European Civilization 6 (After World War II and America)

Now, America after World War II has developed in a completely different way from after World War I. Since independence, America has been characterized by domesticism and Americanism (Monroe Doctrine). Initially, the birth of the country coincided with the realization of ideals on earth, and the country was positioned to develop and advance its vast domestic territory and the American continent without involvement from Europe. However, mainly due to the situation in Europe (not the situation in the United States) and the actions of Germany, Europe was warred twice and devastated, so hegemony was inevitably transferred to America, and this seems to have shaped the pattern of American diplomacy. First of all, America has been fundamentally nationalistic for a long time, so when it intervened in Europe and the world, it had to explain things to its people.

 

This was the case with Wilson's Fourteen Points, but even so, domestic public opinion did not stray from nationalism. However, Wilson's Fourteen Points were highly idealistic and at the same time proposed a comprehensive world organization (not something a politician busy with national affairs could have come up with). It can be imagined that the people who were able to come up with this were those who thought about such an ideal world on a daily basis. Also, this type of ideological politics may have been part of the American culture, but even so, intervention in World War II came after Japan had entered the war, and participation was only possible with the consent of the people.

 

After World War II, America took the lead in international politics, and the Americans explained the reasons for this to their citizens. The American economy and productivity were the only ones that remained intact, and the Communist Soviet Union was making great strides, but what appealed to the Americans was that America had already respected democracy and human rights during World War II (Atlantic Charter), and had also made adjustments to finance and trade with the former hegemonic power, Great Britain (Dumbarton Oaks Conference). In light of the devastation of World War I and World War II, America once again presented its ideas about the way the world should be to the American people, and these were accepted based on history.

 

After World War II, there was a battle between the Soviet communist ideals and the American ideals mentioned above, but this in itself may have led the world in a relatively better direction. Capitalist countries had to take into consideration low-income earners in their countries, so social security was established, income guarantees were provided, and consumption was maintained. Many colonies gained independence, and some of these countries developed. However, there were various problems along the way. The Korean War, the Vietnam War, the four Middle East wars, the Afghan conflict, the Iran-Iraq War, the Gulf War, and the Iraq-Afghanistan War. America had long been a country of its own, but after World War II it has been fighting wars based on internationalism. Since the world system could not survive with countryism, it came up with a new concept and faced the postwar period, which could be said to have been a remarkable change. This is partly because the military-industrial complex was formed (Eisenhower's statement), and partly because war meant that poor young people could receive scholarships and go to college.

 

The new system was established through negotiations between the United States and the United Kingdom, but it was limited. The Marshall Plan for the reconstruction of Western Europe was difficult to gain the support of the American people, so the threat of the Soviet Union was emphasized, and the United Kingdom also supported it because it could rely on the United States. The EC was established from the idea of peacefully and efficiently reconstructing Western Europe, which bore fruit in the EU at the end of the 20th century. The existence of the Soviet Union also strengthened the unity of Western countries, created the Eurodollar (centered in London) that was not subject to national (American) regulations, and fostered globalization.

 

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