The question of what ended the Great Depression is a complex one, and there are different opinions on the matter. Here are some of the main arguments:

• World War II: On the surface, World War II seems to mark the end of the Great Depression. During the war, more than 12 million Americans were sent into the military, and a similar number toiled in defense-related jobs. Those war jobs seemingly took care of the 17 million unemployed in 1939. Most historians have therefore cited the massive spending during wartime as the event that ended the Great Depression.

• Government spending and the New Deal: Many people credit President Franklin Roosevelts New Deal programs with ending the Great Depression. However, some argue that after seven years of New Deal-era explosions in federal debt and spending, the U.S. economy was still flat on its back, and misery could be seen on the street corners. By 1940, unemployment still averaged 14.6 percent. Instead, they argue that it was the massive reduction in government spending after World War II that finally ended the Great Depression.

• Other factors: The causes of the Great Depression were many and varied, and some argue that it was a combination of factors that finally ended it. For example, the reduction in government spending after World War II coincided with tax cuts and the lifting of wartime price controls, which helped to stimulate the private economy. Additionally, the war effort helped to mobilize the economy and put people back to work.

In summary, the Great Depression was a complex economic crisis that was caused by a variety of factors. While there is no one answer to what ended the Great Depression, many historians credit the reduction in government spending after World War II as a key factor in finally bringing the economy out of the depression.