Following World War I, old prejudices refuse to die and nationalist passions begin to rise. Fascism and militarism spread. By the late 1930s, the world faces a choice of avoiding war at all costs or taking up arms to resist aggression.
Economic depression triggers unemployment on a global scale. In 1929, the New York Stock Exchange crashes. As banks fail and industry withers, the Great Depression shatters economies and communities around the world.