America After World War II - 1560 Words

Is it possible to know what Americans thought of World War II, if they believed that the war was a just war or whether they did not agree for what the United States was fighting for? The historian Studs Terkel believes he knows this answer and that Americans saw themselves as liberators of an oppressed world fighting for the just war which can be concluded from his famous volume, The Good War. Of course one person’s beliefs should not be believed as easily just by reading a book. A person should base their opinions on something much more analytical than that. In order to decide whether some Americans actually thought that World War II was a just war, a thorough analysis should be done of American life looking at all the facts found. Beginning with American experience before the war then analyzing the experience of the war and the home-front itself and finally ending with the analysis of America after World War II a conclusion can be made regarding the American point of view. A merican life prior to World War II may have not been the best from 1931-1939. Already in the Great Depression that started in 1929 people were left very discouraged and hopeless. In 1932 the economy was the worst it had ever been, it had hit rock bottom (p. 850). Many had lost their jobs and over 11 million Americans could not find work (p. 850). America was at its worst and people were hungry, suicide rates had risen and people were having less children than ever before. People’s reaction to theShow MoreRelatedSoon After World War Ii Ended, The United States Of America1782 Words   |  8 PagesSoon after World War II ended, the United States of America (U.S.A) and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (U.S.S.R.) entered the Cold War, an altercation between the two superpowers, which lasted over 40 years, due to their differing political systems; the U.S.S.R. was communist and the U.S.A. democratic (Alchin, 2017). In the late 1950s, the Space Race between the two superpowe rs begun with launch of Sputnik 1 by the U.S.S.R. in 1957 (Timeline of Space Exploration, 2009). On July 20 of 1969Read MoreTeam America: World Police1682 Words   |  7 PagesIn the aftermath of World War II, every nation of the world emerged mentally and, in some cases, physically altered. The physical affects of the Second World War spanning from Pearl Harbor to the battleground that made up most of Western Europe to Nagasaki and Hiroshima are visual pictures engrained in the minds of all, past and present, but the American ideology that these destructive images helped to give rise to would directly shape American domestic and foreign policy for approximately the nextRead MoreWorld War Ii and America944 Words   |  4 PagesThe world’s greatest war, World War II began in 1939 and lasted for almost six years. It was between two military alliances. On the axis powers were Japan, Germany and the Kingdom of Italy. While the allies were lead by United Kingdom, China, Soviet Union and The United States of America. America was not directly involved in the war in the early stages. The necessity increased after the fall of France, the Pearl Harbor incident but mainly when Hitler declared war on U.S. This led to America’s directRead MoreWorld War I And The Great War915 Words   |  4 PagesWorld War I, also known as the Great War, was one of the most important and traumatic war in history. It left many countries in devastation and chaos. Countries involved in the war, like Europe and America promised to prevent any other future world war because of the millions lives taken and the destruction caused to the world in the previous war. However, peace was not enjoyed for long and after two decades, the Second World War began from the issues that were left unresolved from the previous conflictRead MoreAmerica and World War II Essay1103 Words   |  5 Pages Was World War II a Good War For America? nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;One of the most important wars ever fought was World War II. In the midst, the Nazis were in control of most of Europe, the Soviet Union was causing more deaths than any other country, and Japan had taken over parts of China. The United States of America was stuck in the middle of all this. They had to deal with the Nazis and deciding when to join the war, meanwhile, Japan was breathing down their necks with attacks. What wasRead MorePresident Truman Made A Nuclear Weapon1745 Words   |  7 Pagesin an effort to end World War II. World War II began on September 1,1939 and ended on September 2,1945 ending in an Allie victory. This world was fought primarily by the Axis Powers: Germany, Austria, Italy, and Japan and the Allie Powers: Great Britain, France, The USSR, and the United States. President Truman made a difficult decision to drop nuclear weapons on Japan, because the factors leading up to the war, the circumstances that had already happened during World War II, and because he simplyRead MoreAmerica During Ww II : A Turning Point1299 Words   |  6 PagesSarah Chi Turner U. S. History 2 May 2016 America in WW II: A Turning Point â€Å"Lots of things wrong with America, but Hitler ain’t going to fix them,† American GI and heavyweight Joe Louis once said in a 1942 interview about his choice to enlist in the army (Berkow). He was right. In the 1940s, America was in a slump; but, it was also the turning point for the start of a more prosperous era. In 1941, the Japanese had attacked Pearl Harbor, â€Å"a date which will live in infamy,† and catalyzed a seriesRead MoreGovernor Livingston High School : Sergeant Curtis Maddox : An Average American Soldier1731 Words   |  7 Pagesin World War II for two years by 1941. The two major powers in the war were the Axis Powers and the Allied Powers. Germany, Italy, and Japan were the key players in the Axis Powers. The Allied Powers chief countries were Great Britain, France, and the Soviet Union. America attempted to remain neutral, as it did not want to enter another world war, but on December 7, 1941, Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. This forced Americ a to declare war on Japan the next day. Germany and Italy then declared war onRead MoreThe Rise Of World War II Essay1478 Words   |  6 PagesWorld War II is usually associated with genocide, atomic bombs, and Hitler. Often times the positive outcomes that came from such a deadly war between nations is forgotten in the musk of death and power. The instability in Europe created by World War I, set stage for the rise of Hitler. Germany at the time was economically and politically unstable. Due to them being blamed for the first World War and the harsh consequences enforced by the Treaty of Versailles, it made it easier for Hitler to riseRead MoreThe American Dream and the Post War Era Essay1187 Words   |  5 PagesAfter World War II, America had to take a step back and take a look at their country. The American Dream had been restored upon the atrocities of the war. In the 1930’s the American Dream was primarily focused on working hard, men providing for their families, a nd trying to rise from the depression. In the 1940’s, post World War II things changed and consumerism and feminism began to play a key role along with many other factors. There are many ways to describe the American dream and what aspects