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Superpowers post WWII, Union of Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR) and the …
Superpowers post WWII
Union of Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR)
and the
United States of America (USA)
Political
USA
President Truman came into power in 1945.
Truman "recognized the transformation of America's position.
He was convincing the entirety of America that they were the most powerful.
Said "We have emerged from the war the east the most powerful nation in the world- the most powerful nation perhaps, in all history"
USA was committed to promote capitalism and free trade and allowed capitalism to thrive
USSR
There were no neighbors which posed a threat to the USSR
the USSR became one of the largest "dominant" political giants throughout eastern Europe and Asia.
The war "secured" the survival of communism.
The second world war was used present the USSR as a force for "world progress"
The triumph of the Red Army was used to "underpin the illusion" that communism was the system to which all societies were moving towards
Economic
USA
Economy emerged strengthened after the war
Had intact markets and was producing more product and creating more profit than other countries affected by the war.
The siege mentality of the pre-war era gave way to the international collaboration through the new instruments of world market regulation, the
International Monetary Fund (IMF)
and
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT)
USA was committed to promote capitalism and free trade
USA used its power to stabilize Europe
Stabilizing Europe is another reason as to why USA became a superpower (the reason as to why USSR became economically powerful)
Only America possessed the economic power to prevent the return to economic stagnation (slow economic growth) and international instability.
USSR
USSR could provide support to smaller Eastern European countries
USSR therefore had the upper hand or control over the smaller Eastern European countries
Because USSR controlled the country's supply of support by either providing or cutting it off
Leading to the downfall or the rise of the country
Britain and France were comparably weak.
Specifically Britain. Britain lost the most- "the old balance of power, the empire and a dominant role in the world's economy"
Therefore, this created way for countries like the USSR and the USA to become the strongest
Military
USA
By 1945, USA had 12,000,000 men
in the armed forces
70k+ naval vessels and almost 73,000 aircraft
Possessed the atomic bomb
After German forces were defeated, and their allies were weakened, American aircraft had 'incinerated' or turned Japanese cities into "open crematoria"
American air power was became the "central pillar" of the new military giant in the west
USSR
In the summer of 1945, when the USSR had defeated the German forces, allies of Germany had become a lot weaker as a result.
In the summer of 1945, USSR's army AKA the Red Army had redirected their attention to Japan. They had managed to obliterate the Japanese forces in China in days
The Red Army was the "Backbone" of Soviet superpower
Had the Red Army
These two superpowers were a result of German aggression.
To try to fight against Germany's thirst for world domination and to be a superpower, the USSR and the USA had to become superpowers themselves and gaining more power to fight the enemy.