Both world wars I and II had huge impact on America both economy and political issues majority of which was negative as one would expect from any given wart in the world. In the year 1914 when world war I broke out America had no interest in joining the war, and the president by then Woodrow Wilson pleaded that his country would remain neutral, a decision that was well taken by majority of America citizens as well as the rest of the government officials. However this could not last for long since later in the year 1917 America decided to join the World War I for several reasons. One of the impact of this war on American as a country is that its economy was greatly affected as a result of most of it closest trading partners by then were involved in the war. This greatly undermined trade between the rest of the world and the American though she had decided to remain out of the war.
For instance Britain that was one of the main trading partners of America was on the allies’ side fighting the central power that was led by the Germans. In the process several American ship that were carrying trading goods travelling to Britain were attacked and the goods damaged as well as American citizen killed, the ship were sunken by the German mines and just as expected this provoked the American to want to join the war. This obviously brought huge loss to the American government and the pain of losing her citizen was also, there and this became more unbearable when the Germans decided to announce unrestricted warfare against all ships entering the war zone near the Britain boarder. In other words the trade between the Britain and the American had to be shutdown and this had great effect on the economy of the American. Since American had since the negative impacts and the danger imposed by the central power led by the Germans it had gradually started supporting the war through providing financial support inform of loans to the Britain and the allies for them to acquire more manpower as well as sophisticated weapons and also oil from middle east to fuel their machineries
Considering that the American had not even joined the war her citizen continued to lose their lives. On May the same year American private vessel that had on board nearly 2000 passengers was attacked, and around 1200 of them were brutally killed including 128 Americans. This kind of attack continued and America not only had economy impacts due to the huge loss of her vessels but also the loss of her citizen who could have provided the country with both skilled and unskilled industrial labor that was greatly needed by then. Even after all these damages America was still reluctant to join the war since it had pledged to remain neutral. This had started to bring in political impact since political instability had started to rise in the government between those official of the government who believed that this was the right time to join the allies and invade the Germans and the central powers at large and for those whom believed there was need for diplomatic talk. Few days later diplomatic talk between the American and the Germans took place but it was unsuccessful. After the talk failed and the attack on American vessels continued president Wilson approached the Congress asking them to vote in favor of declaration of war, of which they did with a lot of enthusiasm
Now the declaration of war by the congress had another huge economic impact on the Americans as a country, since it now meant that it has to fund it military personnel at the war and at the same time for their military industry had to produce more weapons that were even more powerful to match those of the Germans. The war went on for the whole year of 1917 when the American joined and indeed her entrance on the war had a significant effect especially on the allies’ side since they became more powerful than before and lastly in the year 1918 the Germans and the central power at large were defeated. By the end of the war there is no doubt that there was several fundamental impacts that the war had brought to the America and it people
When the war was over the America had come out more economically powerful as well as more military power and experience as well as new technology on military equipment. The war gave America more industries success and her economic strength improved. This is due to that most of the European nations were involved in the war as early as it began in 1914 but the America joined three years later. This gave her ample time to trade in a competition free environment with other world countries that were not involved in the war such as Middle East countries and even some of the European countries, hence greatly improving it economy. America had entirely taken over the European overseas market and this enabled her industries to thrive much more over other European competitor, hence taking over the place that was earlier held by the Germans as the world number one producer of chemical products such as the Dyes and fertilizers that was in high demand due to the developing agriculture industries in most countries. Defeat of the Germans as well as central power had led to great advances in the technology level especially new military techniques and development of sophisticated weapons on the American soil. Apart from the military technologies other advanced technologies came up, mechanization and other invention such as that of plastic happened in America after the World War I was over. On the other had America had politically improved and even the government official had something to celebrate since their decision of joining the war at this critical stage was not only necessary but also demonstrating good and wise regime of president Wilson. After the World War I it is indeed clear that in America the federal power fantastically increased which in turn gave less power to the state laws. This was so because the people and the government leaders had began to embrace the idea that the country would not develop across all 50 state without empowering the federal government.
America continued to enjoy the economic and political instability as well as peace that had returned in the entire world as a result of the end of World War I but this was eventually cut short by the eruption of the World War II which started in 1945 .Though the war was not that bad on the American it also had it darkest side thousand of Japanese American were forcibly uprooted from their homes and unfortunately they were sent to remote relocation camp. The axis power had acquired a very strong foothold hold before the America had entered in the war and upon American entry they had to think really hard how to outweigh them in the war. The American were afraid that if they delay further, with adequate time the Axis power led by both Japanese and the Germans would develop a weapon of mass destruction against the American, and therefore America need to react as fast as possible and attack first This led to the American using one of the most destructive nuclear automatic bombs in history and whose impact is still felt up to date in Japan. Unlike the first word war the second war claimed so many American live as well as their enemies as a result of using modern military equipment. Also what boosted the death of many American soldiers is because, after the congress declared war against the Japanese who heading the axis side Germans pledged to support them as a revenge of the world war I that they had aerial lost to American in year 1918. During the World War II America economy was not that badly affected compared to other European countries. A lot of jobs were created this period almost thrice as before since new employment opportunities of about 15 million jobs were created. During this period of the war also gender equality was also boosted in America since factories experienced drastic shortage of men workers who had already gone to fight out there and had to be replaced with a huge number of female workers. The average wage also increase by over 30% since there was high industrial output due to the high level of demand for wartime recourses. Just like in World War I, in America new technologies emerged as a result of this Second World War and the most recognizable is the use of modern sophisticated military weapon such as the atomic bomb that was used by America against the Japanese.
Also after Second World War black American were onward better treated unlike before where they were always treated as second class citizens. They acquired a new platform where they could fight for their rights as well as to articulate their grievances to the federal government. This significant change of eliminating racial discrimination was brought by the fact that more soldiers were needed and therefore the American government had to recruit every available able body including the black. Aerial on the black were only given jobs at the kitchen and the living quarters and to make the matter worse the government had even refused to allow them to donate blood for transfusion. It is after the war that the black and their leaders realized they can also fights for their right, and they lunched a platforms fight for their civil right campaign which in turn bared fruits.
The World War II was of great success to America unlike other European countries. Her economic growth happened at a rapid rate compared to the rest of the world countries, and since after the war many of the others powerful countries such as Japan, Britain and like had greatly suffered economically this led to America to be the superpower a status it has hold up to date.
Work cited
Wood, B D. The Politics of Economic Leadership: The Causes and Consequences of Presidential Rhetoric. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2007. Print.
Vatter, Harold G, and John F. Walker. History of the U.s. Economy Since World War Ii. Armonk, N.Y: M.E. Sharpe, 1996. Print.
