World war ii

July 3, The Treaty of Versailles’ Short-Term Peace and the U. S. During and After World War II Britain, France, and the United States of America dominated the peace conference in Paris in 1919, while the Germany was not invited to partake in it. Under the terms of the Treaty of Versailles (“ the Treaty”), the Allies forced Germany to accept responsibility for World War I, which included economic reparations of £6, 600 million to the Allies, a price that the Germans saw as too high and difficult to pay, particularly after the Treaty created loss of territories, industrial resources, and unemployment (“ Economic Effects”). Specifically, the Treaty gave the Allies the right to confiscate German land and to significantly reduce the German army, navy and air forces (“ What was the Treaty of Versailes?”). It also demanded Germany to return Alsace and Lorraine to France and some parts of Prussia to Poland. The depression of the 1930s worsened the economic conditions of Germany, thereby creating highly dissatisfied and vengeful Germans. Thus, the Treaty played a large role in the causes of World War II (WWII) by planting seeds of discontent and anger in Germany that Adolf Hitler exploited to start WWII.
The major players of World War II are Germany, the United States, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, and the Soviet Union. When WWII broke in Europe, President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s initial reaction was to stay neutral with an isolationist policy, as he grappled with the effects of the depression on the U. S. economy (“ Biography”). After France fell in 1940, Roosevelts foreign policy started to change. Congress passed a draft for military service and Roosevelt signed a “ lend-lease” bill in March 1941 to allow the nation to supply aid to countries that were at war with Germany and Italy (“ Biography”). America remained neutral, to some extent, though it became the “ arsenal of democracy” as its factories provided war armaments (“ Biography”).
The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor changed America’s neutrality, however, for it forced the U. S. to engage in war. Roosevelt led the creation of “ The Declaration of the United Nations” that formed a “ grand alliance” against the Axis powers on January 1, 1942 (“ Biography”). He executed his powers as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces by working closely with his military advisers, overriding them when he thought it was crucial, choosing principal field commanders and contributing to the decision-making process for wartime strategy (“ Biography”).
WWII had positive social and economic effects on the U. S. during and after the war. The U. S. economy was significantly stimulated by the war (West). The depression ended as new industrial complexes were established across the U. S. (West). During this time, women and minorities played a large role because they provided productive work through working in traditional (i. e. sewing and care giving) and non-traditional (i. e. factory work even in male-dominated industries, such as sheet metal work, journalism, and healthcare) jobs (O’Neill). Statistics of women employment showed: “ Between 1940 and 1944, the number of employed women rose by half, reaching a high of 19 million, and, for the first time in American history, married women outnumbered singles” (O’Neill). Minorities also enjoyed greater acceptance as soldiers during WWII compared to WWI though discrimination continued (O’Neill). In addition, since the war did not physically destroy the U. S. compared to other Asian and European nations, the American economy dominated world trade and commerce after WWII (West). Moreover, the U. S. had years of military development that shaped its position as the new leading military power in the world (West). In other words, after WWII, the U. S. became a stronger world power.
Works Cited
“ Biography of Franklin D. Roosevelt.” Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum, no date. Web. 1 July 2014. .
“ Economic Effects of the Treaty of Versailles.” The Holocaust Explained, no date. Web. 1 July 2014. < http://www. theholocaustexplained. org/ks4/the-nazi-rise-to-power/the-german-economy-c-1919-29/economic-effects-of-the-treaty-of-versailles/#. U7TKhJSSzNt>.
ONeill, William L. “ Minorities and Women During World War II.” Excerpt from, A Democracy at War. New York: Macmillan, 1993. Web. 1 July 2014. .
West, N. “ Effects of World War II.” No date. Web. 1 July 2014. .
“ What was the Treaty of Versailes?” The Holocaust Explained, no date. Web. 1 July 2014. .