The Winds of Change
Gary J. Leleux
27 June 2012
Western Civilization ii
Dr. James Rogers
The Winds of Change World War I and World War II had the biggest impact on the West than any other conflict Western Civilization has had to experience or had experienced since. From the start of World War I by an assassin’s bullet in June of 1914 until the signing of the Japanese instrument of surrender onboard the USS Missouri in September 1945, this planet, more specifically, Western Civilization had rapidly changed. Why did these two cataclysmic events have such a great impact that it permanently changed the way Western Civilization sees itself? One of the greatest impacts these conflicts imposed on the west was on the Western Civilization’s view of the rest of the world at the close of World War II. Before World War I, imperialist nations went to war on the far-flung edges of the planet in order to conquer those areas and use those places for their natural resources for the benefit of the “mother country”. By the end of World War II, not only was imperialism dead, aggressive war for the sole purpose of conquering another nation-state for its resources was made illegal as well. Nations having the right of “self-determination” was the order of the day. The global mentality of the victorious democracies had changed. Instead of these nations going to war simply to conquer and exploit, the victorious allies of the two most devastating wars in the planets history went to war in the future to liberate and cultivate. No longer, since World War II, did modern industrial nations go to war against its enemies simply to colonize their vanquished foes and replicate it own norms and societies on new continents. Conflicts since World War II have been over ideology and against enemy nations with governments so evil in its nature; it would stupefy the human imagination when witnessed. In so many words, both conflicts that occurred during the first half of the 20th century that were separated
27 June 2012
Western Civilization ii
Dr. James Rogers
The Winds of Change World War I and World War II had the biggest impact on the West than any other conflict Western Civilization has had to experience or had experienced since. From the start of World War I by an assassin’s bullet in June of 1914 until the signing of the Japanese instrument of surrender onboard the USS Missouri in September 1945, this planet, more specifically, Western Civilization had rapidly changed. Why did these two cataclysmic events have such a great impact that it permanently changed the way Western Civilization sees itself? One of the greatest impacts these conflicts imposed on the west was on the Western Civilization’s view of the rest of the world at the close of World War II. Before World War I, imperialist nations went to war on the far-flung edges of the planet in order to conquer those areas and use those places for their natural resources for the benefit of the “mother country”. By the end of World War II, not only was imperialism dead, aggressive war for the sole purpose of conquering another nation-state for its resources was made illegal as well. Nations having the right of “self-determination” was the order of the day. The global mentality of the victorious democracies had changed. Instead of these nations going to war simply to conquer and exploit, the victorious allies of the two most devastating wars in the planets history went to war in the future to liberate and cultivate. No longer, since World War II, did modern industrial nations go to war against its enemies simply to colonize their vanquished foes and replicate it own norms and societies on new continents. Conflicts since World War II have been over ideology and against enemy nations with governments so evil in its nature; it would stupefy the human imagination when witnessed. In so many words, both conflicts that occurred during the first half of the 20th century that were separated