- How has the World Wars moulded the society we live in today? Could they have been avoided? Further, what would be the effect on our society if another world war was to take place in the future?
- How has the World Wars affected the structure of our world?
In my earlier round of research, I explained the major cause of each of the world wars. What major events led to the conflict and what course of action was taken. In this round of research, I will be discussing the aftermath of the wars and how they have affected our society today. I will be analyzing World War I and World War II together for this part of my research.
The war resulted in the death of empires and the birth of nations. It changed social standing, influenced literature and changed the culture to some nations. To others, it brought economic depression and drew boundaries between a united Nation. If the world was a building each aspect that determines a person’s life would be the “blocks.” The World Wars have affected the structure of our society and each of these “blocks” that construct the world. The political component of the building would be at the foundation as the government and how a society is run largely affects the shape of a person’s life. What follows would be social impact and then the economic impact in the order of importance to an individual’s life.
https://theconversation.com/world-politics-explainer-the-great-war-wwi-100462
Political and economic impact:
Preceding its defeat, the Austro-Hungarian Empire broke into several different independent states, including, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Hungary, and Austria. The Ottoman Empire also split and countries of the former Empire were placed under the control of France and Britain, such as Syria and Palestine. This will then lead to conflicts of independence for these countries in the future.
At the end of World War I, the United States seemed to have gained a large amount of authority because of the U.S intervention during the war and President Woodrow Wilson’s diplomatic leadership. As a result of these events, America had become the “saviour of Europe” and the United States became known as a world superpower.
Coinciding with the end of World War I, a socialist revolution broke out in Germany. The German Revolution of 1918-1919. This then resulted in the creation of the Weimar Republic in which the citizens of Germany faced economic depression in their country. The Weimar Republic was then overthrown by The Nazi Regime and its leader Adolf Hitler in the early 1930s. Several Historians believe that Germany’s defeat in World War I and the severe terms of the Treaty of Versailles, an agreement of less territory for Germany, directly led to the rise of Hitler and the Nazi party. This brought political instability in these regions and conflicts of territorial concession that remain today.
A conflict between Western nations, which include the United States, France, Great Britain and other countries, and the Communist Eastern bloc, led by the USSR (the Union of Soviet Socialists Republics). The USSR tried to install pro-soviet governments in several of the areas it had taken from the Nazis. As a result, NATO was born to prevent further expansion of Communist influence in Europe. These political alliances still remain today and continue to be a factor in the decisions of these states.
The United Nations, a global, diplomatic and political organization dedicated to international peace and stability, is a direct result of the World Wars, specifically World War II. The U.N. was officially established in 1945, following the horrors of World War II. World Leaders proposed creating an international organization to avoid further conflict and maintain peace. Today, the United Nations are a major influence on people’s life. They play an active role in political and diplomatic relations all around the world, and they continue to remain to remind us of the mistake of the past so that we do not repeat them in the future.
https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/united-nations
https://study.com/academy/lesson/economic-social-political-consequences-of-the-great-war.html
Social and Environmental Impact:
There is a substantial amount of social and environmental impact from the wars. Several stereotypes that remain stagnant are unfortunately a result of the wars. Many controversies and Social standings also remain in our societies due to these conflicts. Certain countries have the Social standing they do because of the wars, such as the United States which gained more power and authority after their intervention in Europe during World War II. As I analyzed in my earlier section of this, anti-Semitism was increased largely due to the result of World War
https://pamplinmedia.com/bvt/16-opinion/110853-war-has-detrimental-effects-on-society
In my next post, I will provide more detail on how World War I, specifically, affected Canada’s structure of identity.
Citations
F, Claudia. “Economic, Social & Political Consequences of the Great War.” STUDY.COM, study.com/academy/lesson/economic-social-political-consequences-of-the-great-war.html.
Fathi, Romain. “World Politics Explainer: The Great War (WWI).” The Conversation, 10 Feb. 2020, theconversation.com/world-politics-explainer-the-great-war-wwi-100462.
Hanson, Nikolai. “War Has Detrimental Effects on Society.” Https://Joomlakave.com, 6 June 2012, pamplinmedia.com/bvt/16-opinion/110853-war-has-detrimental-effects-on-society.
History.com Editors. “United Nations.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 4 Apr. 2018, www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/united-nations.
“The Transformative Impact of World War II World War II.” EGO, ieg-ego.eu/en/threads/alliances-and-wars/war-as-an-agent-of-transfer/a-w-purdue-the-transformative-impact-of-world-war-ii.