WWII Outcomes Exploration
William Corn
Created on April 11, 2023
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Transcript
Destruction of Europe and Asia Due to the impacts of a physically grueling war, both Europe and Asia find themselves dealing with massive physical destruction in the aftermath of WWII. Bombing raids and artillery fire have leveled cities and factories, destroyed railroads, roads, and bridges, and rendered farmland unsuitable. Mass casualties and refugees created a depleted labor force, and both Europe and Asia struggled mightily in the years immediately following the war to produce enough food and necessities to provide for their citizens. The winter of 1945-1946 was especially harsh, resulting in starving populations in Europe, even in Allied countries. Map showing Allied bombing locations in Europe during the war. In order to rebuild the nations of Western Europe, and partly in an attempt to ward off communism, the United States commits 12 billion dollars (an unheard of amount) to the restoration and reconstruction of England, France, Belgium, West Germany, and other European Allies in what is known as The Marshall Plan. The United States was the only participant in the war to walk away with essentially no physical damage to their industry, and was capable of providing the money, supplies, and workers to rebuild Europe. Similar programs were instituted in Japan, which the US occupied until 1952.
People World War II leaves more than 60 million people dead worldwide, most of them civilians. The Soviet Union and China suffered the heaviest Allied losses, while Germany suffered the worst Axis losses. In addition to those dead, millions of more become refugees, with major cities like Berlin, Prague, and Tokyo suffering massive physical damage. These refugees have difficulty finding welcoming homes in the post-war destruction, even with immigrant-built countries like the United States refusing many. European Jews that survived the Holocaust make up a substantial portion of these refugees, finding refuge in Latin America, the United States, and in their ancestral homeland of Palestine, which becomes the state of Israel in 1948.
The Partition of Europe As soon as WWII ends, a new conflict begins between the two major economic systems in the world; capitalism and communism. The United States emerges as the leader of the capitalist nations, with the United Kingdom serving as their closest ally. The Soviet Union leads the communists. The catch is that these three nations just finished a war in which they were allies, and they're all victors together and have to decide how to split the continent. From Left to Right: Prime Minister Winston Churchill, President Harry Truman, General Secretary Joseph StalinIn the summer of 1945, the leaders of the Big Three Allies get together outside Berlin at the Potsdam Conference, where they decide on how the former German Empire will be administered. Germany is split in half, with the US, France, and the UK occupying West Germany, while the USSR occupies East Germany. Within East Germany, Berlin is dived as well between capitalist West and socialist East. The nations formerly occupied by Germany are given their independence, but then divided by influence. The nations below in green are overseen to various degrees by the United States and the UK, but most are effectively independent ( but US Allies) by 1947. The nations in red are given independence, but are fully under the influence and control of the Soviet Union as puppet states. Churchill in 1946 declares that an Iron Curtain has fallen across Europe, with those nations behind the curtain being essentially trapped with the USSR. These nations become known as the Eastern Bloc Nations. Technically independent, but not really.
America: Superpower For most of its history leading up to WWII, the United States and its government had very intentionally stayed out of most international politics and affairs, especially those in the Eastern Hemisphere. America had to be dragged in to WWI at the last minute, and then refused to join the League of Nations just two decades earlier. Even with the outbreak of WWII, the US did not get involved until they took a direct hit at Pearl Harbor. In the post-war era, this changes massively, with the US now stepping into a major world leadership role. A Dr. Seuss cartoon criticizing American isolationism It is fair to say that WWII is not won by the Allies without the US. Even before their official joining of the war the US was heavily supplying Britain, and without their alliance, it's likely that if Germany fell it would have only been to the Soviet Union, creating a possibly worse outcome. WWII unleashes for the first time the full capacity of the US, and it is overwhelming. When the war is over, the US does not really scale down. US troops stay in Europe to oversee the return of peace and rebuilding, and US naval forces occupy every major seaway. This is a dramatic shift for the US, and General Eisenhower, who later becomes President, is highly critical of this new American occupation of the world. However, the US maintains this position out of a show of strength against the Soviet Union, and to prevent the spread of communism. After participating in 2 international wars in America's first 170 years, the US will be involved in dozens of conflicts on every conflict over the course of the rest of the 20th century. Additionally, WWII unleashes for the first time the true capabilities of the American economy. Wartime production launches the US industrial sector to new heights, and the inclusion of women in the general workforce actually grows the US labor pool, compared to most of Europe's which has shrunk. Over the late 1940s and early 50s, war torn states in Europe and Asia are highly dependent on American products, ushering in a major economic boom (that will also create the Baby Boom) and a new age of prosperity for the United States. WWII policies had also given substantial power to the government that did not go away. This includes new taxation powers and control over security and intelligence that make the US government itself also stronger than ever before. With new amounts of cash in hand, millions of Americans flock to the suburbs to own their own homes.
New Alliances The Post-War political environment is tense and distrustful. The battle lines are already drawn for what will become the Cold War, but at that time of course they had no idea it would be cold. The USSR was seen as the largest threat to the Western World, and concern about Communism was at an all time high. Meanwhile, communist revolutions in China and S.E. Asia were providing the Soviet Union with powerful Allies as well. In October of 1945, the United Nations is founded, with its headquarters in New York City, USA. The UN is a second-try at the failed League of Nations. The intent is for the UN, per its' charter is to maintain peace and international security, protect human rights, deliver humanitarian Aid, and uphold international law. At its founding, there were 51 member states of the United Nations. Today there are 193, nearly all of the sovereign states in the world. In addition to the United Nations, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was founded in 1949 by the United States, Canada, and other Western European states for the explicit purpose of providing collective security against the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union responds to NATO by creating an alliance organization of their own, The Warsaw Pact, making their control over the Eastern Bloc official. Both of these treaties are defensive treaties "If you attack one of us, you get all of us."