failure due to lack of international cooperation.

The cultural impact of the Great Depression, including the censorship and propaganda in Nazi Germany.

The comparison of democratic failures and successes in Europe during the 1930s, with a focus on the Weimar Republic.

The role of media and propaganda in shaping public opinion and supporting the rise of totalitarian regimes.

The international response to the aggression of Japan in the early 1930s and its implications for future conflicts.

The personal anecdotes and reflections of historical figures, providing a human perspective on the events of the 1930s.

The description of the social and economic conditions in Britain during the 1930s, including the struggles of the working class.

The overview of the global political landscape in the 1930s, highlighting the shift towards conflict and the prelude to World War II.

Transcripts

hi everyone welcome to this timeline

documentary just before you watch i want

to tell you about my new history channel

it's called history hits it's like the

netflix for history it's got

hundreds and hundreds of his

documentaries on there and interviews

with some of the world's best historians

we're adding new stuff all the time for

example today i'm filming in this

one of the few remaining lancaster

bombers for a show about

the dambusters raid in 1943. if you want

to know more about history hit follow

the information

just below this video or search online

for history it and make sure you use the

code

timeline to get a special introductory

offer

now enjoy this show

[Music]

two world wars tore the heart out of the

20th century

they are a rent in the fabric of history

and at the center of the bungal journey

from war to war

is a story of global want despair and

hopelessness

of the great depression its awful

consequences

and its heroes

you look at the 1920s and you think you

know there were some good leaders there

there was beyond in france

there was strazimon in germany you know

there were

there was a potential for europe to

really get back to a normality

and you look at the the disappearance of

those people from the scene

and you look at who is actually in power

when a real crisis hits the world and

the real crisis that hits the world in

this period

is the great depression and it hits a

number of countries very hard indeed

in the united states the depression

bottomed out

in 1932.

production had fallen by 25

investment 50 prices

10 only unemployment had risen

to more than 20 percent

in 1929 american corporations

booked 10 billion dollars in profits in

1932

it was three billion dollars in losses

our entire banking system declared

former treasury secretary

mcadoo does credit to a collection

of imbeciles there are 40 million people

in the developed states unemployed

millions more on half time world trade

is halved

in that period you can't imagine that

happening today and the consequences

were profound

massive poverty everywhere a strong

sense of social dislocation

also a strong sense of capitalism didn't

work and growing fears that perhaps

communism would come out of the wings

and suddenly

begin to threaten the western world and

so on and so on it was not a depression

exclusively for industry it was the

great depression

and it was for everyone 150

000 american homeowners lost their

properties in 1930

200 000 in 31 and 250

000 in 32

in 1929 global business had been worth

about

32 billion dollars to the american

economy

by 1932 that had shrunk to barely a

third

and it seemed that there was nothing

much that anyone could properly trust

as low as menacing a point as any

came at the end of july

the battle of anacostia flats as good as

sounded the death knell of hoover's

presidency

when he sent troops contained several

thousand first world war veterans

assembled in washington to demand early

payment of the war service bonus

they've been promised it's war the

greatest concentration of fighting

troops in washington since

1865. using armed cavalry

tear gas and tanks the army commander

grossly exceeded his authority

driving the protesters from their

camping grounds at anacostia flats

and putting their shelters to the torch

hoover who had not been responsible for

these excesses was vilified

the commander who was responsible went

on to become a national

hero his name was

douglas macarthur

[Music]

there's a very famous film called i am a

fugitive from a chain gang

where the hero who has tried to play

straight follow the american dream

has lost out at every every chance he's

been introduced by and betrayed by the

american state

in one way or another and at the end his

girlfriend

he comes back and he sees her very

briefly you've escaped a year ago why

haven't you been in touch i can't

they're following me they're there

they're everywhere and she said well

will you stay

no i can't i've got to go but how do you

how do you live

how do you how do you eat and he says

i steal i steal and that line whispered

like

i steal it's it's it's he

makes the hands of you back in your next

stand up this is hollywood

as the votes in the 1932 presidential

election were tallied

rural america was in a desperate state

cattle are dying off by the thousands

from starvation

and from thirst a veritable plague has

visited the once

prosperous farms of a section

we'll have a revolution in the

countryside in less than 12 months

ward ed o'neal of the conservative farm

bureau federation

the democratic nominee the governor of

new york

had as his signature tune for the 1932

presidential campaign

happy days are here again

his name was franklin delano roosevelt

he swept aside the incumbent in the most

one-sided election

since abraham lincoln's victory in 1864

[Music]

like a real landslide this time

he's by nature an experimenter a

pragmatist

let's try that let's try this let's see

what works if something doesn't work

don't get

discouraged we'll try something else

that mood of

optimism gaity

empathy experimentalism and a deep deep

faith in the american

experiment and republic which he never

lost is what

makes him a politically indispensable

figure

convicted of tax evasion the

once-all-powerful al capone

face 1932 in a less upbeat

mood they don't come any bigger than

alphonse capone

from the nothingness of a small time

bouncer scarface al has risen to control

a crime advice syndicate

that grosses a hundred million dollars a

year

his identity card at the state

penitentiary in atlanta

georgia records the following details

sentence begins may 4th 1932

date of birth january 17th 1899

occupation gambler

and there is a careful description of

the three scars on his face

scarface

[Music]

in britain the politically and

personally promiscuous politician

oswald moseley formed a fascist party in

1932

[Music]

he'd been to rome and that's what

mussolini had advised him to do

so he did it in imitation of mussolini

black shirts for which followers paid

five shillings each stiff arm salute the

lot

it was quid pro quo for the substantial

amounts that italy is sending

to fund his movement we will meet him

again

[Music]

the world capital of adoring fans was in

soviet russia

where the orchestrated elevation of

stalin beyond the horizon of mere

humanity

cranked into overdrive in 1932

when pravda the official party newspaper

told its readers of an astonishing

discovery

all of the articles it had published

under lenin's name had

it recently learned been ghostwritten

by comrade stalin you had to lie you had

to repeat the party's slogans and so on

otherwise

stalin would kill you as the russian

maxim had it you lied like an eyewitness

stalin's image was everywhere and

communism

was no longer a political movement it

had morphed into a religion

[Applause]

and the most electable scent produced by

the government perfume factory

was called breath of stalin

propaganda was the air people breathed

during the 1930s

and you could see it in particular in

russia

[Music]

alexander woolcott writing from moscow

in 1932

noted i have been here long enough to

learn

what the major industry of soviet russia

is

it is printing pictures of stalin

standing you know was quite open about

it he said to nadesha

krupskaya um that if she didn't behave

he would make someone else lenin's widow

um which is rather nice that are

creating his

his own piece of history the official

view

found little to a port a british embassy

report

of 21 june 1932 described

a record of overstaffing over planning

and complete incompetence at the center

of human misery starvation death

and disease among the peasantry

men women and children it continued

are left to die in order that the

five-year plan

shall at least succeed on paper

it would have undermined the propaganda

of the soviet union to admit that after

15 years

of socialism of bolshevik rule in the

soviet union

that they're not able to feed their own

population

the minutes of politburo meeting 93 of

december

6 1932 concludes

the council of people's commissars and

the central committee

call upon all collective and private

farmers

who are honest and dedicated to soviet

rule

to organize all their efforts for a

merciless struggle

against kulaks in order to defeat in

their villages

the kulak sabotage of grain collection

obligations

to soviet authorities you could easily

become being labeled a kulak by

just having two cows instead of the

average one that hardly makes you a

major capitalist right

you might be branded a kulak because you

hired

other workers okay you're engaging in

capitalist mechanisms of paying other

people

to work on your phone but that actually

discriminates against some of the most

vulnerable people in in society

discriminates against the

elderly or the disabled

in italy in the doctrine of fascism of

1932

benito mussolini wrote if the 19th

century

was the century of the individual it may

be expected

that this one may be the century of

collectivism

and therefore the century of the state

[Music]

in ireland where the eucharistic

conference was attended by

more than a third of the population it

would be the long fought for time of

self-government

and in 1932 eamon de valera came to

power

eamon devalera was an austere and school

mastery figure

but he was a brilliant politician and in

many ways

he becomes the dominant figure in irish

politics when he is elected

premier in 1932 and in so many regards

and the ireland that you see for the

next 30 years

is the island that has been created by

ayman de valera

de valera would introduce a constitution

which among other things was a major

setback for women

embracing as it did all the rigidity

of his catholicism 97

of irish people attended religious

services once a week so it was one of

the highest figures in the world

[Music]

in japan ultra nationalists

planning to kill 20 moderates succeeded

in murdering two dan takuma

and anui jan nasuki as in nazi germany

murder was a powerful political tool

the attempted crews that take place the

the incidences of violence that take

place

during the early 1930s are clearly scary

people do worry you know leading

politicians had

very good reason to worry that they

might be the one who was attacked next

and fear is a is a powerful

is a powerful thing i think

on january the 29th 1932

japanese carrier-based aircraft bombed

the chapai district of shanghai

[Music]

atomizing the fragile buildings

it was perhaps the first major bombing

of civilians

it ruffled feathers but no one did

anything

and president hoover made clear the

basis for abstention

from any intervention these acts he said

do not imperil the freedom of the

american people

it was a fatal indifference which would

rebound against america

almost 10 years later when unchecked

japanese aggression

reached the american naval base at pearl

harbor

the nazi election slogan of 1932

was simple to the point of banality

sad depressed dejected faces look at us

in a drawing it is an election poster

but it does not name

any political party

it says our last home

them in very large letters one name

hitler could not conceivably have risen

to

power had it not been for the fact

that millions of germans were were out

of work they were

dissatisfied and hitler notoriously said

there are no economic

problems and there are no economic

solutions there are only political

solutions

the rotten democracy of weimar is

responsible for your hardships and your

sufferings and

what is required is a

transformation of germany

led by me a charismatic leader who will

punish the people responsible for your

ills

and that is the jews and the bolsheviks

on february the 26th hitler swore his

oath

as a civil servant in the office of

state culture and measurement in

brunswick

it was a hastily contrived arrangement

which technically

gave the austrian german citizenship

allowing him to become a candidate

in the presidential election in 1932

13 million germans voted for the nazis

but this was not enough to put hitler in

power

he was not to achieve the chancellorship

by his own efforts

he was put there by fools whose

arrogance

persuaded them they could manage this

vulgarian

you know you had all those people from

those old families who thought hitler

was just a little jumped up corporal and

they didn't take him seriously until it

was too late

we engaged him for our own ends said the

deplorable

franz yosef hermann michael mario von

puppets of kernighan

born into nobility and wealth von

pappen's appointment as chancellor was

according to france's ambassador to

berlin met with incredulity

andre francois ponce said that poppin

was taken seriously by neither his

friends

nor his enemies german people desire

nothing more

than to live in peace in order to turn

all the energies

which they possess to the great problems

which will have to be solved to bring

about reconstruction of the world after

the war

papan called fresh elections following

hitler's resounding defeat

by hindenburg in the presidential

election

at the general election support for the

nazis continued to fall

the movement's appeal had clearly peaked

and we won't get to an absolute majority

this way

goebbels confided to his diary

prussia went to the polls after the

presidential election

and the nazis increased their presence

in the london

campaigning with energy and an aeroplane

hitler lifted his party's representation

from six seats one in 1928 to 162 seats

other states bavaria wittenberg

anhult followed the trend it's

a fantastic victory said goebbels

their success revealed the nazis to be

in richard j

evans phrase a rainbow coalition of the

discontented

by 1932 the sa the storm ab title

the brown shirts outnumbered the small

army allowed under the peace settlement

by four to one

so too did the reichsbanner paramilitary

wing of the social democrats

and the 300 000 strong stalhom

a paramilitary veterans organization

there were 400 000 stormtroopers in

uniform

it's hard to imagine now or then such a

private army being tolerated

much less applauded in any more mature

democracy

its influence on the democratic vote as

people entered polling booths past

scowling thugs is hard to assess

fear was already sending people across

the borders

between 1901 and 1932

germany had 25 nobel laureates in

physics and chemistry

compared to the usa's five

[Music]

the majority would flee national

socialism

eight such refugee scientists worked on

the manhattan project

building the atom bomb

[Music]

the peace conference that opened in

geneva in february 1932

had been six years in the making and

there was an almost universal optimism

that it would secure the peace that had

been a general aspiration

and was seeming increasingly fragile

almost universal representatives from 64

different countries

are arriving at the conference hall

geneva for the meeting which is hope

will result in a world reduction of

armaments

they were buoyed by petitions from every

continent comprising millions of

signatures

for 18 months they would debate

then hitler would pull his delegation

out

which euthanased the whole affair

to what climax of the millions of loyal

followers being led by their forceful

leader

adolf hitler withdrawing from the

disarmament conference

resigning from the league of nations

hitler has frayed the world's nerves

afraid

there's so many what-ifs you know could

it have been stopped because of course

the thing is when you begin to get the

breakdown of the international order if

one person gets away with something or

one country gets away with something

that encourages others aldous huxley's

chilling future vision

was published in 1932

he called it brave new world

[Music]

on january the 1st 1933 the newspaper

frankfurter zeitung proclaimed

the mighty nazi assault on the

democratic state

has been repulsed and the vosicha

zaitong declared

the republic has been rescued in just 30

days

adolf hitler would be installed as

chancellor

and it's no accident i think that when

the weimar republic ended in 1933 it

ended

through a small conspiracy by those

conservative elites

who thought here was their chance they

could get hitler into power they could

manipulate him and they would restore

somehow what they'd lost in 1919

in january 1933 hitler threw royalties

from mein kampf

and gifts from supporters was

comfortable

indeed already a millionaire

[Music]

his home was a large apartment in a

fashionable part of munich

his transport was a chauffeur-driven

mercedes limousine

he never learned to drive

and party headquarters was literally

palatial

its staff had grown from 56 in 1930

to 275. he was rarely out of bed before

noon

and frequently holidayed in the chalet

he bought in the bavarian alps

so life for him unlike that of most of

his fellow germans

it was not bad and then

at half past 11 on the morning of monday

january the 30th 1933 it got better

president paul von hindenburg

administered the oath of office

installing him as chancellor

the people around president hindenburg

felt they could use hitler and use the

nazis and use their support

that they'd use them to establish a

conservative authoritarian government

and then they'd just get rid of them

of course the fatal mistake they made

was not to understand that hitler was

thinking exactly the same thing and he

was going to get rid of them

and so i think human error has a lot to

do

with people such as hitler hitler swore

to uphold

what he had long since vowed to destroy

the laws and constitution of the

republic

the weekly news reel shown in cinemas

throughout germany

comprised six stories in the first week

of february

they included a ski jump horse racing

and a horse show the swearing-in of

adolf hitler

was the sixth and final item on the

program adolf hitler leader of the

german national movement

is made chancellor of germany and berlin

goes

wild in celebration of his victory

torchlight's parade like the berlin

knight as backers commemorate his

victory by marching through the streets

and through the brandenburg gate

the appointment of hitler was not a

miracle

though it confirmed his view of himself

as an unstoppable man of destiny

it was just a shabby shameful bungle

what were they thinking

under the weimar constitution the office

of chancellor

was little more than cabinet chairman

and government decisions

had to be by cabinet vote so cleverly as

they thought

president hindenburg and his advisers

made hitler agree

to limit the nazism cabinet to three and

accepting von

papen as his vice chancellor

this meant that papan would always have

an 8-3 majority in cabinet

and within two months papin said

we will have pushed hitler so far into a

corner

that he will squeak

hitler assumed power without ever acting

unconstitutionally

the nazis ascended on the rubble of a

disintegrating political system

i think what really brought hitler to

power in terms of success with the

electorate and

later the people who used to be the

electorate the mass of germans who

who became sort of well hostages to the

dictatorial system

um was actually the support of important

media

organizations like alfred hubenberg's

media empire

it's really hugenberg's support for for

hitler's party and his agenda

i believe that made a decisive

difference to the success of his

campaign between 32 and 33 and

and the rise of what we now know as his

charisma

which i think in 32 still wasn't at all

unequivocal i mean he looked really

quite ridiculous to many people

many people didn't take him very

seriously that man hitler certainly

knows how to sway a crowd

he has the origins magic touch

you would think that the end of the

world is coming proclaiming the dawn of

a new nation

but calling on all not to let germany

forget what she had suffered at the

hands of her enemies

within two days of his appointment as

chancellor

on january the 30th hitler called an

election

in which the nazis so improved their

position in the reichstag

that when the new parliament assembled

hitler had no difficulty

pushing an enabling act into law

permitting the chancellor to bypass the

reichstag and rule by decree

[Music]

what had drifted close to being an

authoritarian dictatorship

under hindenburg became a totalitarian

one under hitler the constitutional

crisis

had led to the death of a republic too

shallow-rooted to survive the collapse

of coalitions

the direct appointment of

non-parliamentary chancellors

or the hindenburg facilitated lurch to

the right

volleyball is often held up as being an

exemplar for

political weakness for democratic

failure but when you begin to compare it

to other states in europe it is actually

one of the

longest surviving democracies after the

first world war

early in the transition to third reich

just after midnight

on the evening of the 27th of february

1933

passersby heard the sound of breaking

glass coming from the reichstag

and shortly afterwards saw flames

lighting the interior at the building

arriving on the scene hitler guerning

and goebbels

declared the arsenal attack to be a

communist plot

using fire and terror rote gerbils in

his diary

to sow confusion in order in the general

panic

to grasp power for themselves

sefton delmar reporting for the london

daily express

arrived on the scene and hitler confided

in him

you are now witnessing the beginning of

a great new epoch in german history

edoma

hitler said delma's verdict on hitler

reached after attending a rally at the

berlin sports palace

along with 15 000 others was

that he was a crackpot

[Music]

the morning after the fire the cabinet

which still had a non-nazi majority

met to draw up an emergency decree that

abrogated

civil liberties across germany

it abolished freedom of speech of

assembly

of the press

by the summer all opposition had been

crushed

more than 100 000 communists social

democrats

and other opponents of the nazis had

been sent to concentration camps

[Music]

most to a new camp outside a town named

dakao

[Music]

the nazis were the only legal party

and hitler had still not in any way

acted

unconstitutionally indeed

his actions received 95 percent support

in the plebiscite

[Applause]

[Music]

[Applause]

germany withdrew from the league of

nations and the disarmament conference

in october

and sir horace rumbold remarked from his

post as his majesty's ambassador to

berlin

that many in the diplomatic corps have a

feeling

that we are living in a country where

fanatics hooligans

and eccentrics have got the upper hand

fear had now become the engine driving

german public life fear had forced 500

leading municipal civil servants

and 70 town mayors out of office

such was the real and palpable fear of

something

suddenly unyielding seemingly uncaring

that the 56 percent of germans whose

votes had not gone to the nazis

acquiesced

there was some resistance some bravery

but not much

people made the gestures and now the

slogans demanded of them

some with enthusiasm

people were afraid of each other of

their neighbors

of thugs in uniform

goebbels reich ministry for popular

culture and propaganda

was formally launched on march the 13th

the american movie trade press coined a

term for the material

the goebbels machine fed them they

called it nazi gander

so hitler was photographed from the

front

from the back from the right from the

left

from every angle hitler hitler

hitler the musical comedy

my weakness was refused german release

on the grounds that the lace panties of

the girls

would contaminate the morals of new

germany

king kong one of the sensational movies

of the year

was damned as repugnant to german race

instincts

and on may the 10th at universities

throughout germany

cartloads of books were tipped onto

bonfires to the chant

for the education of the nation in the

spirit of military preparedness

goebbels invited fritz lang the

outstanding german filmmaker of the day

to become chief of the german film

industry

you understand lang said that my

grandmother was jewish

i decide who's jewish goebbel said

blang left germany soon after

[Music]

britain was beginning to see signs of

apache recovery

but still john maynard keynes one of the

world's leading economic theorists

could do no better than declare that the

economy was

in a frightful model

among british intellectuals in the 1920s

1930s there was a strong

sense of morbidity a strong sense of an

old age was

disappearing and that new threats were

emerging

which might be entirely destructive of

the british way of life

[Music]

wherever we went wrote jb priestly of

his journey through the northeast of

england in 1933

there were men hanging about not scores

of them

but hundreds and thousands of them

[Music]

shipbuilding had been a strength in the

region in 1933

the industry was at seven percent of its

1914 level

before 1914 the civilization the capital

c really meant that the british could

march around

part of their empire while maintaining a

class structure which kept a very large

part of the population completely

impoverished

as early as march the 29th 1933

the date of its first issue claude

coburn's notorious news sheet

the week was describing prime minister

ramsey mcdonald's visit to rome

as a new phase of the pre-war situation

in europe

we have had the most interesting

conversations

and uh i hope that the result will be

a very big improvement

in the peace conditions of europe

post-war had become pre-war and munich

was still five years away

it was a time when america felt itself

to be launching

just a little boldly into the unknown

with a new president

between fdr's election and inauguration

another wave of bank failures rolled

across america

[Music]

it was the failure of detroit's guardian

trust company

controlled by henry ford's son edsel to

turn the wave

into a national flood

on february the 14th 1933

the governor of michigan proclaimed an

eight day bank holiday

residents awoke on some valentine's day

to find that for a full week

they would have to get by with only the

cash in their pockets

all biscuit tins or piggy banks

again the psychological response was

irrational but real

as governor after governor followed

michigan's lead

then shots were fired at the

[Applause]

president-elect

by an unemployed bricklayer named

giuseppe joe zangara

who had bought a revolver for eight

dollars for a pawn shop

his target was fdr's car

and his collateral victim was the mayor

of chicago

mayor cermak critically wounded is

carried to mr roosevelt's car

resting in the arms of the

president-elect he is rushed to a

hospital

above the mayhem a voice could be heard

loud and clear

i'm all right roosevelt shouted

i'm all right and people suddenly felt

that perhaps he was

on march the second two days before

fdr's inauguration

the new york fed fell below its minimum

gold reserve ratio

on the third it lost a further 350

million dollars

200 million dollars in the form of wire

transfers

out of the country

when charles evans hughes administered

the oath on a dutch bible

which had been in the roosevelt family

for 300 years

there was a sense of urgency about the

place

this is preeminently the time to speak

the truth

the whole truth frankly and boldly nor

need we shrink

from honestly facing conditions in our

country today

this great nation will endure

as it has endured when

roosevelt did take the oath of office

the banks in most states were closed and

in others there was a limitation

on how much you could withdraw

and this is as close to

paralysis in a capitalist system

as we can get banks in 28 states

were wholly closed

those in the remaining 20 were partly

closed

half of all household mortgages were in

default

and the automobile industry that had

been producing twenty thousand vehicles

a day

was now building two thousand

in the wealthiest nation on earth 34

million americans

out of a total population of 120 million

had no apparent source of income

it was time for a new deal

fdr's first action as president was to

close the banks

until march the 9th surprisingly

americans coped he's not necessarily a

systematic thinker when it comes to

domestic policy but he's a political

realist and he knows first and foremost

that any president in 1933 has got to

try and get america

back on his feet again ious were issued

accepted and honored barter flourished

a store exchanged a dress for three

barrels of saginaw bay herrings

the box office for a boxing tournament

admitted fans on presentation

of anything assessed as being worth 50

cents

[Music]

on sunday march the 12th roosevelt

began the first of his radio fireside

chats

with my friend i want to talk

for a few minutes with the people of the

united states about

banking 60 million people were listening

including the humorist will rogers who

said the president

had taken the subject of banking and

made everyone

understand it even the bankers

the chat lasted less than 15 minutes

the audience for his broadcasts are

phenomenal 7170 of americans are tuning

into these broadcasts these are

things that are permeating every home

in almost every home in america

no one knew what would happen when the

banks reopened

with the panic resume long lines

formed outside banks all over the

country

it was a day after the president's

speech and these americans were queuing

to put their money back

where the president had promised them it

would be safe

so although we're used to thinking of

the fireside chats as these

major moments of presidential leadership

there are surprisingly few

some years as few as two a year so he

would ration them

and again that was a more effective way

he wasn't over exposing himself

he was turning these things into big

events so that people would actually

change the present

must have something important to say

by the end of march 15 billion dollars

had been taken

from socks pots and pillowcases

and put back into banks

by 1933 u.s unemployment

hit 12 million a quarter of the

workforce

half of those involved in chemicals

steel

and machine industries the city's free

employment agency was scheduled to open

at nine o'clock

and by three several thousand job

seekers were already in line

all day they came in a never-ending

stream the scene

was remarkably free of trouble although

occasionally

someone tried to sneak up ahead of his

turn

even so on march the 15th the stock

exchange ticker tape signed off with the

words

happy days are here again

part of the problem facing roosevelt was

that there was no clear agreement in

1933

as to what had actually caused the

depression

no clear agreement on why it had become

so bad

so therefore roosevelt's new deal

embarks on a

number of different initiatives

among our objectives i place the

security

of the men women and children of the

nation

first on april the 80th

roosevelt announced to his advisors

whose reaction was apoplectic

that he had effectively unhitched the

dollar from gold

allowing the currency to substantially

devalue to the astonishment of the

entire financial world

[Music]

in printing this additional money mr

roosevelt has resorted to inflation

which is no longer the dreaded bogey it

used to

and the dow went up like a rocket orders

for new machinery increased by 100

and overall industrial output lifted by

50

the 10 billion dollars spent in the u.s

under the national industrial recovery

act of 1933

was part but not all of the story of

recovery

it paid amongst much else for 122 000

public buildings more than a million

kilometers of road

77 000 bridges and 285

airports

[Music]

about 000 450.000

wrote to their president in his first

week in office

and mail continued to arrive at between

four to seven thousand items each day

during hoover's presidency one person

had worked in the white house mail room

for fdr the staff was increased to 70.

[Music]

most americans had never heard their

president speak before

so they believe that he wants them to do

well

and when his policies fail they begin to

say

our president is being failed by

bankers corporate heads

we're going to take things into our own

hands because we know this is what the

president wants us to do

by the time the emergency session of

congress ended on june the 16th

the session that the president had

summoned on taking the oath of office

fdr had signed 15 bills into law

these have been the hundred days

[Music]

central to the reform package was what

led the new york herald tribune to

exclaim

seldom if ever has so sweeping a piece

of legislation

been introduced to the american congress

it was the farm bill and it sought to

arrest the decades-long slide in the

agricultural sector

that by 1933 had banks foreclosing on

farm mortgages

at an approximate rate of 20 000 every

[Music]

month

it was to try and bring a cooperative

order to all of this

that the world economic conference

assembled in a museum

in london's royal borough of kensington

amidst the rocks and fossils

in 1933 a second world economic

conference is convened in london

and it's sort of a matching conference

to the disarmament conferences taking

place in geneva at the same more or less

the same time

it's partly why it's in london it's

because all the hotels are full of the

military guys in geneva

the fate of generations may well depend

upon the courage the sincerity

width of you which we are to show

during the next few weeks let the world

know

that we can show decision and give

leadership

then fdr scuttled the initiative

with what has come to be known as his

bombshell message

of july the third he made it plain

that fixing the national economy took

precedence

over an international arrangement

[Music]

so the tragedy of the world economic

conference in the summer of 1933

is that the three major democratic

powers aren't able to do

an economic and a financial deal which

was there i mean they you know they had

the right kind of plans

but there was no political will to

cooperate and that then meant that

everything that followed on from that

when they then tried to face

germany or italy or japan was much more

problematic

and of course their economies didn't

recover from the depression which just

rumbled on all the way through the 1930s

there was a catastrophe

in 1933 hitler made his first speech as

chancellor

and fred astaire real name frederick

austerlitz

teamed up for the first time with ginger

rogers real history

is always the story of lots of things

going on at the same time

in 1933 general mola who would direct

the failed coup

that became the spanish civil war wrote

that hitler

is convinced that his people cannot rise

again as long as the jews remain

embedded

in the nation that is why molar wrote

he persecutes them without quarter

in 1933 the brown book of hitler terra

appeared in 27 languages calmly

and with verification cataloging the

excesses

of the nazi regime so people knew

in 1933 a german catholic newspaper

described hitler's appointment as

chancellor as

a leap into the dark it turned out

rather to be a leap

into the darkness

[Applause]

[Music]