Effects of World War Two:

 

Total War: entire society fought the war

    armed forces at the front

    civilians in factories

    children collecting scrap material, aiding war-bond drives

 

Global War:

    fought in all major seas of the world

    fighting occurred in Europe, Africa, and Asia

    involved  nearly 60 nations

    Allied leaders planned global military strategy in wartime conferences

 

Scientific Advances:

    radar

    guided missiles

    jet propelled planes

    magnetic mines

    atom bombs

    sulfa drugs, penicillin, blood transfusions

 

 

Airplane became major weapon of war

    attacks on troops and naval units

    destroying enemy interior (industry and railroads)

    preparing way for invasions

 

Most costly war in history: 1100 billion dollars

 

Economic ruin of European  industry and agriculture

 

Communism spread to eastern Europe and Asia

 

Fighting forces: 22 million dead and 34 million wounded

 

Refugees and displaced persons needed aid to restart life

 

Germany, Japan, and  Italy were completed defeated militarily

 

US and USSR emerged as superpowers and Cold War began

Russia gained satellite nations in Eastern Europe

 

Western imperialism in Asia and Africa declined

 

Britain and France declined as world powers

 

Atomic age indicated need for  international control of atomic energy

 

United Nations was formed to keep the peace

 

United States assumed its role and responsibility for world leadership