3. World War 2 (1939 - 1945)
One of the most gruesome Wars of all time, World
War 2 is best known for the bombing of
Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the United States and
the Holocaust―the genocide of six million
European Jews by Nazi Germany. However, there
do exist several facts about it which continue to
elude most of the people out there. World War 2
was fought between two military alliances: the
Allies, which comprised the Soviet Union, United
States of America, United Kingdom, and other
nations, and the Axis, made up of Germany,
Japan, Italy, etc.
4. The war began on September 1, 1939, when the
German forces invaded Poland, and in
retaliation, France and other European
nations attacked Germany. It went on for six
years before culminating with a victory for the
Allies on September 2, 1945. By then though,
the damage was already done and the effects
of this six-year-long conflict had become more
than obvious. It took a long time for the
affected countries to recover.
5. Unparalleled Casualties
They say history repeats itself, which is what happened
when Germany and its allies were trounced in the Second
World War. If the effects of World War 1 were gruesome,
those of World War 2 were a lot worse. Somewhere between
22 - 25 million soldiers and 38 - 55 million civilians lost their
lives. Additionally, many more were left homeless. It is
estimated that around 6 million Jews were killed in the
Holocaust, the systemic state-sponsored genocide
orchestrated by Adolf Hitler. Other than Jews, non-Jewish
Poles and Slavs, Romanian gypsies, and even homosexuals
were killed in large numbers in this genocide only because
they were considered inferior.
6. Borders Were Redrawn
Several European and Asian countries had to bear the
brunt of this war. The territorial borders of European
countries were redrawn. The biggest beneficiary in terms of
territorial expansion was the Soviet Union, which annexed
parts of Finland, Poland, Japan, Germany, and some
independent states to its territories. The worst affected
nation was Germany, which was divided into four parts;
one each was held by France, United States, Soviet Union,
and Great Britain. The initial plans put forth by the United
States for Germany were very harsh. They were only relaxed
after they realized that the revival of Europe was not
possible without the revival of German industrial base.
7. United Nations
Post World War 2, the Allied Forces came together to
form the United Nations―an organization formed to
promote peace and security in the world. The newly
formed organization outlawed wars of aggression to
ensure that a third world war doesn't happen. The
Paris Peace Treaty was signed on February 10, 1947,
allowing countries like Italy, Bulgaria, and Finland to
resume as sovereign states in international affairs and
become members of the United Nations. The Treaty
also included provisions for the payment of war
reparations and post-war territorial adjustments.
8. End of Dictatorship
On the flip side, World War 2 marked the end of
dictatorship in Europe. While Mussolini was captured
and shot dead on April 28, 1945, Hitler committed
suicide on April 30, 1945. Emperor Hirohito was not
prosecuted by the Allied Powers as General Douglas
MacArthur, the Supreme Commander for the Allied
Powers, thought that his cooperation was necessary
for the administration of Japan. The Allied Forces held
the Nuremberg trials wherein the top brass of Nazi
Germany―except for Hitler, Heinrich Himmler, and
Joseph Goebbels―were prosecuted.
9. Economic Effects
As for the economic effects of World War 2, it did have some
positives, but they were by no means a match for the havoc
this war created. The numerous jobs created during the war
brought an end to the employment crisis during the Great
Depression. While those industries that manufactured the
products required during the war flourished, other
industries suffered a major setback. The European
economy was almost brought to a standstill during the
Second World War. It took quite some time for the world to
revive after the war came to an end on September 2, 1945;
that though, was only after millions of people lost their
lives.
10. New Rivalry
Most important of all, World War 2 put forth the
United States and Soviet Union as the super powers of
the world. If World War 1 laid the foundation for
World War 2, the latter laid the foundation for the
Cold War between the United States and Soviet Union
which lasted for 44 years between 1947 and 1991.
When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, the United
States retaliated with full military force; even going to
the extent of using atomic bombs on Hiroshima and
Nagasaki. Had Japan not attacked Pearl Harbor,
perhaps things would have had happened differently.
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19. Impact of the second
world war
Socially
Economically
Environmentally
20. Socially impact of WWII
Baby boomer• After the war, there was a large
population growth in the world. 77 million
American was born during this period. However,
now that baby boomers became older and
requires extended health care. Baby boomers
comprise nearly 27% of the US population as of
today.
21. Economically impact of WWII
Reconstruction cost After the war, most countries
encountered heavy losses in agricultural,
industrial and especially economical.
The government had to spend lots of money to
rebuild their industrial and infrastructure•
Unbalanced between light and heavy many
manufacture when the war ended, light and heavy
industry became unbalanced and that causes a
serious trouble for our society.
22. Environmentally impact of WWII
Atomic bomb dropped at Hiroshima and
Nagasaki At the time of explosion, people within
diameter of 500meters were instantly vaporized,
and around 80,000 people was killed instantly,
total casualty was around 135000people.
23. Conclusion
After the Second World War, there were many
negative aspects that affect our lives such as baby
boomer, unbalanced between light and heavy
manufacture, and environmental damage caused
by atomic bomb.
