Post-World War II America: The Rise to Globalism

Post-World War II America: The Rise to Globalism

I-                 The economic & social impact of the W.W.II

1-The Economic Prosperity:

The war time economy brought about full employment 17 m new jobs were created, women entered the workforce. Not to mention the US Gross National Product rose from 90.5 billion $ to 211.9 b $

2- The Social Solutions:

American involvement in the 2^nd world war lessened the social ills & solved the problems of the great depression. Indeed America enjoyed an overall higher standard of living, labor unions became more powerful & farm incomes rose

3- The political level

At the end of the war, the president had new responsibilities & new role that enabled him to run the domestic & foreign agenda

4-A the urban & technological level 

The Federal Gov. invested more in the manufacture of artificial rubber of the construction of the atomic bomb. Nevertheless, the nation became more urbanized as 15 million Am. Moved from rural areas to cities.

5-liberals & reformers shifted toward a war economy indeed they gave priority to military spending over social & eco. Reforms

6- M.I.C (military. industrial. complex)

It had its roots in the Second World War. In fact, during the war the average expenditure on military contracts was 250 m$.

The defense spending jumped from 9% of GNP to 46%.

II-              America’s rise to Globalism

1-Isolationism

In terms of moral & ideological arguments, the US adopted an isolationist policy seeking to retreat from the evil world. Yet in terms of practical arguments, the US was not a military power yet.

2- Internationalism & the new world order

As the 2^nd world war ended the US emerged as a super power with a new sense of global responsibilities, putting aside its isolationist tendencies & adopting a moral crusade for economic interests

In fact, the US arose as a global economic & military power, having the prime weapon of destruction (atomic bomb), the prime weapon of reconstruction (wealth $_$) & producing 50% of the world goods & armed forces.

This era was also marked by the collapse of the British power as well as France & Netherlands. An international system was built by the Americans based on Americans principles & traditional values. In addition to that regional institutions were created in some areas to promote American hegemony.

On the economic level it expanded the foreign trade & developed new markets for American business abroad.

Still, it encountered a defiant competitor in Joseph Stalin’s soviet union & soon a Bipolar international structure emerged from the soviet-American competition.