Between the Wars — Season 1, Episode 5: The Great Depression and Foreign Affairs

Episode synopsis

The Depression is a traumatic national experience which shatters U.S. self-confidence and paralyzes foreign policy, thus leading to further isolationism. The world-wide depression gives rise to national dictators, but we are so preoccupied with domestic problems that we ignore the threat. President Hoover is not equipped to deal with the national crisis. The London Naval Conference insults Japan and when the Japanese invade Manchuria, a preoccupied United States does nothing.

About Between the Wars

This classic series follows the events that sparked the greatest conflict of the century, capturing the drama, the excitement and the ideological juxtapositions of these crucial years. Former CBS News correspondent and commentator Eric Sevareid, one of the world's most respected figures in journalism, presents this extraordinary series featuring stunning original newsreels, soundtracks, and rare archival footage.

More episodes from Season 1

• E1Versailles: The First Peace
• E2Return to Isolationism
• E3The First SALT Talks
• E4Radio, Racism and Foreign Policy
• E6FDR and Hitler: the Rise to Power
• E7FDR and Hitler: The Dynamics of Power
• E8America in the Pacific: The Clash of Two Cultures
• E9The Recognition of Russia: A Climate of Mutual Distrust
• E10Latin America: Intervention in Our Own Backyard
• E11The Italian-Ethiopian War: Africa in World Affairs
• E12The Spanish Civil War
• E13The Phony War