Dancing on a Volcano 1929-1931

By the late twenties, Europe – France especially – appeared to have put the bad old days of economic strife behind them. As Paris lurched into 1929, it seemed on the surface (to those with deep pockets) that the party would go on forever. However, few saw the impending future claiming that these people were just hiding away from a harsh reality. A few voices warned that this boom time would have inevitable consequences, but the majority weren't listening ….
In a post-war boom, capitalism seemed to be delivering on its promise of prosperity for all -- boosting economies both America and abroad. Then, on October 24, 1929, the unthinkable happened: The New York Stock Exchange crashed; banks failed; and commerce suffered a blow that would be felt 'round the world.
What had seemed to be an economic recovery is revealed to have been at best fragile and the world enters a global depression of unprecedented and unmeasurable savagery. Unemployment, hyperinflation and despair are everywhere and dictators arise. Old empires - Britain and France - come under pressure throughout the extended territories that they can barely afford to police.