What were the 1930's and 1940's like?By the 1930s money was scarce because of the depression, so people did what they could to make their lives happy. Movies, parlor games and board games were all popular. People gathered around radios to listen to sports and dramas. Young people danced to the big bands. The golden age of the mystery novel continued as people ranaway into books, reading writers like Agatha Christie, Dashielle Hammett, and Raymond Chandler.
The 1940's were war time with World War II starting. European people ran to the United States to hide from Hitler and the Holocaust. War production pulled us out of the Great Depression. Women were needed to replace the men who had gone off to war, and so the first time women moved from the home to the workplace. Rationing affected the food we ate, the clothes we wore, the toys with which children played. After the war, the men came back, having seen the rest of the world. No longer was the family farm what everyone wanted; no longer would people with dark skin accept lesser status. Women had to give up their jobs to the returning men, but they had tasted independence. |
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Life in the 1930's and 1940's
FoodDuring the tough economic times of the Great Depression of the 1930's, food was very expensive.
Often it was easier for country people to find food than people who lived in
the city. Many people had their own cow, which meant that they were able to
make their own milk, butter, cheese and cream. Many families also had chickens which
gave them a fresh supply of meat and eggs. These foods could be used by
families to survive or as something to swap (trade) with to get other items.Rabbits have always been thought of as a problem, however in the Great Depression they were used as food. People would catch the rabbits, make jackets, gloves or blankets out of the skins and eat the meat.
Lots of families also had large gardens, they would grow a lot of their own fruit and vegetables. They became very resourceful by making many different recipes that used the same ingredients. They even used old foods in some of these. Bread and butter pudding was one dessert that was popular and made from stale bread. People who lived in the cities also had their own vegetable patch but only could get small amounts of meat. To make sure that everyone had enough food to live, the government brought in the system of rationing. Everyone had to order ‘ration books’ which were full of tickets for meat, butter, sugar and tea. Each ticket would allow the person to get a small amount of something to take home. The tickets were used on a weekly basis. When the war ended food rationing was slowly stopped and people from other countries slowly starting moving to Australia. Food was becoming more available and people from other countries started bringing their own foods to Australia. For example, European migrants brought with them a love of espresso coffee. This has overtaken tea as the most popular hot beverage ordered in restaurants and cafes. Pasta dishes, another common meal of many European countries, are one of the most popular choices on the menu for many Australians. |
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Travel and Transport
In this era, travel was much more available to the ordinary person than at any time before. Train networks had been established, areoplanes had began taking passengers overseas, cars, buses and trucks were now comon sights on Austrialian roads. Although these modes of transport were availiable they were still expensive to many people.
Art and Entertainment
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MusicMusic was changing during the 1930s. There was such a big variety available that it is hard to narrow down on a particular type. Historians agree that 'Big Band' music was probably the most popular, along with sweet popular music. By the late 1930's and early 1940's, 'Swing' had become the most popular musical style and remained so for several years, until it was replaced in the late 1940's by the pop standards sung by the crooners who grew out of the Big Band tradition that swing began.
Popular musicians from this time include: 1930's - Bing Crosby, Rudy Vallee, Al Jolson, The Boswell Sisters, Jeanette McDonald & Nelson Eddy 1940's - Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, The Andrews Sisters, Dinah Shore, Vaughn Monroe, Judy Garland |
Technology
Technology was an area that had lots of change during the 1930's and 1940's this mostly was due to the wars. During war times it is important to have the best fighting equipment. This often means designing, building and creating it your self. However, guns, planes and bombs were not the only things being invented, entertainment was also another growth area.
Inventions of the 30's and 40's1930
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Historical events
There were two major events in the 1930's and 1940's, these were The Great Depression and World War 2. Both of these events had a lasting impact on the way everyday Australians lived their lives.
The Great DepressionAustralia suffered badly during the period of the Great Depression of the 1930's. The Depression started with the Wall Street Crash of October, 1929 and quickly spread worldwide. As in other countries, Australia suffered years of unemployment, poverty, low profits, deflation, plunging incomes, and lost opportunities for economic growth and personal advancement.
As a result of no money, many families found themselves living on the streets in poverty. Some parents choose to give their children to people that could care for them, and often the entire family was broken up. People died from hunger and illness while others seems to just give up on their desire to live. People also lost faith in their government. They had always expected they would take care of them. Now there weren't any programs in place to help them. There just weren't enough shelters or food banks to offer the huge amount of things people needed. Not all of the effects of the Great Depression were negative though. Many people learned some valuable things about managing their money and doing the best they could with what they had. Children from the depression grew up to be very imaginative and inventive. They also appreciated the things that they had access to in their life because they never forgot just how little they once had. |
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World War II
World War II began in 1939, when Germany invaded Poland. Britain and France then declared war on Germany. The United States entered the war in 1941, after Japan bombed a U.S Navy base in Hawaii. The United States and Australia were on the side of Britain and France.
THE RISE OF DICTATORS
In Germany, the Nazis came to power in 1933. Their leader was Adolf Hitler. He blamed Germany’s problems on the Jews. The Nazis admired violence and war. They had no use for democracy.
Japan’s government was dominated by its army and navy. By 1940, it had agreements with Italy and Germany. These three countries came to be called the Axis. All three were run by dictators—rulers with total power.
In the 1930s, Japan seized parts of China and other Asian countries. Seeing that no one stopped Japan, Italy and Germany decided to expand their territory. Hitler, defying Britain and France, rebuilt Germany’s army. Still no one tried to stop him. In the late 1930s, he took over Austria and Czechoslovakia.
On September 1, 1939, Hitler invaded Poland. World War II had begun.
THE RISE OF DICTATORS
In Germany, the Nazis came to power in 1933. Their leader was Adolf Hitler. He blamed Germany’s problems on the Jews. The Nazis admired violence and war. They had no use for democracy.
Japan’s government was dominated by its army and navy. By 1940, it had agreements with Italy and Germany. These three countries came to be called the Axis. All three were run by dictators—rulers with total power.
In the 1930s, Japan seized parts of China and other Asian countries. Seeing that no one stopped Japan, Italy and Germany decided to expand their territory. Hitler, defying Britain and France, rebuilt Germany’s army. Still no one tried to stop him. In the late 1930s, he took over Austria and Czechoslovakia.
On September 1, 1939, Hitler invaded Poland. World War II had begun.
WAR IN THE PACIFIC
In the United States and Australia, most people hated Hitler. But most people did not want to fight in any “foreign wars.”
Right from the beginning of the war, Australia was worried that Japan might also become involved. To make the British defences stronger in Asia, Australian soldiers were sent to Malaya in February 1941. These men became part of the forward defences of Britain’s greatest naval base in the region - Singapore. As long as the Royal Navy in Singapore guarded the sea between Australia and any enemy to the north, Australians felt safe. Japan, meanwhile, was expanding its empire in Asia. The United States had stopped selling oil and metal to Japan. Japanese leaders planned to take the oil fields in Southeast Asia. They knew this would mean war with the United States. So they got in the first blow. On December 7, 1941, Japanese planes bombed the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. They sank or seriously damaged 21 ships. The United States now joined the Allies (the countries fighting the Axis). |
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THE END OF WORLD WAR 2
The war ended with the surrender of the Axis powers. Germany surrendered on May 7th to the Western Allies, and May 8th to the Soviet Union, 1945, about a week after Adolf Hitler had committed suicide. Japan was able to hold out for another few months and was preparing for a desperate and bloody defence in the event of an American invasion of the home islands. Atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima (August 6th)and Nagasaki (August 9th) both cities were in Japan. The bombings sent a clear message and the Japanese government sought the Emperor's personal authority to surrender, which he granted. He made a personal radio address announcing the decision on August 15, 1945. The surrender was signed on Sept. 2, 1945 aboard the battleship A.S.S. Missouri in Tokyo Bay.