Germany and the Wall Street Crash

From Wall Street to Weimar: How a Global Crash Shook German Society

Dear Colleague,

How could a stock market crash in the United States bring one of Europe’s largest economies to the brink of collapse? This lesson helps students understand how the Wall Street Crash of 1929 triggered a global economic crisis that quickly spread to Germany, transforming everyday life, politics and social stability across the Weimar Republic.

Slide 1 starter
Slide 2 LOs
Slide 3 watch the short videos while drawing and filleng the table
Slide 4 allow talking(good noise is productive)
Slide 5 Recall the class: you talk(be short)
Slide 6 Allow quick discussion
Slide 7 Revision-pop corn questions? raise hands?
Slide 8 GCSE question with full or partial support, you decide

Importantly, this lesson focuses on the economic and social effects of the Great Depression in Germany rather than the rise of the Nazis, which is explored in a later lesson. This allows students to clearly understand the structural crisis facing the Weimar Republic before analysing how extremist parties later exploited the situation.

The lesson follows the consistent structure used across the series so students always understand where they are in their learning journey.

Tasks increase progressively in difficulty. The first activities focus on building knowledge and understanding of the economic crisis. Students then evaluate government responses and their social consequences. The final activity is an individual GCSE-style 8-mark source question, allowing students to practise analysing historical evidence while you circulate the classroom and provide targeted support.

The lesson is fully prepared as a slideshow and includes structured tasks, source material and exam-practice opportunities designed to develop both knowledge and historical writing skills.

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Best regards,
Alessio