Causes Quote by Herbert Hoover
“In the large sense the primary cause of the Great Depression was the war of 1914-1918. Without the war there would have been no depression of such dimensions. There might have been a normal cyclical recession; but, with the usual timing, even that readjustment probably would not have taken place at that particular period, nor would it have been a "Great Depression.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Economic Policy Address, 1930
The war created conditions that amplified economic collapse; without it, the downturn would have been milder and more typical.
In simple terms: World War I set the stage for the severe Depression.
Recognize war’s economic ripple effects.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- financial planning
- government budgeting
- historical analysis
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How would post‑war economies differ today?
- What policies can mitigate war‑driven downturns?
War‑induced debt and disruption complicate simple causal narratives.