History Chapter 5 - Effects of External Events on Singapore before World War WWI

Chapter 5Effects of External Events on Singapore Before World War II

World War I(1914-1919)

War may sometimes be a necessary evil. But no matter how necessary, it is always an evil, never a good. We will not learn how to live together in peace by killing each other's children.

Jimmy Carter39th USA President

(1924 - )

“

”

Objectives of the dayWorld War I

1. Causes

2. What happened?

“The Great War was without precedent ... never had so many nations taken up arms at a single time. Never had the battlefield been so vast… never had the fighting been so gruesome...”

Jay Winter & Blaine Baggett, The Great War, And the Shaping of the 20th Century

What does the above quote tell you about World War I?

“The Great War was without precedent ... never had so many nations taken up arms at a single time. Never had the battlefield been so vast… never had the fighting been so gruesome...”

Jay Winter & Blaine Baggett, The Great War, And the Shaping of the 20th Century

What does the above quote tell you about World War I?

World War I (1914-1919)

1. Britain2. France3. Russia4. Italy (joined later)

1. Germany2. Austria-Hungary3. The Ottoman

EmpireEurope

The Central Powers

The Allied Powers

By 1914,Europe was divided into two groups which were rivals

The Central Powers vs The Allied Powers

The tension between these two groups could trigger a waranytime.

TriggerThe Archduke of Austria-Hungary was murdered.

European countries started to take sides in a war.

Franz Ferdinard

Initially, only a few European countries were involved but soon it involved about 30 countries.

Austria-HungaryBelgiumBrazilBritish EmpireBulgariaChinaFrance and ColoniesGerman EmpireGreece

GuatemalaHaitiHondurasItalyJapanLiberiaMontenegroNicaraguaOttoman Empire

PanamaPortugalRomaniaRussiaSan MarinoSerbiaSiamUnited States of America

The war escalated into WWI.

died.

10, 000, 000

20 Singapore’s Population Died.

What we have learntWorld War I

1. Causes

2. What happened?

The Great Depression(1930-1939)

DepressionA time when there is a collapse in a country’seconomy with widespread unemployment.

What happened after WWI ended?

After WWI, the economy of the world thrived once again.

In the early 1920s, many companies in America enjoyed good profits through the buying and selling of shares.

Sharesrefer to the ownership of a company by investing money in it.

1928The share prices rise.This encouraged even more people to make quick money by buying shares of different companies.

Some people borrowed money from banks (on credit) to buy shares.

$When most of the companies started to suffer losses in 1929, many people decided to sell their shares as they wanted to get back their money.

This massive selling off of the shares caused the shareprices to plunge greatly and this led to the

WALL STREET

What about the banks?

Banks tried to collect the loans from the people who borrowed on credit but many did not have themoney to repay.

Others who tried to withdraw their savings from the bank lost their savings as the banks didnot have money to pay them.

This led to the banks being forced to close down.

$

The Great Depression(1930-1939)

Shops

PeopleFactory

The Great Depression

With the increase in the number of poor people, shops closed down as people had no money to buy goods.

Shops

PeopleFactory

The Great Depression

With the increase in the number of poor people, shops closed down as people had no money to buy goods.

Many people lost their jobs and could not find new jobs.

Shops

PeopleFactory

The Great Depression

With the increase in the number of poor people, shops closed down as people had no money to buy goods.

With no demand, factories had to be closed down and those remaining had to retrench workers Many people

lost their jobs and could not find new jobs.

Although the Great Depression started in America, it soon spread to other countries that traded with America, including Singapore.

Impact of the Great Depression in Singapore

WidespreadUnemployment

Decrease in Trade

Widespread Unemployment

1

Singapore’s economy largely

dependent on overseas trade

Singapore’s economy largely

dependent on overseas trade

Decrease in trading

activities

Singapore’s economy largely

dependent on overseas trade

Decrease in trading

activities

Loss of wealth for companies in Singapore

Singapore’s economy largely

dependent on overseas trade

Decrease in trading

activities

Loss of wealth for companies in Singapore

Businesses forced to close

down

Singapore’s economy largely

dependent on overseas trade

Decrease in trading

activities

Loss of wealth for companies in Singapore

Businesses forced to close

down

Workers were retrenched

Singapore’s economy largely

dependent on overseas trade

Decrease in trading

activities

Loss of wealth for companies in Singapore

Businesses forced to close

down

Workers were retrenched

High rate of unemployment

Employment Rate

Unemployed Employed

1/31931

Many had to dependon relatives/ friends.

Many immigrantsreturned to their homeland.

What happened to

the unemployed?

Passed a law in 1930: Reduce & Restrict number of immigrants from coming to Singapore.

Sent a large number of unemployedChinese/ Indian workers back to their homeland.

What did the government

do?

Decrease in Trade

2

America and Europe were major buyers of raw materials such as tin and rubber for the manufacturers of goods in factories.

With Great Depression, the demand for these raw materials decreased and the trade of these commodities decreased even further.

Timeline ofImportant Events

•Beginning of the Industrial Revolution in Britain

1750

•Building of the New Harbour in Singapore

1852 •Work on the Suez Canal began

1859

•Opening of the Suez Canal

1869

•The New Harbourwas renamed Keppel Harbour

1900 •Establishment of the Singapore HarbourBoard to look after the new port.

1912

•World War I broke out•Emden arrived in Asia

in Sept•The Sinking of Emden

in Nov

1914

•The Sepoy Mutiny took place

1915 •The Wall Street Crash took place

1929

What we have learnt so far…World War I

1. Causes2. What happened?

The Great Depression1. How did the Great Depression affect Singapore?• Widespread unemployment• Decrease in trade

Conclusion

The development and prosperity of Singapore is largely dependent on the

world.

It is hence important to be aware of the main external

events that affected Singapore and the chain of effects that these events had

on Singapore.

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