<human>:  What caused the Great Depression?
<bot>: One of the primary causes of the Great Depression was the stock market crash of 1929. This event resulted in a rapid decline in prices and halted production, leading to economic hardship across the world. Other contributing factors to the Great Depression included an increase in protectionism, a decrease in international trade, and a decrease in consumer spending. Additionally, a number of banking and financial crises throughout the world caused severe monetary losses and further collapse in the economy.