### Instruction: What is the great depression?
### Response: The great depression was 10 years long from 1929 to 1939.  It was a great economic shock that impact countries all over the world.  A major plunge in the stock market and stock market prices is what caused the start of the Great Depression.  The Great Depression also led to political instability all over the world, and gave rise to dictatorial regimes like Hitler's rise to fame in Germany.