Enduring Consequences of the Second World War1

Enduring Consequences of the Second World War

The Second World War provided an ideal opportunity for future revolutions and transformations in the world. The overwhelming destruction of property and loss of lives compelled many nations to change their war policies. A number of enduring consequences of the Second World War are in the realm of contemporary international relations and politics. The significance of public opinion, post war tensions and the birth of the United Nations are some of the notable consequences of the war affecting the present generations

Public opinion has developed into a critical force in determining policy decisions. In the United States, leaders have continuously failed to secure public support to engage in war. The war on Iraq, for example, narrowly passed the test of public opinion. A significant number of Americans questioned the validity of the war, perhaps considering the inevitable destructions caused by war. A number of people and humanitarian organizations have petitioned their countries not to support ‘the war on terror.’ Terrorists take advantage of the media by displaying horrific images of bombings, and live execution of victims to weaken public support for the war on terror. Public support must bear informed decisions about a war rather than follow misguided facts and fears of terror.

Heightened tensions and suspicions emerged from the Second World War and led to the Cold War. Both the United States and Russia assume the role of super powers and have massive support from their allies. After the war, the former advocated for capitalistic ideologies while the latter embraced socialist ideologies. Economic and political organization in the contemporary world inclines to either capitalism or communism. The rivalry between the United States and Russia has led to the establishment of many spy agencies. These agencies track the movement of rival nations and report the findings back home for appropriate actions. Iran, Iraq, and North Korea top the list of nations targeted by spy agencies for suspicions of possessing weapons of mass destruction. The nuclear aspiration by Iran is especially questionable because of its previous hostile proclamations about the continued existence of the state of Israel. Iran and several other Arab nations clearly assert that Israel be exterminated from the face of the earth. Such dangerous sentiments lead to hatred, suspicion and war. Proper policies on international relations are the best solution to reduce anxiety and suspicion that lead to war.

Nations were compelled to form The United Nations Organization as an urgent measure to check against the emergence of another major war. International peace is no longer the prerogative of a few nations, but of all nations under the United Nations. The United Nations actively participates in providing humanitarian aid to people in war-torn nations. The organization has strictly laid out policies and declarations that limit the chances of nations going to war. Crimes against humanity and genocides have reduced significantly after the establishment of the United Nations. The organization draws its military force from member nations to assist in maintaining world peace. The soldiers establish bases between warring nations that act as shields and corridors for transport of humanitarian aid to the victims.

Conclusion

In its brutality on the battlefield, and its far-reaching political consequences, the First World War scarred combatants, civilians, and politicians as well as generations since who continued to struggle with its enduring legacy. Today, with Kosovo, a UN protectorate in the heart of Europe; the festering conflicts in the Middle East and Africa; Chinese-Japanese antagonism in East Asia; significant skepticism about the legitimacy and efficacy of collective security institutions like the UN; transatlantic disagreements over the use of force; and a battle for public opinion in the media no less important than the war on the ground, the modern world is still living through a post-WWI conjuncture.

The founding of the United Nations, the birth of the state of Israel, and the origin of the Cold War all sprung from the theatre of the Second World War, and have had notable influences on world economics and politics. However, the two effects that have affected a great number of people are the creation of the State of Israel and the bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima. Their effects still resonate in today’s generations.

The establishment of the state of Israel in Palestine in 1948 through a United Nation resolution has been cited as the reason for the anti-Jewish sentiments prevalent in the Middle East today (Nacos, 2009). Several Arab nations are hostile and openly belligerent towards the state of Israel. Topping the list of such countries is Iran, whose aspirations to acquire nuclear capability has been viewed unfavorably due to its previous hostile assertions about the continued existence of state of Israel (Adib-Moghaddam, 2010). Statistics from the () twice as many conflict and aggression towards the state of Israel than any other country in the world. The wars and armed conflict in Palestine is especially challenges administration of health care and educational services; a soft point for today’s generation.

The bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima is another effect of the Second World War whose outcome is still felt today. The direct death from the bombings have been estimated to be between 200,000 – 300,000 persons, and almost similar number of deaths, over a span of fifty years, attributed to the health complications from radiation exposure (). The economic impacts of the bombing are also equally far reaching. The Japanese government spends an estimated $50 billion annually in treatment regimes and payments to the survivors and families of survivors of the two bombing incidents (). This is a considerable budgetary spending considered that Japan has an annual budget of about $1 trillion () and an overall health care budget of about $150 billion ().

The effects of these two upshots of Second World War do not act only regionally but have wider implications for generations across the world. The economic sanctions directed towards Iran for its acts of aggression against Israel while stifling the growth of the Iranian economy, also jeopardizes economies dependent on the Iranian oil or trade with Iran. The state of Israel also consequently has to spend significant portion of their national income for their defense budget. The effects of Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombing awoke the world to the potency of nuclear weapons; influencing current nuclear treaties and disarmament programs (Langley, 2006).

While a number of vestigial consequences of the Second World War are still present today, the two that directly affected, or continue to affect, a great number of persons are the creation of the State of Israel and the twin bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The direct and consequential effects can still be seen in the economic, cultural, and political orientations of the affected nations, and to some extent, influenced international relations policies in many countries.

References

Langley, A. (2006). Hiroshima And Nagasaki: Fire from the Sky Snapshots in History. Brooklyn: Compass Point Books.

Adib-Moghaddam, A. (2010). Iran in World Politics: The Question of the Islamic Republic. Columbia: Columbia University Press

Nacos, B. L. (2009). Terrorism and the Media: From the Iran Hostage Crisis to the World Trade Center Attacks. Columbia: Columbia University Press