General Effects and Results of WWII LAURA ÁLVAREZ BENÍTEZ

Social Effects - Psychological Trauma There was psychological shock, but it was less than WWI because people knew: What to expect Feared the worst There was a need for the war The price of failure was unacceptable

Social Effects - Women Women took on many of the roles that had traditionally belonged to men. Many people belonging to minority groups also took on jobs that traditionally they had not. Women took on jobs in the in the war effort, including those such as: Military nurses – working near battles around the world to save wounded men Factory workers – building the machines necessary to fight wars Journalists – reporting the happenings of the battle front to news agencies in their home countries

Economic and Political Effects in Britain After the horrors of World War II, British people wanted a fresh start and they voted the Labour Party ( Clement Atlee was the new P.M). Life was hard in the first few years after the war. Basic goods such as clothing, meat and sugar had to be rationed. The USA helped Britain with large loans and things slowly began to look up. Atlee brought in laws to solve the problems of poverty,ill-health, unemployment, poor education and inadequate housing. Creation of THE WELFARE STATE which considered it was the state’s responsibility to look after people ¨from cradle to grave¨. He also nationalized large industries like electricity, coal and the rail network. *

End of an Empire After the war, the government realized that it could no longer afford to keep running its overseas colonies. Many people in the colonies were also pushing for the right to rule themselves. It was the beginning of the end of the British Empire. The British government encouraged people form the colonies to move to Britain as workers were needed to replace those killed in the war. In 1965 Parliament set up the Race Relations Board to protect people from racial prejudice and be equally treated..

Britain during the 50’s For many, the 1950’s truly was a golden age. Britain had recovered from the war and began to prosper. The population boomed and new houses with the latest ¨mod cons¨(modern conveniences)-gas, electricity and indoor toilets- were built. In 1954 rationing ended for food. The Conservatives won the General Election with Winston Churchill back in charge and Queen Elizabeth II was crowned in 1952.

The Swinging Sixties in Britain By the 1960s, British society was changing rapidly. Most young people had good jobs and money to spend. Music and clothes were being made just for them and they had little connection with the previous generation that had fought in the war. The sixties implied a cultural and ideological revolution in the country ( in 1965 death penalty was abolished, in 1967 abortion was allowed, in 1969 the divorce Reform Act made it easier for people to finish their marriages.

United Nations Created in 1945 to replace the League of Nations Main purposes are: Maintain world peace Develop good relations between countries Promote cooperation in solving the world’s problems Encourage respect for human rights Was more successful because it included more nations than the League

End of European Domination After WW II, the U.S. emerged clearly as the world superpower: Germany was destroyed as a great power Britain and France were destroyed as great imperial powers

End of European Domination The USSR also became a superpower because: Recovered and expanded its empire Became the dominant military power on the continent of Europe Acquired enormous prestige as the chief opponent and victor over Nazism Was the leading communist power

Post-War America: The Cold War The persistent hostility between the Western and Communist nations came to be called the Cold War. This Cold War became real in the USA due to three facts: A- The involvement of the country in the Vietnam war in 1955 when Soviet-trained North-Korean troops invaded the Republic of South Korea. B- Anti-Communist measures towards all those people suspicious of being a ¨communist sympathizer¨(McCarthysm)

Post-War America: The Cold War C- The 1962 crisis with Cuba when Kennedy’s government discovered that there were Russian missiles in the island.

American Home Affairs The issue that dominated American politics in the 1950s and 1960s was Civil Rights. The black population led by people like the Reverend Martin Luther King, became active in impriving the status of the black population.