World War II and after

In a Nutshell

A Segunda Guerra Mundial foi um conflito armado mais importante do século XX. Entre 1939 e 1945, a Europa viveu o confronto de duas grandes alianças. Neste resumo, aprenderás um pouco mais sobre a história e cultura deste período.

1939 to 1945

In September 1939 Germany invaded Poland and Second World War started. From September 1939 to June 1940 Germany had many successes: Poland fell in September 1939, Belgium Norway and Holland fell in 1940; France surrendered in June 1940 after British and French soldier retreated from Dunkirk.

German Defeat

One important factor of German's defeat was that Germany did not manage to get control of the air over the English Channel. Hitler's decision to invade the USSR in June 1941 destroyed the German army and Moscow and Stalingrad were forced to surrender in January 1943.

Final Victory

The Conservative Winston Churchill became prime minister in 1940. He established a "War Cabinet" to take important decisions.

American intervention in 1941, which followed a Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, marked a turning point which paved the way to the final victory which was inaugurated by D-Day (D stands for Deliverance).

On 6th June 1944, the Allies touched down on the coast of Normandy and manage to liberate France.

Germany surrendered after Hitler's suicide in 1945.

In August 1945, Us President Harry Truman ordered the dropping of the atomic bomb on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Japan surrendered.

Consequences of the War

The power of the European empires was weakened by the war. The French, the Dutch and the British had to abandon some of their colonies.

Britain's foreign trading position was also weakened by huge debts to pay for the war and extensive bomb damage. This led to huge difficulties for many industries to readjust to peacetime conditions.

In July 1945, the general election was won by the Labour Party under the leadership of Clement Attlee.

Labour Party and US Marshall Plan

The US Marshall Aid Plan was the American program to help European countries recover economically and prevent the weaker ones to fall on Russian hands. Thanks to this four-year operation, Britain received large US loans.

The US signed an agreement of mutual defense with Western Europe, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) in addiction to the United Nations Organisation.

The United Nations Organisation

The United Nations is an International organisation designed to facilitate cooperation in international law, security, economic development, social progress and human rights. The name "United Nations" was first used by Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt in the "Declaration of the United Nations" made to officially state the cooperation of the Allies (Great Britain, United States and the USSR) during World War II.

United Nations day is celebrated on 24th October each year.

Welfare State

The new UK government offered new policies focused in looking after the interests and welfare of the citizens in such areas like health, unemployment and pensions. This new state intervention became known as the "Welfare State".

Another important step of the Labour Government was to take control of power and natural resources, transport and credit.

The National Health Service Act

Britain's health care system before 1948 had been inefficient. The main weakness was the lack of access to hospital care and health care for the families of working men.

The National Health Service Act allowed free medical, dental, optical and hospital care to everyone. Maternity care, health visitors and child welfare clinics were set up and run by local authorities.

Totally free treatment did not last long, however the National Health Service massively improved the health of British people and provided a model for similar schemes in other countries.

Cold War and McCarthyism

The only country that could counterbalance America's powerful position was the Soviet Union. Competition and fear between these two powerful nations was known as the "Cold War". Both the US and Soviet Union built nuclear weapons.

The world changed when the US government decided to explode the H-bomb in 1952, smaller in size but 2,500 times more powerful than the Hiroshima atomic bomb. In 1953, the Russians produced an H-bomb as well and the world became a much more dangerous place.

The fear of Communism swept across the US and led to "McCarthyism", where the politician Joseph McCarthy started a public "witch hunt" investigating intellectuals, scientists, public officers and others. Later, he was discredited and censured by the Senate.

Suez Crisis and Britain

After World War II, Egypt, which had been an important British colony, gained independence. In 1952, there was a revolution and Britain agreed to withdraw from the Canal Zone with one condition: kept its shares in the Canal. In July 1956, President Nasser of Egypt nationalised the company that owned the Suez Canal, which was jointly owned by the British and French governments.

British and French forces bombed and invaded Egypt in October 1956. There was an international outcry and condemnation from the United Nations and the US. The value of sterling collapsed and the forces were obligated to withdraw by the United Nations.

New Elizabethan Age

George VI died in February 1952 and there was a widespread sense of loss and shock. His support and loyalty to his people during the war made him a respected and popular figure. He was succeeded by his daughter Elizabeth II (1926 - 2022), who was crowned in 1953.

The general euphoria was mingled with a sense of anguish caused by the aftermath of the Second World War and the Cold War. Britain was being reduced to a second-class power dependent on the United States. Britain no longer had an empire, accelerating the plan to hand over the government of the various colonies to local rulers.