"You hold in your hands the future of the world." -Raymond Poincare
When Germany was defeated, the Nazi regime was then brought down. The leaders were tried for crimes against humanity at Nuremberg, the former site of the Nazi propaganda triumphs. Hitler had escaped trial and execution by committing suicide in his bunker in Berlin at the end of war. German cities were in ruins from the massive bombing campaign. Germany was then divided into 4 zones of occupation by victorious powers, pending a more permanent political settlement. Japan was in ruins as well from the extensive bombing. The prominent military leaders were tried and co incited of war crimes, though the emperor was allowed to keep his position as ruler. Japan was thus placed temporarily placed under U.S military rule. England was in ruins from the extensive bombing during the 1940 blitz by the Germans. The economy gravely depended on the aid that the United States provided. England then rapidly phased out most of its imperial holding in the years immediately following the war. France hadn't experienced the enormous losses sustained in the First World War, but they did haven recover from the effect of the Nazi occupation. Retribution was taken upon collaborators. Like England, France was compelled to taken down its colonial empire in the years following the war. This process was a particularly traumatic for the French, in Algeria, and inVietnam where they fought prolonged and bitter wars in attempt to maintain their colonial control. England and France no longer held a status of power comparable either to the United States or the Soviet Union.
The Russians had suffered the most during the war. Western Russia was devastated by the land warfare which was primarily Russian territory. In the process of taking down the Nazi, the Russians had built a large and powerful army, which occupied most of Eastern Europe towards the end of the war. The large resources and population of Russia assured that the soviet would be on of the two super- powers, along with the United States. The United States economy was greatly stimulated by the war, even more then durning World War I. The depression was brought decisively to an end, and new industrial complexes were built over the United States. Spared the devastating physical destruction of the war, the U.S had become the leading military power. The position that the United States was the world leader was never more obvious then ever.
The struggle for national independence of non-European peoples was greatly enhanced and stimulated by the war. The impuissance of England and France, the two major European imperial potencies, provided opportunities. The stage was set for the collapse of European imperia in the 3 decades following the war. New technology, developed during the war to fight disease, would, when applied to the non-European world, result in sharply lower mortality rates and soaring population magnification.
WHAT EFFECTS DID THE WAR HAVE UPON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY?
Enormous technological progress was made during the war. The English developed radar which would be the forerunner of television. Progress in electronics and computers, made during the war, provided a substructure for further development which fundamentally transformed the postwar world. The development of the atomic bomb by European and American scientists during the war, not only transformed the nature of potential future wars, it marked the commencement of the nuclear power industry.
WHAT POLITICAL CHANGES OCCURRED IN REGARD TO THE PROSPECT OF FUTURE WARS?
World War II had appeared to pose an unprecedented threat to human civilization and gave impetus to the instauration of Wilson's vision of an international organization to keep the placidity. Organizing efforts were commenced even while the war was on. In June, 1945, 51 nations were represented at the founding conference in San Francisco. In October, 1945, the United Nations was officially established. Unlike the League of Nations, the UN had the full support and leadership of the United States. The Soviet Union and all the most paramount nations of the world were members.
In 1944, representatives of the major economic powers met to engender an International Monetary Fund and to accede upon a regime of international tariff regulation kenned as GATT. There was a tenaciousness to evade the mistakes of the interwar years which had exacerbated the Great Depression. The world community was thought to be entering an incipient era of international cooperation.
The Russians had suffered the most during the war. Western Russia was devastated by the land warfare which was primarily Russian territory. In the process of taking down the Nazi, the Russians had built a large and powerful army, which occupied most of Eastern Europe towards the end of the war. The large resources and population of Russia assured that the soviet would be on of the two super- powers, along with the United States. The United States economy was greatly stimulated by the war, even more then durning World War I. The depression was brought decisively to an end, and new industrial complexes were built over the United States. Spared the devastating physical destruction of the war, the U.S had become the leading military power. The position that the United States was the world leader was never more obvious then ever.
The struggle for national independence of non-European peoples was greatly enhanced and stimulated by the war. The impuissance of England and France, the two major European imperial potencies, provided opportunities. The stage was set for the collapse of European imperia in the 3 decades following the war. New technology, developed during the war to fight disease, would, when applied to the non-European world, result in sharply lower mortality rates and soaring population magnification.
WHAT EFFECTS DID THE WAR HAVE UPON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY?
Enormous technological progress was made during the war. The English developed radar which would be the forerunner of television. Progress in electronics and computers, made during the war, provided a substructure for further development which fundamentally transformed the postwar world. The development of the atomic bomb by European and American scientists during the war, not only transformed the nature of potential future wars, it marked the commencement of the nuclear power industry.
WHAT POLITICAL CHANGES OCCURRED IN REGARD TO THE PROSPECT OF FUTURE WARS?
World War II had appeared to pose an unprecedented threat to human civilization and gave impetus to the instauration of Wilson's vision of an international organization to keep the placidity. Organizing efforts were commenced even while the war was on. In June, 1945, 51 nations were represented at the founding conference in San Francisco. In October, 1945, the United Nations was officially established. Unlike the League of Nations, the UN had the full support and leadership of the United States. The Soviet Union and all the most paramount nations of the world were members.
In 1944, representatives of the major economic powers met to engender an International Monetary Fund and to accede upon a regime of international tariff regulation kenned as GATT. There was a tenaciousness to evade the mistakes of the interwar years which had exacerbated the Great Depression. The world community was thought to be entering an incipient era of international cooperation.