When it was winter here, it was summer in South Africa,

and the fruits have been ripened ready for you to eat them today.

Try them.

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Welcome to the history of the 20th century.

Music Welcome to the history of the 20th century. Episode 277, The Empire Christmas Pudding.

Back in episode 224, I shared with you a story from Mrs. History of the 20th century.

Her grandparents were farmers, and she recalls them telling her that in their experience,

the Great Depression began as soon as the Great War ended.

This was the case for farmers in the United States and in many other

places, Canada, Argentina, Australia, Brazil. After the war, food prices fell and production costs

rose, making it difficult for farmers to make ends meet, especially farmers in countries that relied heavily on

agricultural exports. You could say something similar about the entire United Kingdom,

not just the agricultural economy, but the whole British economy. After the Great War ended in

1918, the world experienced the post-war

economic slump that lasted until 1921 or 22. Most of the world's advanced economies

began recovering afterward and experienced impressive growth, beginning about 1924, until the whole House of Cards came tumbling down,

beginning with the U.S. stock market crash in 1929. But the United Kingdom mostly missed the party

altogether. The British economy never fully recovered from that post-war slump.

The British GDP of 1928 was actually lower than it had been in 1918, 10 years earlier.

Why did this happen? The war had cost Britain close to a million dead, about 2% of the UK population, or 4% of its

male population, which would be 5% to 6% of its working age male population.

...