WWII is one of the most controversial events in history because of the damage and development it caused. Millions of people died on the front, but numerous scientific and technological advancements were also discovered. One of the initial reasons for the conflict originated in the tension between the countries for dominance and control over the world’s politics. Thus, the political and economic state of the world also changed since the dominance shifted from superpowers like the European alliance and the Soviet Union to the United States. One of the topics around the second World War that provokes questions about whether the world would have been entirely different today is the entrance of the US into the conflict. Despite the reservations from the US to join the war and Germany’s original intentions to change the world’s order, it was the US’s involvement that changed the course of international politics.
One of the biggest drivers in the pro-war dichotomy in the US is its views on labor. The war required an excessive amount of labor and capital that the US had in abundance at that time. Moreover, excessive demand in the labor force endorsed the beginning of gender and racial equality in the United States. This fact only boosted US’s capabilities, making it easier for the US to justify joining the war. This process forced the US government to send the country’s male population to serve in military forces on fronts in Japan, Europe, and other parts of the world. Due to the labor force shortage, women were forced to step up not only on routine jobs but also take up male-dominated professions. According to Rose, around 6.7 million women were newly employed during wartime, increasing the female labor force by 50% (Rose 2018). The figures show that female involvement in construction and engineering grew significantly, and in the manufacturing industry alone, the percentage rose by 13% within four years from 1940 to 1944 (Rose 2018). This proves US’s potential for contribution to the war that drove its decision to join.
This idea of more radical equality is contrasted with the Nazi project. According to Rattansi, the Nazi project is one of the stages and causes of antisemitism, one of the oldest forms of racism (Rattansi 2020). Consequently, the US’s domination after WWII led to the spread of democratic values and almost eliminated one of racism’s forms. However, while female labor force participation (FLFP) rapidly grew during the war years, it returned almost to the same numbers after the war in the US (Rose 2018). Moreover, the official end of the slave trade took place 20 years later after the war ended, which also shows that participation in the war did not significantly influence the end of racism. Despite this fact, the precedent of thought was established that led to modern progress in social issues, as the US was solidified as a superpower. In other words, the advantage of the US, which drove it to join the war, influenced the world to adopt a similar ideology.
Other actions from the US government due to WWII further influenced the world in a beneficial way. For instance, a large share of the federal budget was spent on opening research centers at top universities, and general spending on education increased (McMahon 2021). This led to significant technological advancement, space exploration, scientific discoveries, and the establishment of the nuclear program. Moreover, according to Gross and Sampat, the US government Office of Scientific Research and Development (OSRD) received the most extensive sponsorship in US history during World War II, which in turn took off the whole US innovation path (Gross and Sampat 2020). These innovations benefited the international community and led to more discoveries around the globe. Consequently, all the mentioned factors resulted in the US becoming a superpower and significant country in the politics and economy of the world.
The show of force during WWII was considered at first to bear more negative consequences, which can be later seen in US involvement in the Cold War. According to McMahon, the cold war was so essential in that period of history that “it left hardly any aspect of American life untouched” (McMahon 2021, p. 130). The government started making annual spending on national security, and many manufacturing and industrial complexes took a military-related direction. More and more citizens started living in stress and fear, most of them being involved in the war. Furthermore, many people from other countries suffered from the effects of proxy wars. Nevertheless, it shows the extent of US influence on international order.
Overall, the participation of the United States in WWII caused a change in the international order, making the US a superpower. It was not the intended result, as Germany sought this position, and the US hesitated to join the war at first. The war brought benefits, such as higher gender and racial equality, as US’s democratic values continued to spread. They brought a more considerable percentage of female involvement in the labor force and the elimination of antisemitism. Both WWII and the cold war brought long-term benefits, such as the technological and scientific advancement launch of the nuclear program, which gave the US the right to be claimed as a superpower. Moreover, it boosted progress in these fields across the globe.
References
Gross, Daniel. P., and Sampat, Bhaven. N. 2020. Inventing The Endless Frontier: The Effects of the World War II Research Effort on Post-War Innovation. National Bureau of Economic Research. Web.
McMahon, Robert. J. 2021. The Cold War: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press.
Rattansi, Ali. 2020. Racism: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press.
Rose, Evan K. 2018. “The Rise and Fall of Female Labor Force Participation During World War II in the United States.” The Journal of Economic History 78(3). Cambridge University Press: 673–711. Web.
Russett, Bruce. M. 2018. No Clear and Present Danger: A Skeptical View of the United States Entry into World War II. Routledge.