What were the results of the Second World War?
Jun 24, 2017 · The Great War, so-called before the advent of World War II, is one of the nation’s many forgotten wars, evidenced by the fact that there is no national memorial to the conflict on the Mall.
Why did capitalists want a World War?
The social and economic upheaval that followed World War I gave rise to many radical right wing parties in Weimar Germany. The harsh provisions of the Treaty of Versailles led many in the …
Which country was required to pay the most for WW2?
The historical scholarship connects the war to key issues in twentieth-century American history: the rise of the United States as a world power, the success of social justice movements, and …
Why study World War II?
“The war touched everything around the globe. Our entire world was shaped by it, even if we do not always make the connections,” Neiberg says. Historian and writer A. Scott Berg …
How did the United States pay for World War 1?
How did World War 1 transform American culture?
How did World War 1 affect American society?
How did government powers increased during ww1?
Why is ww1 a turning point in history?
Why was ww1 important in history?
What were two outcomes effects of World War 1?
How did World War 1 affect the U.S. economy?
The war ended on November 11, 1918, and America's economic boom quickly faded. Factories began to ramp down production lines in the summer of 1918, leading to job losses and fewer opportunities for returning soldiers. This led to a short recession in 1918–19, followed by a stronger one in 1920–21.Aug 19, 2019
What was significant about the second battle of Ypres?
What did the government create in order to raise support for the war?
Who did the US loan money to in ww1?
Can the government take your money during war?
What was the aftermath of World War I?
Aftermath of World War I and the Rise of Nazism, 1918–1933 - US Holocaust Memorial Museum ( Full film ) Efforts of the western European powers to marginalize Germany undermined and isolated its democratic leaders. Many Germans felt that Germany's prestige should be regained through remilitarization and expansion.
How did the difficulties of World War I affect the German people?
The difficulties imposed by social and economic unrest following World War I and its severe peace terms, along with the raw fear of the potential for a Communist takeover in the German middle classes, worked to undermine pluralistic democratic solutions in Weimar Germany. These fears and challenges also increased public longing for more authoritarian direction, a kind of leadership which German voters ultimately and unfortunately found in Adolf Hitler and his National Socialist Party. Similar conditions benefited rightwing authoritarian and totalitarian systems in eastern Europe as well, beginning with the losers of World War I, and eventually raised levels of tolerance for and acquiescence in violent antisemitism and discrimination against national minorities throughout the region.
What did the Germans forget about the Armistice?
They recalled only that the German Left—Socialists, Communists, and Jews, in common imagination—had surrendered German honor to a disgraceful peace when no foreign armies had even set foot on German soil. This Dolchstosslegende (stab-in-the-back legend) was initiated and fanned by retired German wartime military leaders, who, well aware in 1918 that Germany could no longer wage war, had advised the Kaiser to sue for peace. It helped to further discredit German socialist and liberal circles who felt most committed to maintain Germany's fragile democratic experiment.
What was the effect of the Treaty of Versailles on Germany?
The harsh provisions of the Treaty of Versailles led many in the general population to believe that Germany had been "stabbed in the back" by the "November criminals." By "November Criminals" they meant those who had helped to form the new Weimar government and broker the peace which Germans had so desperately wanted, but which had ended so disastrously in the Versailles Treaty.
What was the cause of the undermining of democracy in Germany?
The Undermining of Democracy in Germany. In the years following World War I, there was spiraling hyperinflation of the German currency (Reichsmark) by 1923. The causes included the burdensome reparations imposed after World War I, coupled with a general inflationary period in Europe in the 1920s ...
Why is World War 1 important?
Understanding World War I is perhaps more important than ever. The war, quite simply, shaped the world in which we live. The conflict also presented Americans with challenges remarkably similar to those confronting contemporary American society. The centennial of the war has spurred a flurry of new scholarly works and has garnered much media attention. Yet many historians still remain largely uncertain about the war's importance for the United States. The centennial offers an ideal moment to clarify the war's role in the development of the nation and to integrate the war more fully into the broader narrative of U.S. history.
What is the most recent trend in World War I scholarship?
Many of the most recent trends in World War I scholarship stem from the post-9/11 political, cultural, and social environment, which has encouraged scholars to examine World War I with fresh eyes.
How did women help the war?
Capozzola and Lentz-Smith, for instance, discuss how middle-class women who belonged to an array of social clubs became essential grassroots organizers, mobilizing white and black communities across the nation to support the war. Irwin details a different sort of political awakening among women by focusing on their humanitarian relief work, often initiated to help women overseas. Moderate-leaning suffragists found multiple ways to use the war to their advantage. The service of women on federal wartime committees organized by the Food Administration, the Department of the Treasury, and the War Department helped normalize the sight of women exercising political power. On the local level, suffragists blended calls for the vote into their voluntary patriotic activities, as they promoted victory gardens and recruited volunteers for the Red Cross. (13)
How did the United States break with its tradition of relying primarily on volunteers and used conscription to raise the
During World War I the United States broke with its tradition of relying primarily on volunteers and used conscription to raise the bulk of its military force. Jeannette Keith's Rich Man's War, Poor Man's Fight: Race, Class, and Power in the Rural South during the First World War (2004) takes a grassroots approach to studying draft resistance in the rural South. The creative means that men devised to evade the draft impresses Keith more than the centralization of state police power. (11) In Good Americans: Italian and Jewish Immigrants during the First World War (2003), Christopher M. Sterba challenges the longstanding assumption that nativist demands for complete assimilation (100% Americanism) defined the immigrant experience during the war. Sterba argues that Italian and Jewish immigrants, both on the home front and overseas, used the war to assimilate into mainstream culture on their own terms.
What was the importance of learning to cooperate with allies and one another in the war?
Learning to cooperate with allies and one another served as another important adjustment to modern warfare for both generals and enlisted men. Robert Bruce's A Fraternity of Arms: America and France in the Great War (2003) and Mitchell Yockelson's Borrowed Soldiers: Americans under British Command, 1918 (2008) emphasize that the United States fought as part of an Allied coalition. In Doughboys, The Great War, and the Remaking of America (2001), I argue that discipline was often negotiated, rather than coerced, and thus gave enlisted men the power to shape the disciplinary structure of the military. Collecting and evaluating enlisted men's opinions became standard practice in the military during World War I. To this day, the military employs large numbers of sociologists and psychologists who administer survey after survey to devise manpower policies that the enlisted population will accept.
What is the historical scholarship of the war?
The historical scholarship connects the war to key issues in twentieth-century American history: the rise of the United States as a world power, the success of social justice movements, and the growth of federal power. Collectively, historians of the war make a compelling case for why the war matters in American history.
What was the defining characteristic of World War I?
Violence was a defining characteristic of the World War I experience for civilian and soldier, male and female, black and white. New studies of the battlefield underscore the brutality of combat, while simultaneously investigating the learning curve that the U.S. army experienced as it fought on the western front.
Who said World War 1 was the most underrecognized event of the last several centuries?
Historian and writer A. Scott Berg emphatically agrees. “I think World War I is the most underrecognized significant event of the last several centuries. The stories from this global drama—and its larger-than-life characters—are truly the stuff of Greek tragedy and are of Biblical proportion; and modern America’s very identity was forged during this war.”
How did the war affect the writings of Ernest Hemingway?
It helped forge the military careers of Dwight D. Eisenhower, George S. Patton, and George C. Marshall. On the home front, millions of women went to work , replacing the men who had shipped off to war, while others knitted socks and made bandages.
What did Berg say about World War 1?
Berg echoes the sentiment. “I hope audiences will appreciate the presence of World War I in our lives today—whether it is our economy, race relations, women’s rights, xenophobia, free speech, or the foundation of American foreign policy for the last one hundred years: They all have their roots in World War I.”
How did the American Expeditionary Forces help the Allied forces?
The American Expeditionary Forces arrived in Europe in 1917 and helped turn the tide in favor of Britain and France, leading to an Allied victory over Germany and Austria in November 1918. By the time of the armistice, more than four million Americans had served in the armed forces and 116,708 had lost their lives. The war shaped the writings of Ernest Hemingway and John Dos Passos. It helped forge the military careers of Dwight D. Eisenhower, George S. Patton, and George C. Marshall. On the home front, millions of women went to work, replacing the men who had shipped off to war, while others knitted socks and made bandages. For African-American soldiers, the war opened up a world not bound by America’s formal and informal racial codes.
Why did the United States walk the tightrope of neutrality?
For three years, the United States walked the tightrope of neutrality as President Woodrow Wilson opted to keep the country out of the bloodbath consuming Europe. Even as Germany’s campaign of unrestricted submarine warfare in the Atlantic put American sailors and ships in jeopardy, the United States remained aloof.
Who edited World War I and America?
For community programs, Library of America developed a slimmer version of its volume, World War I and America, while adding introductory essays and discussion questions. Keene, Neiberg, and Williams, along with Edward Lengel, served as editors. “There is truly not one part of the nation that was untouched by the war,” says Williams. “This project has the potential to remind people of its far-reaching significance and perhaps uncover new stories about the American experience in the war that we have not yet heard.”
Why did Wilson propose the League of Nations?
But joining the League required the United States to sacrifice a measure of sovereignty. When judged against the butcher’s bill of this war, Wilson thought it was a small price to pay.
Why does Europe dominate the U.S. remembrance of the war?
remembrance of the war because most of the American men and materiel deployed were engaged in Europe.
Why is it important to understand the battles of Europe?
It is crucial to understand those battles—and not just because it was a different combat environment. It was the most demanding and brutal kind of war that Americans had ever fought. The battlegrounds of Europe tested the brain and muscle of the American fighter and proved the value of America’s military organization.
What happened in 1940?
In 1940, Hitler had conquered France and driven the British army into the sea. He turned on Russia in 1941. That December, Japan’s devastating attack on Pearl Harbor marked the beginning of a lightning imperial campaign to secure all of Southeast Asia.
What was the school solution in the Army?
Officers proposed solutions to tactical problems assigned in class, and instructors graded them according to standardized answers—the “school solution.”After the war, the Army dispatched to the college majors and lieutenant colonels who had learned the art of war on the job.
Who led the Allied offensive in 1942?
In 1942, Allied offensives led by the U.S., Britain, Canada and Australia— coupled with a Soviet counteroffensive bolstered in large part by American materiel and equipment acquired via President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Lend-Lease program—took out the Axis.This monumental struggle holds many valuable lessons for today.
Why did capitalists want a world war?
The other side of the argument, in particular among socialists and communists such as Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin, was that capitalists wanted a world war because it would generate profits for businesses and governments. Military weapons and supplies—for the war effort—also happen to be highly profitable.
Why would the governments of nations that were thriving in a capitalist system enter into a war with their European
So why would the governments of nations that were thriving in a capitalist system enter into a war with their European trading partners and disrupt these profitable businesses? One argument is that European governments didn’t want to go to war at all. Many business and finance experts also believed that their governments wouldn’t want a war. British journalist Norman Angell wrote in his book The Great Illusion, first published in 1910, that European powers would be financially devastated if they entered into a war with each other. He said it was "because of the internationalization and delicate interdependence of our credit-built finance and industry" (Angell, 31). In other words, the economies of the nations of the world at the start of the twentieth century were already intricately woven in economic interdependence (what we would today call globalization or interconnection). If Europe went to war, then the financial systems built upon this interdependence would crumble. World markets would then crash and businesses that relied on capitalist systems would be devastated.
What would happen if Europe went to war?
If Europe went to war, then the financial systems built upon this interdependence would crumble.
What were the causes of the First World War?
Capitalism and industrialization weren’t new in 1914, but are often touted as some of the causes of the First World War. Why do you think it took almost 150 years from the start of the Industrial Revolution for there to be this kind of war?
Why did industrialized nations need a reliable source of raw materials along with new markets?
Industrialized nations needed a reliable source of raw materials along with new markets in order to sell their mass-produced goods. This then led to these nations taking over other areas of the world (imperialism).
What happened to the world markets in the 1920s?
When the global markets began to falter at the end of the 1920s, no one expected the financial devastation that was around the corner. Capitalist nations felt the worst effects of the Depression. As a result, many people became disenchanted with free markets and even democratic governments that encouraged capitalism.
What did the United States take from war bonds?
They took loans from war bonds and sought out international sources of funding. In addition, many nations increased their income tax rates to finance the war effort (in the United States, the ratification of the Sixteenth Amendment in 1913 made this possible).
How did social life change after WW1?
Social life also changed: women had to run businesses while the men were at war and labor laws started to be enforced due to mass production and mechanization. People all wanted better living standards. After WW1, the need for an international body of nations that promotes security and peace worldwide became evident.
What were the effects of WW1?
The effects of World War 1 are still being felt a century after its conclusion. It was the deadliest war which involved more countries and was more expensive than any other war before it. The weapons used during WW1 were also more advanced than any previous war, using tanks, submarines, poison gas, airplanes and long range artillery.
What was the end of colonialism?
WW1 largely marked the end of colonialism, as the people became more nationalistic and the one country after the other started colonial revolts in Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Africa. The war changed the economical balance of the world, leaving European countries deep in debt and making the U.S.
Why did the League of Nations start after WW1?
After WW1, the need for an international body of nations that promotes security and peace worldwide became evident. This caused the founding of the League of Nations. WW1 boosted research in technology because better transport and means of communication gave countries an advantage over their enemies.
How many people died in the flu epidemic?
With troops traveling all over the world, influenza was spread easily and an epidemic started which killed more than 25 million people across the world.
How many deaths did the Allies have?
The Allies, or Entente Powers, counted around 6 million deaths, the Central Powers 4 million.
What caused dissent in Europe?
The harsh conditions of the Treaty of Versailles caused a lot of dissent in Europe, especially on the side of the Central Powers who had to pay a lot for financial reparations.
What were the major advances in the Second World War?
Like the First World War, the Second World War also brought advances in medicine and technology. Vaccinations helped lower mortality rates and boosted population growth. Pro-gress in electronics and computers fundamentally transformed the post-war world. The de-velopment of the atomic bomb by European and American scientists during the war, not only changed the nature of potential future wars, but also marked the beginning of the nuclear power industry. World War II also gave the impetus for the establishment of the United Na-tions in 1945, with the full backing of the US and other major powers. The US also helped establish the other multilateral organisations such as the IMF, World Bank and the GATT, the forerunner of the WTO. There was a determination to avoid the mistakes of the interwar years which had exacerbated the Great Depression.
What was the impact of the First World War on the United States?
The First World War destroyed empires, created numerous new nation-states, encouraged independence movements in Europe’s colonies, forced the United States to become a world power and led directly to Soviet communism and the rise of Hitler.
What was the balance of power approach to international relations?
The balance of power approach to international relations was broken but not shattered. It took the Second World War to bring about sufficient political forces to embark on a revolutionary new approach to inter-state relations. After both wars Europe was exhausted and devastated.
How many women were there in France in 1919?
In 1919, the year after the war was over in France, there were 15 women for every man between the ages of 18 and 30. It is tragic to consider all of the lost potential, all of the writers, artists, teachers, inventors and leaders that were killed in ‘the war to end all wars.’.
What is the significance of the anniversary of the First World War?
The anniversary of the First World War should give us the occasion to reflect on what kind of Europe we want. A Europe dominated by populists and nationalists has never brought a more peaceful or prosperous Europe. It has only led to conflict. But as the results of the European Parliament elections in May 2014 demonstrated we cannot take the progress in European integration since 1945 for granted. We owe it to the fallen in both world wars to fight for a closer and more integrated Europe.
How did the war affect the European class?
The war also had major implications for the class structures in Europe. The upper classes suffered proportionately greater losses in the fighting than any other class , a fact that ensured that a resumption of the pre-war status quo was impossible. The decline of the upper classes was further hastened by the introduction of broad universal suffrage in Europe. The extension of the franchise, coupled with an explosion in trade unionism, afforded the working classes greater political and social representation. The various armies had also to promote new officers from humble backgrounds who were not willing to continue the culture of deference to the upper classes.
Why was the EU created?
One of the strongest motivations for the birth of the EU was ‘never again’ should there be war in Europe, or at least not between the members of the EU. The prescient founding fathers took the highly symbolic coal and steel industries as the starting point for a new community method of government. If France and Germany shared responsibility for the industries that were at the heart of the armaments industry then there really could be no further war between these two rivals. This logic continued with the birth of the European Community in 1957. The desire to develop a new system of governance and avoid war as an instrument of policy was at the very heart of the discussions leading up to the Treaty of Rome. The EU was viewed then and continues to be viewed as a peace project. The EU has become a ‘security community’ in which the members eschew war or the threat of war in their inter-state relations. By building up a community covering most aspects of economic life, from trade to a common currency, the EU has achieved a unique model of regional integration.
Why do countries have to pay back war debt?
This was the case at the end of World Wars I and II. The debt can be paid back for many reasons, including machinery damage, and forced labor. Typically, compensation comes in the form of money or material goods.
Which peace treaty required countries to pay reparations?
There are other countries that had to pay reparations as part of the Paris Peace Treaties agreement in 1947.
What were the two forms of reparation?
On January 14th 1946, in Paris, two forms of reparation were set up for the allies, in forms of shares: all reparations including funds, and those in the form of ‘industrial and other capital equipment’ . The U.K., U.S., France and Yugoslavia were the biggest shareholders.
How much was Germany's debt in 1952?
At the conference on German External Debts, in London, 1952, Germany’s post-war debts were written down to just under 7 billion deutschemarks (worth about $3 billion at today’s currency rates) from 16.2 billion deutschemarks, whilst its pre-war debts were reduced to 7.3 billion deutschemarks,
How much did Germany pay for slave labor?
Similar to the situation with Greece, Israel’s finance minister, Yuval Steinitz, announced in 2009 that he wanted Germany to pay between 450 million to 1 billion euros in reparations for Jews forced into slave labor during the Holocaust – despite the fact that Germany had paid off their allocated debt to Israel.
How much did Hungary pay to the Soviet Union?
Under a peace treaty, Hungary was required to pay $200 million to the Soviet Union, and $100m to Czechslovakia and Yugoslavia.
How many Allied zones did Germany have?
Additionally, Germany had to relinquish the country’s power and divide itself initially into four Allied-owned zones, which were demilitarized and removed of their weaponry.
Why did so many people die in the war?
Many civilians died because of deliberate genocide, massacres, mass-bombings, disease, and starvation.
What was the end of World War 2?
The unconditional surrender of Germany on May 8, 1945, and Japan on September 2, 1945, brought World War II to an end. Various documents and treaties placed stringent terms on Axis powers to prevent future hostilities.
What was the first German surrender?
The first consisted of a brief preamble “The German Government and German High Command, recognizing and acknowledging the complete defeat of the German armed forces on land, at sea and in the air, hereby announce Germany’s unconditional surrender.”. The instrument of surrender itself followed in fourteen articles.
What was the Potsdam Declaration?
Potsdam Declaration: A statement that called for the surrender of all Japanese armed forces during World War II.
Why is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights important?
In addition, many international lawyers believe that the Declaration forms part of customary international law and is a powerful tool in applying diplomatic and moral pressure to governments that violate any of its articles.
How many tanks did Italy have?
The military of Italy was limited in size. Italy was allowed a maximum of 200 heavy and medium tanks (article 54). Former officers and non-commissioned officers of the Blackshirts and the National Republican Army were barred from becoming officers or non-commissioned officers in the Italian military (except those exonerated by the Italian courts, article 55).
When did Japan surrender?
The surrender of Japan was announced by Imperial Japan on August 15 and formally signed on September 2, 1945, bringing the hostilities of World War II to a close. Their terms of surrender included disarmament and occupation by Allied forces.