Economic Impact
After the second world war, the United States experienced remarkable economic growth as the country affirmed its position as the world's richest country. GDP in the United States rose by over $100 Billion between 1940 and 1950 and $200 Billion more between 1950 and 1960. The middle class expanded to include a higher percentage of the population, and sources such as the automobile industry and residential neighborhoods helped to thrust this growth. Annual production of cars quadrupled and returning soldiers from the war were provided with easily affordable mortgages to fuel this expansion. Corporations in the US grew and were met with a wave of conglomerate mergers and more companies have a diverse range of holdings in different industries. Large corporations also expanded overseas and were able to overhaul production due to lowered labor costs. These economic changes also led to many social/industrial changes. The focus of manufacturing turned from producing goods to producing services, and by 1956, a large majority of the middle class held white-collar jobs such as managers and teachers. Labor militancy was destabilized because some firms granted annual salaries, grants, and other benefits, and as a result, class distinctions began to fade. These prosperous changes took place in urban areas, and although it benefitted economic prosperity overall, farmers faced hard times. The agriculture industry was consolidated because farming was seen as a business, and family farms faced competition, causing more and more farmers to leave the land. Americans also moved from urban centers into suburban neighborhoods in search of affordable housing. A quote from economist Frank Knight states, “Developers like William J. Levitt built new communities -- with homes that all looked alike -- using the techniques of mass production. Levitt's houses were prefabricated, or partly assembled in a factory rather than on the final location. The homes were modest, but Levitt's methods cut costs and allowed new owners to possess at least a part of the American dream” (The Postwar Economy, 36). These methods allowed for new businesses to form in suburban communities, and a large social change took place as malls contained a higher variety of stores and changed consumer patterns as people did not have to travel to the city as much. Overall, American infrastructure developed significantly and funding sources such as The Highway Act of 1956 linked major and minor parts of the country together.
Canada experienced a similar type of growth to the United States, although on a much larger scale. After World War II, Canada transformed from a rural country based on agriculture to an industrialized one with a focus on industry and mining. Like the US, the importance of agriculture declined as heavy industry rapidly developed. Other effects, such as funding and economic security in the US were mirrored in Canada. World War II had a positive influence on women in both the United States and Canada, and due to labor shortage, a large number of women were provided with job opportunities in both countries. In Canada, this growth was even more significant and Canadian women saw an employment rate on an unparalleled level. World War II allowed for Canada to effectively establish its position in international trade. For example, Great Britain needed a large supply of war material to fight the advancing Germans, and this allowed for Canada to fill the void of export trade left by the British. This need for Canadian exports promoted economic development and energized the country’s overall capacity for linked enterprises. After WWII, Canada became the US’s largest trading partner and allowed for Canada to exit the Great Depression quickly and transform into a powerful industrialized country with a significant role in global affairs.
After the second world war, the United States experienced remarkable economic growth as the country affirmed its position as the world's richest country. GDP in the United States rose by over $100 Billion between 1940 and 1950 and $200 Billion more between 1950 and 1960. The middle class expanded to include a higher percentage of the population, and sources such as the automobile industry and residential neighborhoods helped to thrust this growth. Annual production of cars quadrupled and returning soldiers from the war were provided with easily affordable mortgages to fuel this expansion. Corporations in the US grew and were met with a wave of conglomerate mergers and more companies have a diverse range of holdings in different industries. Large corporations also expanded overseas and were able to overhaul production due to lowered labor costs. These economic changes also led to many social/industrial changes. The focus of manufacturing turned from producing goods to producing services, and by 1956, a large majority of the middle class held white-collar jobs such as managers and teachers. Labor militancy was destabilized because some firms granted annual salaries, grants, and other benefits, and as a result, class distinctions began to fade. These prosperous changes took place in urban areas, and although it benefitted economic prosperity overall, farmers faced hard times. The agriculture industry was consolidated because farming was seen as a business, and family farms faced competition, causing more and more farmers to leave the land. Americans also moved from urban centers into suburban neighborhoods in search of affordable housing. A quote from economist Frank Knight states, “Developers like William J. Levitt built new communities -- with homes that all looked alike -- using the techniques of mass production. Levitt's houses were prefabricated, or partly assembled in a factory rather than on the final location. The homes were modest, but Levitt's methods cut costs and allowed new owners to possess at least a part of the American dream” (The Postwar Economy, 36). These methods allowed for new businesses to form in suburban communities, and a large social change took place as malls contained a higher variety of stores and changed consumer patterns as people did not have to travel to the city as much. Overall, American infrastructure developed significantly and funding sources such as The Highway Act of 1956 linked major and minor parts of the country together.
Canada experienced a similar type of growth to the United States, although on a much larger scale. After World War II, Canada transformed from a rural country based on agriculture to an industrialized one with a focus on industry and mining. Like the US, the importance of agriculture declined as heavy industry rapidly developed. Other effects, such as funding and economic security in the US were mirrored in Canada. World War II had a positive influence on women in both the United States and Canada, and due to labor shortage, a large number of women were provided with job opportunities in both countries. In Canada, this growth was even more significant and Canadian women saw an employment rate on an unparalleled level. World War II allowed for Canada to effectively establish its position in international trade. For example, Great Britain needed a large supply of war material to fight the advancing Germans, and this allowed for Canada to fill the void of export trade left by the British. This need for Canadian exports promoted economic development and energized the country’s overall capacity for linked enterprises. After WWII, Canada became the US’s largest trading partner and allowed for Canada to exit the Great Depression quickly and transform into a powerful industrialized country with a significant role in global affairs.
This is a picture illustrating the opportunities women had during and after the war.
Marshall Plan
World War II left millions of people in Europe dead, without jobs, and on the brink of famine as agricultural, industrial, and suburban centers had been torn apart by war. The United States was the only country that left WWII without intensive damage, and decided that it would need to aid Europe for the sake of global economic security. George Marshall was appointed as the Secretary of State by Harry S. Truman in January of 1947, and in a few months, Marshall (along with other members of the State Department) created the foundation for the Marshall Plan. On June 5th, 1947, Marshall shared his plan with the world, and in his speech, he stated, “The modern system of the division of labor upon which the exchange of products is based is in danger of breaking down.... It is logical that the United States should do whatever it is able to do to assist in the return of normal economic health to the world, without which there can be no political stability and no assured peace. Our policy is not directed against any country, but against hunger, poverty, desperation and chaos” (Provan, The Marshall Plan and its consequences). This statement outlines the main goal of the Marshall Plan, and outlined the US’s intent to rebuild the European economy and use revitalized nations to hinder the spread of communism. As a result of American isolationism after World War I, the Treaty of Versailles endangered Europe and remained as the mistake that led to World War II. Marshall outlined his plan to avoid this danger from repeating itself, and on April 3rd, 1948, Truman signed the act into law. Congress approved $12.4 Billion for relief efforts and set the European Recovery Program (also known as the Marshall Plan) into action. The program affected sixteen different nations and provided administrative and technical assistance where they needed it.
The program provided over $13 Billion in aid until funding was ended in 1951, and most of this money was initially used to to send food, machinery, and fuel to Europe. Europe experienced a dramatic overhaul of economic productivity, and the starvation of millions of people was ended rapidly. The Soviet Union refused American aid offers and further separated the governments of the two countries. This separation was followed by Berlin airlift, which divided Germany between the US, the British, and the Soviet Union, and set the foundation for the Cold War. Nonetheless, the Marshall Plan was vital in establishing a groundwork for European economic revitalization and political collaboration, and it served as the prelude to connecting the European nations into a single economic unit. A few years after the Marshall Plan Program, countries such as Belgium, the Netherlands, and Italy (among many others) joined together and formed the European Economic Community (EEC) in 1957. This group continued to expand for the next forty years until November 1st, 1993, when the Maastricht Treaty was signed to officially form the European Union. Good trade relations also led to the establishment of the North Atlantic Alliance, and these political and economic relationships connected global affairs into a single and efficient unit.
United Nations
After World War I, President Woodrow Wilson created the League of Nations in order to act as a peacekeeping organization between the sensitive relationships of nations affected by the political and social turmoil. The League did not receive the necessary funding in order to carry out peacekeeping operations, and as a result, it did not prevent the breakout of World War II twenty years later. Although it was largely ineffective, the League of Nations set a precedent for the United Nations, a group solely focused on preventing war and promoting harmony between member nations. The United Nations was founded after World War II with the underlying principle of collective security, an agreement in which a large number of states form a union against an aggressor nation. The UN promoted this idea of strength in numbers, and it originated from the term used to refer to the allies. The United Nations came into existence on October 24th, 1945, and it was created to helped fulfill the goals of an earlier charter called the Atlantic Charter. The Atlantic Charter set goals for the post-war era between the Allies (such as territorial and economic policies), but it soon became apparent that more nations would need to be involved, hence leading to the creation of the UN. Both the United States and Canada were adherents of the United Nations since it was formed. Representatives from over 50 nations met in San Francisco to sign the act into order, and the United States was significant in selling the UN to member nations. It strove to avoid the mistakes made by Wilson when he proposed the League of Nations, and it also was effective in convincing the general public that international cooperation was the best technique to global security. Canada also played a significant role in drafting the UN charter and it actively promoted the organization’s activities as well as providing financial aid to keep pragmatic ideas and solutions relevant.
World War II left millions of people in Europe dead, without jobs, and on the brink of famine as agricultural, industrial, and suburban centers had been torn apart by war. The United States was the only country that left WWII without intensive damage, and decided that it would need to aid Europe for the sake of global economic security. George Marshall was appointed as the Secretary of State by Harry S. Truman in January of 1947, and in a few months, Marshall (along with other members of the State Department) created the foundation for the Marshall Plan. On June 5th, 1947, Marshall shared his plan with the world, and in his speech, he stated, “The modern system of the division of labor upon which the exchange of products is based is in danger of breaking down.... It is logical that the United States should do whatever it is able to do to assist in the return of normal economic health to the world, without which there can be no political stability and no assured peace. Our policy is not directed against any country, but against hunger, poverty, desperation and chaos” (Provan, The Marshall Plan and its consequences). This statement outlines the main goal of the Marshall Plan, and outlined the US’s intent to rebuild the European economy and use revitalized nations to hinder the spread of communism. As a result of American isolationism after World War I, the Treaty of Versailles endangered Europe and remained as the mistake that led to World War II. Marshall outlined his plan to avoid this danger from repeating itself, and on April 3rd, 1948, Truman signed the act into law. Congress approved $12.4 Billion for relief efforts and set the European Recovery Program (also known as the Marshall Plan) into action. The program affected sixteen different nations and provided administrative and technical assistance where they needed it.
The program provided over $13 Billion in aid until funding was ended in 1951, and most of this money was initially used to to send food, machinery, and fuel to Europe. Europe experienced a dramatic overhaul of economic productivity, and the starvation of millions of people was ended rapidly. The Soviet Union refused American aid offers and further separated the governments of the two countries. This separation was followed by Berlin airlift, which divided Germany between the US, the British, and the Soviet Union, and set the foundation for the Cold War. Nonetheless, the Marshall Plan was vital in establishing a groundwork for European economic revitalization and political collaboration, and it served as the prelude to connecting the European nations into a single economic unit. A few years after the Marshall Plan Program, countries such as Belgium, the Netherlands, and Italy (among many others) joined together and formed the European Economic Community (EEC) in 1957. This group continued to expand for the next forty years until November 1st, 1993, when the Maastricht Treaty was signed to officially form the European Union. Good trade relations also led to the establishment of the North Atlantic Alliance, and these political and economic relationships connected global affairs into a single and efficient unit.
United Nations
After World War I, President Woodrow Wilson created the League of Nations in order to act as a peacekeeping organization between the sensitive relationships of nations affected by the political and social turmoil. The League did not receive the necessary funding in order to carry out peacekeeping operations, and as a result, it did not prevent the breakout of World War II twenty years later. Although it was largely ineffective, the League of Nations set a precedent for the United Nations, a group solely focused on preventing war and promoting harmony between member nations. The United Nations was founded after World War II with the underlying principle of collective security, an agreement in which a large number of states form a union against an aggressor nation. The UN promoted this idea of strength in numbers, and it originated from the term used to refer to the allies. The United Nations came into existence on October 24th, 1945, and it was created to helped fulfill the goals of an earlier charter called the Atlantic Charter. The Atlantic Charter set goals for the post-war era between the Allies (such as territorial and economic policies), but it soon became apparent that more nations would need to be involved, hence leading to the creation of the UN. Both the United States and Canada were adherents of the United Nations since it was formed. Representatives from over 50 nations met in San Francisco to sign the act into order, and the United States was significant in selling the UN to member nations. It strove to avoid the mistakes made by Wilson when he proposed the League of Nations, and it also was effective in convincing the general public that international cooperation was the best technique to global security. Canada also played a significant role in drafting the UN charter and it actively promoted the organization’s activities as well as providing financial aid to keep pragmatic ideas and solutions relevant.
The picture above is an image illustrating the ideals of the United Nations.
Overall Continuities
Form a global and timeless perspective, World War II had momentous effects on nations all over the world. Many aspects stayed consistent throughout and after the war, such as peace treaties between nations and economic prosperity in regions such as the United States and Canada. Both countries remained trade partners and had a significant impact on economic and financial efforts of the war on the European front. The Americans used a system called drafting to send soldiers into the war, and similarly, the Canadians used a system called conscription. Both systems remained after the war to secure future efforts if they were needed. During and after the war, women in both countries had significantly increased opportunities as labor was shortened, but women in Canada experienced this change on a much larger scale. Both countries also lost focus in the agriculture industry, but for different reasons. Canada transformed from a country focused on rural production to a country dependent on manufactured and industrial export, whereas the United States had already been industrialized. Instead, the US was presented with a lot more economic prosperity and opportunities for growth due to the advantageous economic impacts of World War II. Overall, both countries grew economically and socially, and this growth was furthered due to the new formed collaboration of other nations through organizations such as the United Nations and the North Atlantic Alliance. Despite these peacekeeping efforts, another war was inevitable as WWII set the precedent for the Cold War. Due to conflicting ideals between communism and capitalism, the Soviet Union and the United States were never truly allies, but rather, familiarities. These tensions were formed during WWII when both countries fought alongside each other but stilled existed as separate entities looking to advance their own weapons. On March 5th, 1946, Winston Churchill stated that, “From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic an “Iron Curtain” has descended across the continent. Behind that line lie all the capitals of the ancient states of Central and Eastern Europe. Warsaw, Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Belgrade, Bucharest and Sofia; all these famous cities and the populations around them lie in what I must call the Soviet sphere, and all are subject, in one form or another, not only to Soviet influence but to a very high and in some cases increasing measure of control from Moscow” (Churchill, The Sinews of Peace). This statement reflected the ideals of the United States (and other capitalist countries) and established a new ideology of anti-communism. The Soviet Union responded by forming the Zhdanov Doctrine, and as a result, fell in to a geopolitical, ideological, and economic struggle between the two world superpowers.
Form a global and timeless perspective, World War II had momentous effects on nations all over the world. Many aspects stayed consistent throughout and after the war, such as peace treaties between nations and economic prosperity in regions such as the United States and Canada. Both countries remained trade partners and had a significant impact on economic and financial efforts of the war on the European front. The Americans used a system called drafting to send soldiers into the war, and similarly, the Canadians used a system called conscription. Both systems remained after the war to secure future efforts if they were needed. During and after the war, women in both countries had significantly increased opportunities as labor was shortened, but women in Canada experienced this change on a much larger scale. Both countries also lost focus in the agriculture industry, but for different reasons. Canada transformed from a country focused on rural production to a country dependent on manufactured and industrial export, whereas the United States had already been industrialized. Instead, the US was presented with a lot more economic prosperity and opportunities for growth due to the advantageous economic impacts of World War II. Overall, both countries grew economically and socially, and this growth was furthered due to the new formed collaboration of other nations through organizations such as the United Nations and the North Atlantic Alliance. Despite these peacekeeping efforts, another war was inevitable as WWII set the precedent for the Cold War. Due to conflicting ideals between communism and capitalism, the Soviet Union and the United States were never truly allies, but rather, familiarities. These tensions were formed during WWII when both countries fought alongside each other but stilled existed as separate entities looking to advance their own weapons. On March 5th, 1946, Winston Churchill stated that, “From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic an “Iron Curtain” has descended across the continent. Behind that line lie all the capitals of the ancient states of Central and Eastern Europe. Warsaw, Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Belgrade, Bucharest and Sofia; all these famous cities and the populations around them lie in what I must call the Soviet sphere, and all are subject, in one form or another, not only to Soviet influence but to a very high and in some cases increasing measure of control from Moscow” (Churchill, The Sinews of Peace). This statement reflected the ideals of the United States (and other capitalist countries) and established a new ideology of anti-communism. The Soviet Union responded by forming the Zhdanov Doctrine, and as a result, fell in to a geopolitical, ideological, and economic struggle between the two world superpowers.
Sources
Economy
http://www.economicsdiscussion.net/economists/top-18-famous-american-economists-of-18th-and-19th-century/12193
http://www.let.rug.nl/usa/outlines/history-1994/postwar-america/the-postwar-economy-1945-1960.php
https://www.ukessays.com/essays/history/economic-effects-of-world-war-ii-on-canada-history-essay.php?essayad=carousel&utm_expid=309629-42.KXZ6CCs5RRCgVDyVYVWeng.1&utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F
Marshall Plan
http://marshallfoundation.org/marshall/the-marshall-plan/history-marshall-plan/
https://www.george-marshall-society.org/george-c-marshall/the-marshall-plan-and-its-consequences/
United Nations
http://study.com/academy/lesson/wwii-aftermath-the-creation-of-the-united-nations.html
http://www.canadainternational.gc.ca/prmny-mponu/canada_un-canada_onu/can_un-can_onu.aspx?lang=eng
https://history.state.gov/milestones/1937-1945/un
Conclusions
https://www.cliffsnotes.com/study-guides/history/us-history-ii/the-rise-of-the-cold-war-19451953/the-origins-of-the-cold-war
http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2013/11/cold-war-start-end/
Pictures
http://www.nationalww2museum.org/learn/education/for-students/ww2-history/america-goes-to-war.html
http://www.chomun.org/san-francisco/
http://marshallfoundation.org/marshall/the-marshall-plan/marshall-plan-poster-contest/
Economy
http://www.economicsdiscussion.net/economists/top-18-famous-american-economists-of-18th-and-19th-century/12193
http://www.let.rug.nl/usa/outlines/history-1994/postwar-america/the-postwar-economy-1945-1960.php
https://www.ukessays.com/essays/history/economic-effects-of-world-war-ii-on-canada-history-essay.php?essayad=carousel&utm_expid=309629-42.KXZ6CCs5RRCgVDyVYVWeng.1&utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F
Marshall Plan
http://marshallfoundation.org/marshall/the-marshall-plan/history-marshall-plan/
https://www.george-marshall-society.org/george-c-marshall/the-marshall-plan-and-its-consequences/
United Nations
http://study.com/academy/lesson/wwii-aftermath-the-creation-of-the-united-nations.html
http://www.canadainternational.gc.ca/prmny-mponu/canada_un-canada_onu/can_un-can_onu.aspx?lang=eng
https://history.state.gov/milestones/1937-1945/un
Conclusions
https://www.cliffsnotes.com/study-guides/history/us-history-ii/the-rise-of-the-cold-war-19451953/the-origins-of-the-cold-war
http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2013/11/cold-war-start-end/
Pictures
http://www.nationalww2museum.org/learn/education/for-students/ww2-history/america-goes-to-war.html
http://www.chomun.org/san-francisco/
http://marshallfoundation.org/marshall/the-marshall-plan/marshall-plan-poster-contest/