The outbreak of the Second World War in 1939 threatened not only the existence of democracy as such, but also of civilization in general. Today, the results of the Second World War are largely reassessed, new facts are declassified and published, allowing a new assessment of the events of the past. However, one thing remains unchanged - the world has changed after the war, and these changes have become irreversible.
The results of the Second World War must be considered in different planes, since all aspects of the life of society and states were affected. Huge human casu alties, unprecedented destruction, the horror of the experience - the legacy left after the criminal actions of the Nazis.
The most important were the military results of the Second World War. First of all, the complete defeat and unconditional surrender of the aggressive military bloc of Germany, Japan, Italy, whose governments did not hide their aspirationsdivide the world, unify it and use resources for your own purposes. Fascism, which was planted on the occupied peoples as an alternative to the accepted democratic and communist ways, was completely destroyed. The colonial system was bursting at the seams, which became a stumbling block in the foreign policy of the leading states before the war. In the course of hostilities, the professionalism of the Red Army was appreciated, successful strategic operations were developed and carried out, a galaxy of talented commanders stood out, whose spirit was brought up in the marching conditions of difficult times. As the results of the Second World War studied later showed, 72 countries took part in the bloody massacre. The territories of 40 states of three continents were destroyed: Europe, Africa, Asia.
However, the results of the Second World War were not only of a military nature, as it turned out, the war stimulated the restructuring of world economic systems, contributed to the resuscitation of industries that were experiencing a deep pre-war crisis, prioritized the power and aspirations of individual states, became cause of the subsequent Cold War. Consider in detail the economic results of World War II.
During the period of hostilities in Europe, the US industry was gaining momentum. Deliveries under lend-lease and other similar states made it possible for the United States not only to fully pay off its external debt, but also to become the world's main creditor. At the end of the war, draft programs were submitted for consideration,stimulating the economies of the participating countries, one of these programs was the Marshall Plan. On the one hand, it allowed to quickly bring the economies of the destroyed countries out of a deep crisis, and on the other hand, it strengthened the US dollar as a world currency.
World financial structures were created, one of which is the IMF, the European Payments Union, the export of European countries was restructured, the main stake was placed on industry and its products. European countries accepted the Bretton Woods agreements signed at the end of 1944 for implementation. The agreements envisaged the implementation of a program to create a world monetary system that would allow for currency conversion and equate the monetary funds of the leading states to the gold equivalent. This principle laid the foundations of the monetary system, which is used to this day throughout the world.
Rejecting the proposed assistance under the Marshall Plan, the Soviet Union condemned it, regarding it as gross interference in the internal life of the country. Similar actions were taken by the countries of the European East. The resuscitation of the economy of the USSR was carried out independently, without outside help, relying on its own resources. In addition, the USSR provided financial support to the countries of the European East, in which the communist regime was established.
