World War Two, Essay Example

The Industrial Revolution began with Britain in the late 18^th and early 19^th centuries, extending to Belgium, France, Germany, Japan, and the United States.  Changes in mining, manufacturing, and agriculture improved the economic landscape, and thus the culture of many newly industrialized countries.  Economic power in turn created shifts in political power due to newfound strength of such nations.  Social changes and the division of labor would create dynamics in these cultures that has perpetuated for some time.

Imperialism relates to the power and domain that is extended towards another less powerful country, in that of control.  The relationship to Industrialization is quite direct, with the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United States being referred to as such nations in the late 19^th to the middle 20^th centuries.  Industrialization and the growth of power, especially when tension is present, is inextricably linked to imperialist tendencies, as these countries clearly demonstrate in history.  Imperialism allows countries to use this power for their own pursuits, backed by military and economic strength, as well as the advancement in war-based technologies.  The winners can be seen in their level of power through events, such as World War II, which we will examine.

World War II

World War II began to develop as Germany, Italy, and Japan notably began rising in power.  The former two European countries were becoming much bolder, leading to increased tensions.  The Japanese invasions of China, USSR, and Mongolia also played a large role.  Finally, Italy’s invasion of Ethiopia can also be seen as a precursor and point in which tensions rose for these three developing powers.  These events would play major roles in some of the influences leading to the Second World War.

World War II had many lasting effects that will be briefly related.  The creation of Israel, communist takeover of Eastern Europe and China, and the birth of the welfare state of the United Kingdom are linked to the effect of World War II.  European borders were redrawn and technologies were impacted by the war, such as the jet engine, nuclear fission, and the electronic computer.  The Soviet Union and United States became superpowers as a result from the war.  Culturally, the world was horrified as they learned more details about the Holocaust, which serves as one major cultural effect of World War II.  Imperialism of Axis powers was curbed, and nationalism grew quite noticeably in the Allied victors.

World War II saw battle between the Axis and Allies, to which most nations declared their allegiance.  The major powers of the former were Germany, Japan, and Italy.  The latter powers were the Soviet Union, United States, and the United Kingdom.  The Axis desired to extend borders and powerful influences, while the Allies can generally be seen as wishing to defend freedom and political systems.

World War II began with the invasion of Poland, followed by that of France and other lower countries.  Fighting in Britain (such as in the Battle of Britain) occurred prior to United States involvement in the war.  Later Italy was invaded by the Allies, followed by victories in Japan in Hiroshima and Nagasaki with the atomic bomb, when Japanese forces surrendered.  Germany was stopped at the Battle of the Bulge, which was an important point in the war.  Of course there were other major events, such as Allied Invasion of Normandy and Pearl Harbor, which were two major invasions from both sides.  Prior to Japan surrendering, Germany surrendered in May of 1945 due to increased Allied power and victories.

The Cold War

The Cold War extended conflict and tension from World War II.  It primarily occurred between the United States and the Soviet Union.  It lasted from the end of World War II to 1991.
There were a number of hotspots in the war.  Berlin was target of the military tension, with the blockade present.  Tensions exploded in Korea, with Soviet-backed North Korea invading South Korea in 1950.  Cuba in the Bay of Pigs invasion was yet another major hotspot in Cold War tensions.  All of these areas were extension of the political and economic tensions between the two major powers in the Cold War, such as the space race and other concerns.

End of the Cold War

Gorbachev in 1985, when he became General Secretary, began the ending of the Cold War.  The two superpowers renewed talks regarding economic issues and scaling back the arms race.  Tensions gradually release from events such as the Soviet withdrawal of Afghanistan in 1989 and the German reunification, which was agreed to in 1990.

The fallout from the Cold War was quite intense from the perspective of Russia.  Drastic cuts in military spending left millions unemployed in the nation.  The financial crisis that resulted from the end of the Cold War was more severe than that of the United States in the Great Depression.  Although the economy rebounded in 1999, Russian living standards were quite poor in previous years following the end of the Cold War.
Following the Cold War, there are nations that are believed to be holding similar arms races than that of the United States and Soviet Union in the cold War.  India and Pakistan have been engaged in a nuclear arms race in the later 20^th century.  Nuclear-capable rockets have been developed in these two countries as well.  Israel also is believed to have a number of nuclear weapons as well.  This has led to tensions that exist today, where other countries have expressed interest or are feared to have nuclear arms as well, such as Iran and North Korea.  These tensions lead directly into that of terrorism.

Terrorism

The end of the Cold War saw increased focusing on terrorist issues, especially in that of the development of powerful nuclear weapons.  Previous Cold War rivals came together in the Gulf War, where Iraq was the target of economic influence and associated nuclear and chemical weapons capabilities.  The end of this war saw the elimination of their aspirations in chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons.

Terrorism has come to be placed as “The New War,” with many nations involved in such issues.  Tensions in the Middle East as well as the rest of the world have seen times of escalation, for instance in many events of the Islamic Resistance Movement.  Chemical and biological warfare has been seen in Asia with the group Aleph.  Chechnyan separatists have targeted Russians in events of terrorism.

Perhaps most notable is the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.  These terrorist attacks have launched the United States-led War on Terror on such targets, such as the Taliban and Al-Qaeda.  The United States and NATO have launched a number of military operations to end terrorist threats.

Terrorist threats still exist today.  It has influenced a number of political and economic developments in the world.  The United States has helped other countries in the war on terrorism, such as in Pakistan, Lebanon, Yemen, and Israel financial assistance.  Terrorism continues to affect an extensive number of issues around the world.  It is quite possibly “The New War,” as it truly has become quite pronounced in the economic, political, and military-related dynamics of the modern world.