The Major Causes of the Great Depression

The Great Depression of the world was triggered by a single event, the stock market crash of 1929. Obviously, the international economic collapse was not caused by that single event, but was the result of years of economic instability. The United States fell from prosperity to penury in a few weeks, but the European nations did not have the luxury to experience any prosperity at all. Ever since the resolution of the First World War, the nations of Europe have been apprehensive of the cocoon spun by America's commerce isolation. One of the major causes of the Depression was the isolation of America's economy from international trade. This key factor can be sorted into two separate causes, the lack of an open market and the inability to maintain a stable currency rate. Another major cause was the continuation of debts, loans, and reparations. …