U.S. entry into WWI
With the entry of over 4 million fresh American soldiers into the frontlines of World War I, victory was soon ensured for the Entente. The Ottoman, German, Russian, and Austro-Hungarian empires vanished as a result; a step that would be key to the fall of imperialism and the spread of democracy in the 20th century. The formation of the ivastlyweakened Weimar Republic from the remains of the once dominant German Empire gave birth to the fierce German nationalism that would eventually become Nazism. Most importantly, a massive land vacuum was created in Europe; the decisions for handling this situation would set the stage for international relations in modern times.
The Great Depression
U.S. involvement in WWI was the catalyst for Great Depression. The expenses of war caused the already struggling U.S. economy to sink, with the stock market collapsing. This led to the Great Depression around the turn of the decade in the 1920's and 30's. During this period of time, the U.S experienced its most notable major financial crisis. Millions of American citizens were without homes, income, and food (Ross 190). In addition to current citizens having trouble earning enough money to survive, immigrants continued to move into the U.S in order to live the false-perceived "American Dream". There was an excess of people for the jobs available, and many government-funded building projects were started in order to raise the economy back to its former status.