The World Of The Second World War

Following the detonation of two atomic bombs over Japan and the closure of World War II, the United States of America and the Soviet Union entered a period of ideological conflict, the Cold War. The United States sought to preserve and protect democracy throughout the world while the Soviet Union established communist satellite states. During the Cold War, the United States government pushed for the expansion of the United States space program in an attempt to demonstrate power and innovation over the Russians, and in doing so, accelerated the process of space exploration and endangered the lives of their astronauts.

After the Second World War, the United States and the Soviet Union emerged as superpowers and subsequently a period of tension and hostility arose, known as the Cold War. During this time, a new possibility of complete nuclear destruction that would claim the lives of many emerged, therefore “the easing or relaxing of tensions” on both sides was needed, this period would be known as detente. Both countries had been guaranteed mutually assured destruction as they had both managed to stay ahead in the development of nuclear arsenals. By the late 1960s the Soviets had surpassed the United States in intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) by 1,300 to 1,054. Although the U.S was still ahead

World War II-- also known as The Holocaust / The Genocide -- was the world 's second 'Great War '. World War II was much more larger in scale and more longer in duration. World War I had only lasted for four years, while World War II had lasted for six years. I find it quite interesting that contrary to popular belief; the United States did not enter World War II until 2 years after the genesis of the conflict. It was only in 1941, when the Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbor that the United States had entered the war. World War II started in 1939 due to Germany performing an unprovoked attack on Poland. Surprisingly, only a few months later after Germany invaded Poland; the whole European continent was at war. In 1939, the United States was not ready to go to war. In the early 20th century, the United States Army only ranked 39th in the world. Many Americans believed that the United States could not handle another global conflict right after the Great Depression. Although the United States was not 'officially ' part of the war at that time, that did not stop the United States from becoming 'unofficially ' involved.

Throughout the Nazis’ reign they employed many different types of propaganda to lure the public to their views and ideals. Propaganda lurked in even the most innocent of places waiting to entrap the unsuspecting mind and often targeting the young men of Germany. The Nazis use of propaganda was meant to appeal to the public through a sense of nationalism and fear of enemy nations. The propaganda was tailored to the public preexisting opinions and prejudices. These aspects along with the Nazis opportunistic style of propaganda made for a dangerous trap that threatened to ensnare all of Germany. The Nazis used opportunistic propaganda to convince a nation to follow in their ideals and actions.

In 1947, after Harry Truman took over as President, was when tensions between the USSR and the United States finally sprung into what is now known as the Cold War. The spread of communism throughout Eastern Europe, China and Korea made Americans feel threatened by their increasing power and influence. Even after the war the United States continued operation in military bases which had the initial intent to protect against further Nazi advancement into Western Europe. Post-World War II these bases seemed to serve the purpose of maintaining a presence where their greatest perceived threat continued to grow. On the opposite side of the Cold War conflict, Josef Stalin and the Soviets grew ever more wary of the United States, who still were the country with Nuclear weapon capabilities at the time. So when Stalin called for the manufacturing of Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (Gatland, Kenneth. Manned Spacecraft, Second Revision. 1976. Pg 100) a viscous cycle ensued. For every technological advancement either the United States or USSR made from 1947 until the end of the 1960’s, the other would try to match or beat it with the justification that it was in the best interests of national security. The United States had its first successful ICBM in 1957 (Hall, Rex; David J. Shayler. The Rocket Men: Vostok & Voskhod, The First Soviet Manned Spaceflights. Pg 56) and once the Soviet’s developed their first successful Nuclear weaponry in 1949,

Behind the Iron Curtain, the Russia or the Soviet Union were building nuclear weapons because of seeing how powerful the nuclear bombs could be. The US and Soviet Union both competed with each other in building nuclear bombs. One built the A bomb, the other built H bomb, and they continued to top another bomb with a new bomb. Neither side wanted to come out looking like a loser. Eventually, the US and the Soviet Union emerged as the superpowers of the world, with the nuclear weapons guarded on their sides. The Cold War was starting to peek its head into the war (Bullock).

World War 1 also known as The Great War started for a number of explanations; discrimination and imperialism, militarism nationalism, and alliance. According to the World of information imperialism is the policy which is expanding the country’s power and acquiring new land or countries by force. Militarism is when a country wants to preserve the strongest and most defensive military strength. Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Ottoman Empire where central powers of WW1 but the allied powers where France, England, Russia, and the United States. Many of these countries joined World War 1 because of Alliances, where they had a treaty with that country or countries that in a challenging times they would be there to help in any way possible even if it meant they are set in the middle of a world warfare.

Though the Cold War was mainly between the two super powers, the United States and the Soviet Union, it also encompassed their European allies, split by the Iron Curtain. It divided the world into the Warsaw pact and the NATO, cementing Europe’s role in the Cold War though its alliances. The constant threat of the nuclear weapons meant that the Cold War became more psychological war rather than of military actions1. .The United States developed their nuclear weapons to strengthen their own military potential after WWII, but the Soviet Russia took this to be more an offensive tactic after the bombs the devastation of the atomic bombs dropped over Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. The Cold War then largely became an arms race, due to the

The Cold War generated a worldwide awareness to the dangerous aspects and facets of obtaining, maintaining, and threatening the use of nuclear armament on an opposing force. The Cold War and all its tactical facets gave the world an intuitive insight into the military two superpowers whom developed nuclear warheads in an attempt to threaten each other. Both countries created, advertise, and intentionally promoted their purposeful actions on releasing chemical agents upon their opponents. (Viewpoints Article: the Soviet Union Start the Cold War) With the uncovering of military related acts, both countries began to feel the animosity of each other and decided to create a strong positional stance regarding their military and economic ideology.

Albert Einstein, a famous physicist, once said on the topic of war, “I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.” According to Einstein and many people even today, war is like a self-destruct button, and if pressed, the world would be destroyed. It would be in ruins and the human race would have to start all over again. Even though we, as humans, know this, people have fought many wars in the past, and wars still happen around the world today. Humans overestimate the effects of this button and there has been times in history, where we almost pressed it. An example of an important and deadly war that took place was the Thirty Years’ War. It was one of the bloodiest wars

World War 1, and World War 2 especially, brought a rise to war technology. With one of history’s biggest wars relentlessly crushing everything in it’s path, countries needed a way to defend themselves and fight back. Tension from the second World War brought the Soviet Union and the United States to a standoff of nuclear arms, each waiting for the other to pull the trigger…

The development of nuclear weapons helped to end World War II, but in turn created their own war between the United States and the Soviet Union. The development of modified military missiles such as the Intercontinental Ballistic Missile, or ICBM, by Americans and the Soviets, had an impact on the struggle of power of the Cold War. The importance of military involvement in the creation of modified missiles and engines were critical events of the Cold War. Additionally, the steps taken to get to space were a byproduct of this Arms Race and the Cold War. Because the United States and the Soviet Union feared what the other country would or could do with weapons of mass destruction and the thought of the opposing country being able to control

Following the end of the Second World War the Nuremberg War Trials were held to prosecute Nazi officials for the abhorrent crimes of the Holocaust. The defence of those charged hinged on the idea that they weren’t guilty of a crime as they were obeying the law of Nazi Germany . Consequently, the trial revived the broader question of whether laws which are inherently immoral can be considered valid law. Moreover, the trial generated fresh debate within jurisprudence, in turn leading many to criticise the previously prominent ideas of Legal Positivism , which in layman’s terms separated law from morality and credited as valid law any bill provided it had gone through the recognised legislative system of a sovereign . Instead, academics moved

After the first nuclear bomb was launched in Japan during the Second World War, nuclear weapons became one of the most deadly weapons of the day. Which is why during the Cold War at the height of the fear of communism and the tenuous relationship between the U.S and the Soviet Union, the brink of another nuclear war seemed to be on the horizon.

The Second World War is one of the most familiar wars to the everyday person because of its massive effect on the global community’s future. It is arguably the first and only total war in the history of the war. Hew Strachan believes that it is because of its totality, which is seen through all of the components and scale of World War II. His fellow historian Robert Messer agrees saying “That first truly global conflict mobilized economies and populations of the world on a scale and degree that, if not total, was unprecedented in history.” They both agree, that World War II is the best example of total war for basically the same reasons, but Strachan will go more in depth. While, Messer dives into the morality of dropping the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. I will first review Strachan’s essay and then will explain how Strachan and Messer both agree that the Second World War was total in nature.