One might think of World War I and II as barbaric conflicts with much bloodshed and loss of property and life. Despite how horrific they were, many great ideas emerged. They sparked global interest in politics, technology, allegiances, and international agencies. Many aspects of these wars set the foundation of things to come in the future. After World War I, The League of Nations strove for peace but never really managed to succeed. In order to stop disputes between nations, the League of Nations sought the assistance of neighboring countries. The United Nations is a modern-day version of the League of Nations with peacekeeping forces at its disposal. After World War I, the demands of the League of Nations created resentment in Germany. In time, this resentment gave Hitler the support he needed for the Nazi Party to succeed. Hitler’s Nazi Party wanted to conquer other European nations and establish a super race.
Alliances played a crucial role during both wars. The Axis powers against the Allies. Forming alliances between several large nations enabled the Allies to win the war. Conversely, President Bush’s doctrine of going it alone during the Iraq War without the support of major super powers has hurt American foreign policy abroad. Nations other than Great Britain were against America’s invasion of Iraq. Without their solid support, achieving victory has been elusive. Having a strong coalition of nations could have resulted in trade embargos or other ways to get Iraq to cooperate without the need to go to war. Currently, the presidency of Barack Obama is trying to get support from other countries to win the war in Afghanistan. He believes that it is in everyone’s best interest to fight terrorism. In order for this to happen, America has to enforce the three doctrines. These doctrines are used to create cooperative alliances with other countries. Establishing these alliances can influence foreign governments to become more democratic.
After World War II, the Marshal plan proposed by Secretary of State George C. Marshal was implemented to provide economic aid to rebuild Europe. After winning a war against another country, the winning side is obligated to liberate the country and help it rebuild. When World War II ended, Germany had to pay reparations for all of the damage to other countries’.
The liberation of Europe towards the end of World War II by Allied forces freed Jews that had been imprisoned in Concentration Camps. Before the war ended, millions of Jews had been killed by the Nazis.
The atomic bombs that were dropped in the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were horrific enough to bring an end to World War II. Ever since, nations around the world have agreed to seek nonproliferation of atomic weapons because of the incredible destruction they can cause to mankind.
History has taught us that all war exacts a heavy price. Because of this, super powers have sought alliances that will insure their freedom from invasion. We must seek to prevent war through peaceful means and end the proliferation of nuclear weapons so that mankind will not destroy itself but live in peace.
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