The Geopolitical and Economic Impact of the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act on the Outbreak of World War II

Abstract

The Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act, as one of the most protectionist tariff policies in American history, triggered a tariff war that greatly disrupted the international trade system and relations at the time, leading to serious geopolitical crises and economic turmoil. And these geopolitical and economic changes have an indelible relationship with the subsequent occurrence of World War II. The reasons for the enactment of the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act. Against the backdrop of the global economic depression and collapse of the trade system caused by the Smoot-Hawley tariff law, the economies of Germany and Japan collapsed, and domestic society experienced turmoil, providing an opportunity for fascism to come to power; The relative disadvantage of Germany and Japan in terms of resources and the number of colonies led them to embark on geopolitical and economic expansion to alleviate their own economic crisis. At the same time, due to the domestic economic depression caused by the tariff war, Britain and the United States mainly focused their energy on domestic affairs. In international relations, they began to prioritize their own economic interests and chose appeasement policies because they had significant economic interests with fascist countries.