During the Great Depression of the 1930s, Great Britain faced significant economic challenges, much like other nations worldwide. The British government responded to these challenges by implementing several key policies. One of their most important decisions was to abandon the gold standard in 1931, which meant that British currency was no longer directly tied to gold reserves. This allowed the government more flexibility in managing their money supply and helped stabilize the British economy. Additionally, Britain introduced protective tariffs through the Import Duties Act of 1932, moving away from their traditional free trade policies to shield British industries from foreign competition. The British approach to recovery also included maintaining relatively low interest rates and implementing public works programs to create jobs. Unlike the United States' New Deal, Britain's response was generally more conservative and relied heavily on existing economic structures. The government focused on protecting British industries and maintaining the pound sterling's value while providing limited unemployment assistance through their existing welfare system. These measures, combined with Britain's strong colonial trade relationships, helped the country weather the Depression somewhat better than many other nations. However, unemployment and economic hardship remained significant challenges throughout the 1930s.

.

France, like many other nations, faced significant challenges during the Great Depression of the 1930s. Initially, France appeared to weather the economic storm better than other countries, mainly due to its strong gold reserves and relatively self-sufficient agricultural sector. However, by 1931, the effects of the global economic crisis began to impact the French economy severely. The government responded with various measures, including maintaining the gold standard longer than other nations and implementing protectionist policies to shield domestic industries from foreign competition.

The French response to the Great Depression was characterized by political instability and social unrest. Between 1931 and 1936, France saw frequent changes in government leadership as different political factions struggled to address the economic crisis. The Popular Front coalition, led by Léon Blum, came to power in 1936 and introduced significant reforms, including the 40-hour work week, paid vacations for workers, and collective bargaining rights. Despite these efforts, France's economic recovery was slower than other major powers, partly due to its reluctance to abandon the gold standard until 1936, which made French goods more expensive in international markets and hampered export growth.

While many capitalist nations struggled during the Great Depression of the 1930s, the Soviet Union took a different approach under Joseph Stalin's leadership. The Soviet government implemented a series of Five-Year Plans and centralized economic programs focused on rapid industrialization and agricultural collectivization. These plans aimed to transform the Soviet Union from an agricultural society into an industrial powerhouse independent of global market fluctuations that had devastated other nations during this period.

The Soviet response to the Great Depression demonstrated the stark differences between capitalist and communist economic systems. While the United States and other Western nations experienced massive unemployment and economic decline, the Soviet Union saw industrial growth during this period. The government mobilized millions of workers through state-controlled economic planning to build new factories, develop heavy industry, and create collective farms. However, this transformation came at a significant human cost, as many farmers resisted collectivization and faced severe consequences, while industrial workers endured harsh working conditions to meet ambitious production targets.