Posted: June 25th, 2015
Post WWII United States
ABSTRACT
In the year 1945, the nation of America was perceived differently by the whole world. Before the 2nd World War, American nation had a lot of problems that include poverty, homelessness, no flowing water and slum development was constantly increasing. It is important to highlight that before the war; more than 50 percent of the peasants had no access to electricity. The black Americans who lived in the South suffered a lot under the brink of racial discrimination. Even supermarkets and shopping malls were very rare in the entire America. However, after the World War II, the face of the nation changed and the term “economic boom” became relevant in the nation. This research paper was aimed at assessing the capabilities of the American nation in the post –World War II. This paper answered the following questions; how American influence, power, prosperity, and stature been impacted as a result of World War II, how economy of America benefitted from WWII and whether the military might of US improved in the post-world war II or deteriorated. The paper deployed the use of descriptive cross sectional study to come up with results that are presented through explanatory notes.
Table of Contents
Introduction to the Chapter: 5
Professional Significance of Your Work: 7
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW… 11
Analysis of the Literatures. 11
Part Two: Annotated Bibliography. 17
CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY.. 24
Delimitations and Constraints. 24
Sample and Sampling Procedure. 24
Data Sources and Instruments. 26
Pre-Testing of Data Collection Tools. 26
Data Analysis and Presentation. 26
CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS OF THE STUDY.. 28
CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY AND DISCUSSIONS. 33
CHAPTER ONE
Introduction to the Chapter:
It is often wondered how the superpowers of this world over the ages achieved their positions of dominance. Great empires have existed over the course of world history. Notable and well known examples of these civilizations include the Roman Empire, the Holy Roman Empire, the British Empire, the Byzantine Empire, the Ottoman Empire and our present day example the United States. It seems that the maturing of the United States in particular can be traced to World War II (WWII). To be a superpower, a nation needs to have a strong economy, an overpowering military, immense international political power and a strong national ideology. It was this war and it’s far reaching implications that caused the U.S. to experience such a preponderance of power. The specific dynamics and catalysts of this rise to power and the economic strength, military might and world influence that ensued as a result of WWII are of particular interest. The U.S. that developed in the latter half of the 20th century is arguably the greatest and most powerful empire ever known to mankind and its ascension to this pinnacle is the focal point of this study.
Background of the Topic:
Before WWII, the United States was somewhat fit to be described as a great power, but it would be most inaccurate to say that it constituted a superpower at such time. During the mid-18th century Great Britain and France stood as the only remaining competitors in the struggle for imperial dominance (Brzezinski, 2012). This rivalry for colonial possessions expanded during the 19th century into a contest for supremacy over Europe itself, before turning early in the 20th century into a joint alliance against a rising European power with global colonial aspirations known as Germany (Brzezinski, 2012).
From this point in time, two world wars ensued of which Europe emerged devastated, divided and demoralized. These developments occurred at a time in which the U.S. had spent much of that last century developing its industrial and military capabilities in geographic isolation from what would become a ravaged Europe following the conclusion of WWII. At the onset of its involvement in WWII, the American industrial workforce consisted of about twenty million people in 1941 and the government projected to have an army of 3.6 million men by year’s end (Klein, 2013). The subsequent Allied victory in WWII that ensued solidified and exemplified the rise of the U.S. to global power status and quickly led to its formation as a true superpower. The fact that American resources crucially projected the Allies to victory gave the U.S. enormous influence in European and global affairs alike.
Furthermore, the U.S. along with the Soviet Union, France and United Kingdom conducted the Paris Peace Treaties, which essentially dictated the future of Europe and of the rest of the world. The weakening of Germany and Britain accelerated the rise of the U.S. to the top of the world order while the U.S. defeat of Japan in the Pacific theater further contributed to American pre-eminence, power and security. Furthermore, the exhaustion of Germany, Britain and France led to a comparative increase in U.S. economic and military reach. The decline of these other traditional great powers served to collectively increased U.S. security and dominance in the Western Hemisphere. The price of this advancement was steep in terms of human life as 405,399 Americans lost their lives in the WWII, which was the highest loss of American life during any conflict since the Civil War yet the U.S. mainland was left untouched by the ravages of war with all major institutions left intact (Bradford, 2003).
Problem Statement:
The rise and solidification of the United States as the preeminent world power following the events of the WWII is decidedly clear to most and accepted as general fact. The objective in this research is to identify key individual components within the framework of the WWII and its initial aftermath to include the Marshall Plan that contributed to this monumental shift of power and explain their collective effect upon the standing of the United States in the world today. American influence, power, and prosperity as related to the U.S. economic strength, military might, and world stature are the specific dynamics of which I seek to analyze and determine their specific origins and development of in respect to the primary catalyst of the WWII.
Professional Significance of Your Work:
As an American I’ve always been patriotic and extremely proud of my national heritage. One cannot help but to feel a deep sense of pride and quite frankly superiority over the rest of the world at times given the heights of power the U.S. has obtained over the last half century. The principles of freedom and democracy we so treasure as Americans combined with the power and influence our country has yielded are nothing short of astonishing. This astonishment and pride compel me to research and document a true and accurate representation of my country’s rise to power so I will have a firm and factual understanding of the facts involved in this dynamic transformation. The knowledge I gain during this journey will be shared and will hopefully contribute to an awareness of how to best preserve and further expand upon the accomplishments of this most prosperous country in additional to mere historical appreciation.
Overview of Methodology:
In order to gain the proper foundation of knowledge needed for a holistic examination of the effects of the WWII upon the U.S. influence, power and prosperity a decisive body of historical study must be undertaken. A firm grasp and understanding of the economic and geo-political environment at the conclusion of the WWII will be required. Furthermore, the specific dynamics in place when they directly correlated to the U.S. economy, military and overall standing in the world must be expertly understood in order to create an accurate depiction of how these dynamics collectively served to propel our great nation to heights unimaginable prior to the WWII. The historical study I will conduct in order to answer these fundamental questions will be conducted through a variety of academically respected sources. Historical records will be scrutinized alongside professional analysis and opinion of these events in the effort to assure the most objective and complete analysis possible on the advancement of the U.S. following the conclusion of the WWII.
Delimitations:
The boundaries of my examination on the rise of the U.S. into the world’s primary superpower involve limiting my research and analysis of this development to the identified the WWII catalyst. Subsequent developments and occurrences throughout the world occurring after the WWII void of any direct linkage to the war are outside the scope of this analysis. The goal of my research is to draw distinct parallels between the events of the WWII and the stature of America following the war and up to present day. Broadening the scope of this research any more would complicate my quest to draw accurate conclusions and could damage the integrity of my findings as they directly link to the events of the WWII.
Definition of Terms:
In order to ensure my audience has an accurate depiction of the intent of my research it is deemed necessary to expand upon a few key terms and concepts I’ve referenced in this introduction. All facets and subjects of my research will be explored and fully elaborated upon in my subsequent presentation but at present time I do find it necessary to ensure a firm understanding for my audience of what the Paris Peace Treaties and the WWII were, what a superpower constitutes and what the Marshal Plan encompassed. Below I have a brief and general explanation of these subjects in the effort for my subject of research to be best understood going forward.
- World War II– A global conflict that lasted from 1939 through 1945 that involved the vast majority of the world’s nations. The powers involved in WWII eventually formed two separate sides known as the Allied and Axis powers. The Allied powers were primarily comprised of the U.S., United Kingdom and the Soviet Union while the Axis powers primarily consisted of Germany, Italy and Japan. WWII became the most geographically widespread war in history and involved more than 100 million people and over 30 countries. An estimated 50-85 million people died in the conflicts of WWII.
- Superpower-Typically a nation state which holds a dominant position internationally and are characterized by their unmatched ability to exert influence and project power on a global scale. Superpowers possess immense military power and economic strength, combined with political influence.
- Marshal Plan- Officially known as the European Recovery Program, ERP, was a complex aid initiative for Europe created by the U.S. following the conclusion of WWII which ran from 1948-1952. The U.S. provided $13 billion in economic support to help in the efforts to rebuild European economies. The U.S. sought to rebuild war devastated regions, remove trade barriers, modernize industry and created a once again prosperous Europe while preventing the spread of communism through these efforts.
- Paris Peace Treaties– The eventually outcome of the Paris Peace Conference held from July, 29 to October, 15 1946 following the conclusion of the WWII. During this conference, the victorious allied powers consisting of the U.S., the Soviet Union, France, and the United Kingdom negotiated and in some respects dictated the details of peace treaties with Italy, Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria and Finland.
Summary:
As the U.S. takes its place alongside the other great empires that have existed over the course of world history, it is of great benefit to examine how we arrived as a society at this juncture of time. The maturing of the United States in a modern sense in the context of a superpower can be traced directly back to the events and repercussions of the WWII. To be a superpower, a nation needs to have a strong economy, an overpowering military, immense international political power and a strong national ideology. It was this war and it’s far reaching implications that propelled the U.S. to excel and dominate in these pursuits. The economic strength, military might and world influence of the U.S. that ensued as a result of the WWII are the explicit focus of this study. The U.S. that developed in the latter half of the 20th century is arguably the greatest and most powerful empire ever known to mankind and its ascension to this pinnacle during the modern, nuclear, technological and globally interconnected age we live is of great historical value and importance, specifically to all those who have the privilege of calling themselves Americans.
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
Part I
Introduction
The status of the nation of America as a superpower in the whole world introduced a new chapter of history because it was perceived differently. The continent of Europe really suffered but gained a lot of experience from the WWII. The nations especially those in Asia, Africa, and the South America who were under the control and management of colonial powers became free and therefore they could make their own individual decisions and shape their own destinies. The major unique feature that differentiates the United States from other nations during the 2nd World War was nothing rather than its absolute advocacy of change based on democracy and preservation of human rights and respect for natural justice (Harrison, 1999). The rise and solidification of the United States as the preeminent world power following the events of the WWII is decidedly clear to most and accepted as general fact.
Analysis of the Literatures
After the World War II, the people of the great nation of America had a thought that due to the country’s new perception across the whole world, its economy would become stronger and therefore the American dream that puts more emphasis on bridging the big gap between the rich and the poor would happen. The American soldiers who were taken outside the boundaries of the nation to go and help in bringing down the reign and dictatorial ideologies of Hitler, Mussolini among other big names returned home with renewed strengths. Because of emerging as prosperous by defeating the dictators who were fuelling the world war, they now had a feeling that they can live a life that is stress free and provide comfort to their wives and families as far as domestic and household responsibilities are concerned (Harrison, 1999).
One of the major changes that took place in the United States after the Second World War was the change of gender roles and responsibilities. Before the year 1947, the American women were treated as homemakers who had full responsibilities of performing domestic works and keeping the family going. Given that the women were inculcated in the war era and discharged military responsibilities just like men, they developed a sense of belonging and being equal in all senses (Corelli, 1986). In fact many women who served in the military during the war failed to come back home to continue with their housekeeping duties become of the emergence of competition in terms of gender. The American economic change became one of the biggest successes that can be attributed to the World War II. All the American citizens were in one way or the other contributed to the World War II, a factor that really made them to become efficient in terms of protection in all-diverse perspective. The issue of efficiency was reflected on the American industries that embarked on producing goods and services to the extent that had not been seen before (Francolin, 1970).
In the negative sense, the American nation was engaged into the 2nd World War at a time when it was really suffering under the brink of great depression that destabilized its economic growth as a result of inflation. However, after the war, the American nation emerged with new strengths and opportunities that proved very useful in answering the needs of its economic depression and financial turmoil. The industries in America registered high rate of growth and many job opportunities were offered hence reducing the challenge of homelessness that had become eminent in the nation. The real estates and suburbs that have emerged in the 21st century trace their roots from the rein of the World War II (Morgan, 2014).
It is a fact that can never be denied that the United States had already become a rich nation long before the World War II. However, its success faced many challenges like depression, which were thwarting further developments and prosperity. Such challenges had their solutions and in fact long-term remedies from the WW II. Many professionals and researchers have observed that the American nation emerged to be a super-economy given the fact that it had no serious competitors (Leland, 2014).
It has been argued that the nation’s competitors and immediate rivals really suffered greatly from the World War II and therefore could not match the standard of the US. However, the Soviet Union was not greatly affected by the war and it had an ambition to out-compete the United States of America through military force and in terms of ideology which favors accumulation of wealth as a society not as an independent individual as advocated in the US ideology of capitalism(Boyd, 2009). The Soviet Union in its effort to dominate the world and succeed US tried to manufacture nuclear weapons, which goes against the interest of the nation of America and the international community. However, the manufacture of such lethal and dangerous weapons has been greatly condemned and regulated with the American nation taking the frontline in such control (Mundey, 2006).
After the Second World War, the United States emerged as the supreme military power in the international sense. This was demonstrated in Japan where the nation attacked Hiroshima and Nagasaki with a bomb blast that still have devastating effects up to date. It is important to note that the American attack on Japan in 1947 informed the decision to initiate peace treaty and end the war. This is because the rivals led by Hitler of Germany realized that the other side of allies led by the US had more resources in terms of military support and finance and therefore would finish them incase they fail to admit a defeat (Corelli, 1986). The power that the American nation accumulated after the war led to animosity and peaceful conflict with the USSR that was in the side of the America during the war. The idea of manufacturing nuclear weapons by the USSR came because of the notion that American nation have become very prosperous between 1950 and 1960 owing to their status of power (Francolin, 1970).
After the Second World War, the American military might improved in terms of scope and strength. In more than 60 years now, the American nation with its military power has resorted to revitalize the old institutions that were brought down during the war. The nation of United States have always collaborated with its core allies like France and the United Kingdom to come up with comprehensive policies that promotes democracy and co-existence across the whole globe (Leland, 2014). The nation in collaboration with its allies has come up with key international security strategies and military machines that are used to maintain peace and order in the international domain, a thing that was never experienced before the world wars. The American nation through its military powers came up with tactics of destabilizing the USSR that was becoming a world threat to peace. Even after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1994, American nation did not become reluctant in penetrating the whole world to preach peace (Mundey, 2006).
It has emerged now that the American nation tends to advocate for needs for modernization aimed at reducing its key role in the affairs of the whole world. Due to great competition that the nation is facing from other nations especially China and Russia, the nation of the US has considered it wise to cut down its budget on military forces and put more emphasis on tangible developments and trade partnerships with other nations especially the developing nations. The US military has been predicted to become ineffective to some degree in future because it has been strategically plan that its budget will be cut down to barely $ 1 trillion (Boyd, 2009).
The military of US at the current moment is not the same military that used to exist in the era of Cold War. The reign of Reagan and Bush made tremendous changes, which have greatly affected the effectiveness and efficiency of the department in quite a negative way. This decade also presented itself with many threats that tend to outweigh the capacity of the US defense. Some of the major threats that have been recognized in the engagement of Russia to offer and sell very dangerous and complicated systems of defense to Syria. If the American military is to maintain its relevance in the world, it has to counter the effects of the Russian-Syria deal because it has become evident that some nations in the world are advocating for the Third World War. The need for modernization has also become real in the entire US nation (Flint, 2006).
The major negative implication of the value of the American military forces is that its budget has always been just a small representative of the overall budget in terms of gross domestic product and the expenditure of the federal governments. In the current moment, the budget of the military is barely 4 percent of the GDP and less than 20 percent of federal governments’ expenditure. This gives an illustration that the American nation cannot go to major wars given its financial status, which only favors local security rather than international security (Flint, 2006).
Many researches claims that there are three major problems pertaining to the logics behind the abolishment of the United States security function across the whole globe. The first major reason is that the American nation can never do that because it is in the public domain that the nation is the mask that holds global order together (Milward, 1979). The present co-existence of the world is full of American writings and everyone has been proud of that irrespective of the source of the nation’s power, which can be traced from many sources. the sources include; stability of the US dollar, the strong economic growth of the nation, the size of the nation, the nation’s ability to come up with more serious and advanced innovations and/or the use of the dollar as the parameter of measuring economic growth of all the nations of the world(Chris, 2002).
The second challenge is based on the notion that the American military and its global participation are intertwined by the natural law and God-given power. Most people believe that the American nation was created to lead others and correct mistakes that others do for the sake of co-existence. However, many critics have said that the American economy has been maintained to its current standards because of resources that it exploits from other nations for example oil in the Middle East countries. The American security was designed to meet the expectations and interest of the world and through the NATO; it has served various functions and roles including prevention of future wars, destabilizing, and making Soviet Union and its Allies weaker and to promote trade by offering a secure environment (Francolin, 1970).
The research has shown that during 1970s when the world experienced many challenges due to implementation of policies that emphasized on oil embargoes, the United States of America put more emphasis on Persian Gulf security issues and concerns. This was because the Middle East was central in giving out oil that could promote economic growth and support the developed worlds. The economic status of the United States is predicted not to negatively deviate even if it does not receive oil supply from the Middle East countries due to its military might and ability to determine the prices of such products. However, the economy of America depends mostly on its allies not its enemies (Overy, 2002).
The third reason, which can never be over-emphasized on, is that the American economy is the largest and it will maintain that status in future not unless the world ends. However, China has been given a chance to succeed the American nation economy-wise because of its good trade relationship with developing worlds currently. However, in terms of military might, China has never been thought of as having the necessary knowledge, skills, and expertise of coming up with new quality innovations that can be important in driving security to the next level. In case China emerges as the largest economy, the US will be number two but it should be noted that most American industries are global in nature. This therefore gives an indication that the nation of the US has multi-billion investments abroad; employ quite a number of people who can promote the American culture of dominance, which in one way or the other promotes American growth positively (Chris, 2002).
Conclusion
The rise and solidification of the United States as the preeminent world power following the events of the WWII is decidedly clear to most and accepted as general fact. It took America good time and strategies to reach their status. The war became to an end in the year 1945 and the meeting was immediately called to deliberate on matters on how to help rebuilt on the nations that were destroyed during the war. The meeting was therefore called in Paris what is popularly known as the Paris Peace conference. During this conference, the victorious allied powers consisting of the U.S., Soviet Union, France, and the United Kingdom negotiated and in some respects dictated the details of peace treaties with Italy, Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Finland(Boyd, 2009; Overy, 2002).
Part Two: Annotated Bibliography
Harrison, M. (1999). The Economics of World War II: Six Great Powers in International Comparison. Cambridge University Press.
In his book, Harrison (1999) compares six major powers that played very important roles in the Second World War The six great powers as mentioned by the author include the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, the USSR and the nation of Italy. According to the author, American nation played an exemplary role in the WWII given the fact that it came up with very comprehensive economic policies and systems of economy that were aimed in averting the decline of economies of the whole world as a result of the world war. The author comprehensively explored three major questions; what role economies played in determining the outcome of the WWII, how economy and military strengths were intertwined during the war and after the war, and the major consequences of the war especially on the US and the Soviet Union. The author also explained that the collapse of the USSR could not be because it succeeded in bringing Germany down but the reasons lie with the United States.
Francolin, R. J. (1970).Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War, London, Putnam.
In this book, “Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War” by Francillon (1970), it is evident that the Pacific War was a war that marked the end of the WWII. The American military was strategic enough to gauge in war with the Axis powers on the Pacific Ocean in Japan because all the strengths of the NAZI powers had been shifted from Germany and Italy to Japan. The attack made by the United Nations as a retaliation effort because their navy had been sunk in the Ocean was meant to make the Axis powers realize that they had lost strength and they could not withstand the war anymore. The author concludes by highlighting that the American nation has immensely grown in terms of its industrial capacity because of the nation’s emergence as a leader from the WWII.
Flint, K. (2006).Airborne Armour: Tetrarch, Locust, Hamilcar and the 6th Airborne Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment 1938-1950. Hellion & Company Ltd.
In his book, Flint (2006) really emphasizes on the use of the term “limited standard” which was a term that was commonly used by the American army during the war period. The tools that were commonly referred to by the term include the M22 Locust, which had attained certain required standards that had been set by the Department of Ordinances in America. However, the equipment of war were not meeting the standards set by the department of equipment. The limited standard equipment were therefore ignored by the US army because they required powerful war tools that could be used effectively and efficiently. The author concluded by saying that both the UK army and the US army should be treated with equal standards because they deployed similar standards of operations in the WWII.
Boyd, D. (2009). Wartime Production by the Commonwealth during WWII. British Equipment of the Second World War. London University Press.
In his book, the author, Boyd started by saying that the United States have been highly recognized to be at the center of everything during the WWII. Due to such recognitions, the nation of America has been able to exploit many opportunities at the expense of others. According to Boyd, the Commonwealth members headed by the United Kingdom really contributed to the results of the Second World War and even the subsequent Cold War that emerged after the WWII. The author went further to state that Canada and Australia really worked with the UK day and night during the dark days of the war that is between 1940 and 1941 and therefore they need a credit. The author pinpointed that Canada alone contributed twice the number of Lorries that were contributed by Germany to help in ferrying combatants, militants, and foods across different battlegrounds. Boyd therefore noted that American nation with the assistance of commonwealth members made sure that the Allied powers emerged victorious.
Chris, B. (2002). The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II, Sterling Publishing.
Chris, the author of the book, “the encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II” has a belief that the military hardware especially that of the United States of America entails every tool that was deployed in the air, on the land and in the sea during the great time of the war. According to the view of the author, there were more than 500 war materials and tools that were deployed during the course of the war and that the US contributed more than 50 percent of the total materials. There were more than 600 full-color artworks with specifications and quality of particular weapons. Germany and the U.S. opposed each other intensely and the United States managed to control the war because of its military wits and buffs.
Corelli, B. (1986).The audit of war: the illusion & reality of Britain as a great nation, Macmillan Press.
In his work, Corelli (1986) had the view that the United Kingdom had all the powers and might to emerge as the superpower but due to its past policies that it imposed on other nations during the time of colonial rule; the United States was better placed to lead. The author noted that in the 20th century, the British power declined tremendously opening new ways for the United States. Correlli argued in his book that the leadership skills that were deployed by the British in the 18th century were harsh, brutal, unjust, and unethical. This made the nation to loose the love of other small nations. Given the fact that the United States had played a role in advocating for democracy and freedom, it was deemed to be in a better position to rule the world. It is in the mind of the author that U.S. deployed a comprehensive strategy that in one way or the other emphasizes on technology and innovation, politics, economy and military, a factor that made the nation to dominate the world in all aspects.
Ailsby, C. (2004). Hitler’s Renegades: Foreign Nationals in the Service of the Third Reich: Photographic Histories, Potomac Books.
In his book, “Hitler’s renegades”, Ailsby is of the opinion that Adolf Hitler of Germany really affected the outcome of the WWII a lot and that despite the fact that the Axis powers failed, Hitler alone became a legend. The author noted that Hitler worked as hard as ever to ensure that foreign volunteers from different countries were absorbed into the military of Axis powers. The nations who contributed many combatants included India and Balkans.
The author highlighted that Hitler’s regenerates narrates the real story that Hitler managed to manipulate more than 2 million militants who made a tough decision to side with him against the American nation and its Allies. The author illustrated through the use of a photograph depicting a black and a white images and how they reached such an important decision. The author concludes by highlighting the significance of the war and how the American nation managed to end the war.
Leland, N. (2014).Jane’s World War II Tanks and Fighting Vehicles, the Complete Guide, Harper Collins.
In the view of the author, Leland (2014), M2 tank used by the American army in Europe during the periods of World War II played a significant role on the outcome of the war. It was used to train the combatants and militants on how to attack the security forces of the Axis powers. The major theme that the author discussed as far as this tool was concerned is that its further improvements in the Cold War era is a confirmation that America is more superb in technology and innovations and therefore its military might still remains powerful across the whole globe.
Overy, R. (2002). Why the Allies Won (Paperback), W. W. Norton & Company Press.
Overy in his book emphasizes that the United States of America contributed more than 80 percent to the success of the war and have always played a key role in maintaining order in the whole world. It is very clear according to the author that the major tools that were used by the United States to ensure that the war ends include dangerous arms and weapons like those, which were used at Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan. Other tools included money, human resources that worked in the military, natural resources like oil and proper management personnel.
The author further stated that the Allies side where the US belonged had more human resources and overall tools that were deployed in the war than the Axis powers. The United States, which emerged as a superpower after the war, accrued many benefits some of which included realization of economic growth due to improved trade with other nations. The nation of America became the controller of the economy of the world with its dollar to gauge the standard development of the world.
Milward, A. (1979). War, economy, and society, 1939-1945, University of California Press.
Milward in his book, “War, Economy, and Society” emphasizes much on the role that women played in the World War II and consequent changes in the post-World War II. He says that women offered a central effort in the success of the war and that the stories that unfolded after the war linking women in one way or the other are so many. Women offered support in the following areas; development of policies, cultural diversity, practice of social norms, relationships based on race. The author emphasizes that after the WWII, women became sensitive to the extent that they refused to do domestic chores giving the argument that they are no longer homemakers. Milward in his conclusion noted that more than 400,000 women participated in WWII, a number that exceeded the number of men who served in the war in 1939.
Morgan, E B. (2014). “Albemarle” in Twenty first Profile, New Milton, and Hants, UK: 21st Profile Ltd., 1:11.
Morgan (2014) laments in his work that in the WWII and the post WWII, many women were absorbed into both US military forces and the industries because they realized that what men can do they can do better. This was manifested in the huge number of women that performed very successfully in discharging military responsibilities during the war. The author mentioned that America and its allies succeeded in the war because they were able to effectively mobilize resources that were required in the war unlike the Axis Powers. The author categorically stated that such kind of mobilization tactics have really helped America to maintain its superpower status for more than 60 years now. The basic thing that Morgan emphasizes on is that the post WWII made the women of America to advocate for equality and be offered opportunities on a competitive basis but not that men are given priority. This made women to occupy executive management positions in the industries and in the military as well. The American nation therefore considered diversity in all its undertakings.
Mundey, D. (2006). The Concise Guide to Axis Aircraft of World War II. New York: Bounty Books.
The author, Mundey talks about the Marshall Plan that the United States came up with to help re-build the nations that were highly affected by the WWII. However, the author did not miss to say that the plan was just a strategy that American nation was using to enjoy good trading partnership with other nations. According to the author, the United States contributed more than $ 13 billion to help in the re-built of the economies of the continent of Europe. However, the author did not fail to mention in his conclusion that America received more benefits than its donation and grew stronger and stronger in terms of economy and military power. With strong economy, more innovations are bound to rise, the unemployment issue can be resolved, and the challenge of homelessness can be easily resolved. America has therefore managed to offer remedies to the above challenges as in the view of the author.
CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY
Study Design
A descriptive, analytical, cross-sectional study design was adopted, as it is timesaving. This provided the researcher with extensive, elaborate, and realistic information from the actual respondents as well as presenting both qualitative and quantitative data.
Delimitations and Constraints
Due to large variety of books and population of the study area, a lot of information on the research topic may have been missed. Some resources and respondents may also not have given accurate information and quite a good number withdrew in the course of the study. Some books also did not meet the minimum standards set and were therefore excluded from the study.
Sample and Sampling Procedure
Further, stratified sampling was used because of small disparities in the population such as level of education, employment status, and religion. Each member of the study area (New York) is not completely similar to his or her neighbor, and thus we ensured that each of their distinct characteristic was equally represented to avoid bias.
Sample Size Determination
Fisher’s Formula will be used;
n= z2 pq
d2
Where n= sample size
z=is the standard normal deviation, (95%).
P=the proportion of the target population estimated to have characteristic being measured in New York (13.0%).
q=is the proportion of the target population estimated not to have characteristic being measured (87.0%)
d=is the level of statistical significance set (0.05)
z=1.96 p=0.13 q=0.87 d=0.05
Therefore
n=1.96×1.96×0.87×0.13
0.05×0.05
Sample Size =174
Non-response rate of 5% will be considered;
Respondents = (1/20 X 174) + 174 of Respondents
=183
Inclusion Criteria
For the respondents to be included, they must have been residents of the study area for more than a decade, must have an age of more than 45 years and have good information of all that happens during WWII and its effects after it was ended in the year 1945.
Exclusion Criteria
Less than 45 years of age
Must have not been a resident of the study population for more than 10 years
Insane or challenged and have no information about the WWII and its post-effects
Data Sampling
Data Sources and Instruments
Both the primary and secondary data sources were used. Secondary data were collected from the relevant sources which included reports, newspapers, and published data or books from different libraries i.e. EBSCOHOST. Primary data were collected through questionnaires, checklists and structured interview schedules.
Pre-Testing of Data Collection Tools
A pre-test of the data collection tools was done to those who met the standard inclusive criteria at California State. At least 10 over aged people in the pre-test area were interviewed. This enabled any errors to be identified and corrections/modifications made such as in the phrasing of the set questions i.e. ambiguity were corrected to allow for clarity.
Data Analysis and Presentation
The data collected by use of the research instrument were initially edited to get the relevant data for the study. The edited data were classified in order to facilitate tabulation. The tabulated data were then analyzed qualitatively. Qualitative analysis was done through in-depth content analysis which involves categorizing and recombining evidence to address research questions. Presentations of data are in form of explanatory notes.
Validity and Reliability
Responses to the pre-testing yielded suggestions, which involved making changes in sentence construction and removing a number of questions, which would not have been answered well by the respondents from the questionnaire. Test-retest method was used to ascertain the consistency of producing accurately similar results. The same questionnaire used in pre-test was used on the same selected group after a week and comparisons made thereafter to check on the reliability of the collected data by the prepared data collection tools.
Ethical Consideration
Legal approval to conduct the study was sought from the University (School of……Ethical Committee). Further permit was sought from the local administration of New York. A written informed consent was sought from the respondents before inclusion into the study, utmost confidentiality was emphasized and assured to them, and the respondents were given freedom to withdraw at any point of the study. The books that were consulted were got from reputable sources and the information were critically analyzed in order to avoid using other people’s ideas without their informed consent.
CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS OF THE STUDY
Introduction
This chapter tends to show the results of the research based on explanatory notes. The research focused on the following major questions; how American influence, power, prosperity, and stature been impacted as a result of the World War II, how economy of America benefitted from the WWII and whether the military might of the US improved in the post-World War II or deteriorated.
Deep Analysis
The rise and solidification of the United States as the preeminent world power following the events of WWII is decidedly clear to most and accepted as general fact. After the WWII, it is important to note that a new form of war by the name “Cold War” emerged. The Cold War came as a result of differences in terms of ideologies between the United States and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR). The Soviet Union and its ideology of communism made the nation to become another superpower besides America because its ideology attracted a lot of interest from many nations. However, American nation and its ideology on Capitalism received more favor given the big role that the great nation played during the WWII. The United States was perceived as a preeminent nation, a nation that puts interest of other small nations at heart.
The united States of America’s economy really expanded and developed from all perspectives, a factor that made the entire nation to sit down and come up with their new dream of the future which was basically to dominate the world and act as the security watchdog of all the nations; developed and developing. The American nation enacted some important trade policies that would ensure proper control of both imports, exports of products and services, and engage in an active trade with other nations. This act led to many changes especially on how the American people viewed themselves as well as the space around them.
In the aftermath of the World War II, the United States developed an effort to produce industrial goods and services in mass, which led to the explosion of the advertising industry. The improvement in the advertising and promotion industry resulted into increased customer base of such American industries superseding the local markets hence creating increased hysteria of owning such companies by various wealthy individuals. The increased customer base of American industrial goods led to tremendous improvement on the rate of production and diversification because of the increased demand. Competition between different industries within the boundaries of the nation was hastened. This competition proved to be very healthy given the fact that it led to accumulation of more profits and revenues, which the government could use to improve other sectors. With the mass benefits accrued by American after the WWII, the nation put more emphasis on an economy, which could be managed through credit that had never been tried and tested before the war. It is therefore very important to note that the adoption of credit cards is a representative of a very important change that took place after the boom of post-world war II.
The research has shown that the American nation improved on its wealthy status after the World War II owing to great opportunities that it exploited. Being a super power granted the nation a lot of freedom and sovereignty to make its own independent decisions without any interference. The American wealthy status made the nation to enact contentious bills like the GI Bill successfully without any compromise. The nation also made sure that all the institutions of learning were improved and expanded and millions of American citizens admitted in such institutions to improve the status of the human resource in the country as well as answering the challenge of knowledge deficit. In the post-World War II, Americans developed the notion that they have a total right bestowed upon them by the Most High God to lead and manage the whole globe and to improve constantly on their economic status. This has ever been the American perception since around 60 years ago.
Through the research, it has become clear that the American nation has deployed its security agents in all corners of the world and has entered into a lot of alliances and relationships that have a common agenda of security; security, peace and order. The American government after the fall of Soviet Union resorted to reduce the size of its military but improved its roles and responsibilities. It is very absurd and ironical to mention that the role of American military in ensuring stability and co-existence improved after the end of the Cold War in the year 1991. From the year 1945 to 1991, it has been noted that there have been more than 40 instances where the armed forces of America have been used across the world for restoring peace and stability. From the fall of the Soviet Union up to the present moment, the instances have increased to barely 135. This shows that American commitments in maintaining world order increase every day and this improvement can be attributed to the growing rate of terrorism attack in the whole world.
In the year 1990, the size of the military was cut down by almost 50 percent and its responsibilities increased 4 times. The rate at which the force was used was increased to more than 8 times, which gives an implication that the level of stress of the military also tremendously increased to that same rate. Two major things have been found to have saved the department from disintegrating or collapsing. First, there were issues on the military procurements during the times of Regan-Bush government. The kind of investments that were put in the military during the reign of the two mentioned individuals above had never been witnessed for more than 2 decades ago. The other thing was that the expenditure on upgrades and maintenance were tremendously lowered hence, the allowances of the men in uniform were increased by more than $ 50 billion.
The American nation can run away from the truth but it can never hide because it faces a lot of enemies that are destined to weaken its security department and succeed the nation easily. This is one of the major lesson that America should learn from 9-11. This truth have come in many forms and manifestations and currently it was observed when the government of North Korea. The nation tried and tested the capabilities of its new nuclear weapons and the various forms of ballistic missiles that it manufactures illegally.
Summary
The nation of China, which offers a lot of threat in terms of trade especially in the developing worlds, has also emerged as a great threat to the economic growth of the United States. It is a fact that the nation of China is the largest partner of the US in terms of trade and the American nation owes the nation trillions of dollars as a debt. The debts were imposed on America because of serious cyber-crime attacks, which were aimed at disclosing and controlling the databases on the China’s biggest industries, military equipment, and infrastructural development strategies. The major questions that beg into the minds of many Americans today are based on what extent is its security under threat, how it can curb the ever-growing rate of terrorism attacks, and whether it can intentionally withdraw its status as the topmost economy of the world. The rise and solidification of the United States as the preeminent world power following the events of the WWII is decidedly clear to most and accepted as general fact. It is therefore not clear whether China can really out-compete the US economically because it has no rich history as compared. The United States have a lot of experience on ways that can be adopted to get more prosperous in case of unhealthy competition.
CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY AND DISCUSSIONS
Introduction
This chapter is aimed at providing deep analysis and giving recommendations of the strategies American nation should adopt in order to maintain a world-class economy and a superpower military force. The discussion is based on the following questions; how American influence, power, prosperity, and stature been impacted as a result of World War II, how economy of America benefitted from the WWII and whether the military might of the US improved in the post-World War II or deteriorated.
Statement of the Problem
The rise and solidification of the United States as the preeminent world power following the Events of WWII is decidedly clear to most and accepted as general fact. The Marshal plan that was initiated by the United States to support the Europe nations to re-vitalize their affected economies was very instrumental in providing support to the dream of the nation to exploit many resources from abroad to build its economy.
Explanation of the Project
The bomber strategy that has been used by the United States for many years now also needs to be replaced if their defense system is to become as effective as in the 1950s and 60s. The bomber strategies that have been used for more than 5 decades now include B-52, F-22s and F-35s. The nation of America is afraid to replace F-35s with F-16s and F-15s because of fear of going to war with ineffective systems that can make them get defeated hence calling for the need for change by nations who are trying to succeed the nation (Ailsby, 2004).
The military forces of the United States are currently facing of challenges in counteracting the devastating effects of ballistic missiles that are being used by most Islamic nations like Syria in war with other nations i.e. Iraq. Such lethal nuclear weapons need the application of more advanced and sophisticated missile defenses like National Missile Defense Systems and the Aegis BMDS. It has been noted that for the American nation to curb this, the military forces must deploy the use of power projection military, which is recommended to come mainly from the land of United States. “This means airlift, aerial refueling, sealift, and a Navy with advanced nuclear attack submarines, aircraft carriers, and surface ships to ensure control of the oceans over which American forces must travel” (Ailsby, 2004 pp 249).
It is recommended that the American government should consider revising its policies so that the funds that is allocated to the military forces can be improved. The budget of the US defense should form a good representative of the nation’s gross domestic product. The expenditure of the federal governments should consider including the security department. It is a fact that without good security and stability, economic growth cannot be realized. The great nation of United States should not take its security for granted given the fact that the whole world have faith and trust in the nation. The Regan-Bush policies should be revised and reversed if possible or improved because if that is not done, the rate of terrorism will increase across all the world and the American boundaries will be under threat as well.
Summary
The global system can never be turned into a Jenga Game. The international order that is enjoyed by everyone today can never withstand even a single minute of absence of US military force. If American military defense is to withdraw its efforts to maintain the world’ peace today, the resultant effects might be instability, conflicts of various different forms, rapid manufacturing of nuclear weapons, negative economic growth, and increment of border threats. It is therefore very important to note that American military must receive all due respect because its role has been felt by every member of the society of the world and nobody need to loose order for the sake of disorder. The American nation should therefore be encouraged and supported in its effort to make the earth conducive for human survival.
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