The Impacts of World War II 

Ashton Rich 

Professor Hansen 

HIST 1700 

07 May, 2020 

 
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The world has been shaped into what it is today through past events and experiences. Each moment 

has rippling effects that stretch far into the future, beyond the reach of our vision. Today, more than 

ever, we are reminded that history is constant. We are living in it and the choices we make today will 

affect someone else’s tomorrow. All past events have sculpted today’s world. However, one more than 

ever laid the rails and set all of us on an irreversible path; The Second World War.  

World War II was a horrific war beginning in September of 1939, coming to an end almost six 

years later exactly on September 2, 1945. This global conflict would reach even the farthest, most 

tranquil places on the map, resulting in over 60 million casualties1. Even now, nearly ¾ of a century 

later in the year 2020, we see the effect it has had on our everyday lives. But why? Why were so much 

death and destruction necessary? Well, the short answer is that it wasn’t. None of it was r​ eally 

necessary. However, we would not be able to enjoy the technological, scientific, and societal 

advancements we enjoy today without it. The surge and drive to gain an advantage over your enemy 

brought with it everything from Fanta to early developments in space travel.  

The path of war is broken, and painful. On April 20, 1889, a boy was born in a small Austrian 

village. That boy was Adolf Hitler, and he would grow to be one of the world’s most vile leaders. His 

actions set Germany on a crash course toward war, and he would bring the rest of the world with him. 

Hitler’s popularization of Nazism in the early 1900s, and eventual rise to power in 1934 carried many 

promises of hope for a better future for the German people.2 

After surrendering at the end of WW1 in 1918, Germany was forced to sign the Treaty of 

Versailles, and claim full responsibility for the war. As a result of the treaty, Germany was forced to 

1
“World War II Casualties.” World War 2, October 4, 2009. 
http://worldwar2-database.blogspot.com/2010/10/world-war-ii-casualties.html. 
2
“Adolf Hitler Is Born.” The History Place - The Rise of Adolf Hitler: Chapter Index. Accessed May 7, 2020. 
http://www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/riseofhitler/index.htm. 
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give up parts of its territory. This resulted in the loss of many mines and industrial areas that were 

valuable to the German economy. The treaty stated that they were to completely dismantle their 

military, admit total responsibility for the war, and pay large financial sums that totaled $39 billion as 

punishment. Germany’s economy suffered greatly due to the intense financial debts placed on its 

shoulders. When Germany was unable to pay, France occupied the Ruhr, an industrial district as 

promised. German workers went on strike as a result of the occupation. The German Mark was 

inflated dramatically, rendering it almost useless. German colonies were also seized and given to the 

Allies. The accumulation of these events caused a great deal of economic stress, and growing support 

was seen in advancing extreme political parties.3 

Germany was eager to overcome its economic depression, and Hitler ensured that he would 

lead them there. And he did. However, he had more plans to improve the German economy that had 

not been foreshadowed. Little by little, terms of the treaty were ignored. Germany's military was 

rebuilt, Submarines, aircraft and tanks were soon acquired and manned by trained crewmen and 

pilots. In just a few short years, Germany completely violated the treaty and had built a powerful army. 

The Allies did not react to Hitler’s violations, and German military technology soon became among 

the best in the world and allowed Hitler to launch his military strategy of “Blitzkrieg” . 

With the German military machine now built, it was time to put it to use. Germany invaded 

Poland on September 1, 1939 with around 1.5 millions troops4 and ignited a fire throughout Europe. 

Poland’s allies quickly responded, and on September 3, 1939 Great Britain and France declared war 

on Germany, and the war had begun.  

3
​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfnEy8FuElc 
4
“​ Germans Invade Poland.” History.com. A&E Television Networks, July 29, 2019. 
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/germans-invade-poland. 
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Two factions quickly formed, the Axis and the Allied powers. The Axis power was primarily 

made up of German, Italian, and Japanese forces after the signing of the Tripartite Pact or the “Berlin 

Pact” uniting these forces in a military defense strategy, and promoting a mutual support of a “new 

order” in both Europe and Asia5 . However, Italy and Germany had become allies much earlier during 

Benito Mussolini’s Fascisti dictatorship of Italy beginning in the 1920s. The Allies consisted mainly of 

Poland, France, Great Britain and the British Commonwealth. In 1941, they were officially joined by 

China and the United States after the attack of Pearl Harbor, though China had been at war with 

Japan since 1936, and The United States had been supporting the Allies throughout the early years of 

conflict. The Allies primary means of alliance was to control the aggression of the German, Italian and 

Japanese forces.  

War spread through the world like a plague. Both sides looked to gain an advantage on their 

enemy through any means possible. This pushed governments to make advancements in weaponry, 

science, communication, medicine, agriculture, and even everyday home life. Both the Axis and 

Allied powers had begun to adapt the war on each front, in an attempt to gain the upper-hand. 

Discoveries made during this time helped to make huge strides in technological and industrial 

advancement. 

A plethora of new weapons were developed. New planes, tanks, aircrafts, submarines, and 

rockets were armed and deployed. The U.S.S.R created the world's first “Air-to-Air” Rockets fired 

from aircrafts. These rockets would lay the foundation for future weaponised rocketry development. 

They were proven more useful than cannon fire at bringing down enemy bombers at high rates of 

speed. Similar technology had begun testing during WWI to engage enemy airships and observation 

5
“​Three-Power Pact Between Germany, Italy, and Japan, Signed at Berlin, September 27, 1940.” The Avalon Project : 
Summary of the Three-Power Pact Between Germany, Italy, and Japan, Signed at Berlin, September 27, 1940. Accessed 
May 7, 2020. https://avalon.law.yale.edu/wwii/triparti.asp. 
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balloons, however the technology at the time was dangerous and not nearly as effective.6 These missiles 

were used first by the Allies, and similar technology was eventually produced by the Axis powers due 

to their proven effectiveness in battle.  

The first general, all-purpose vehicle, or “Jeep”, was created by the United States in 1940, just 

before its involvement in the war. The U.S military was looking for a “light reconnaissance vehicle” to 

accompany its troops. Three companies responded to the request, Willys, Ford, and Bantam. All three 

would collectively design the template for the vehicle known as Jeep. The first “Quad” prototype was 

made in a remarkable 75 days 7. Later production and newer models would follow in 1941 and 

throughout the war. Automatic transmission was also developed in the automotive industry during 

WWII.  

A much more devastating piece of military equipment was designed, and eventually resorted to 

at the end of the war due to Japan’s reluctance to surrender; The Atomic Bomb. It had followed years 

of development and testing throughout the United States including regions and research facilities in 

New Mexico, Tennessee, and Washington. On August 6, 1945 the bomb was dropped over the 

junction of the Motosumo and Otto rivers, and was detonated well before reaching the ground in 

order to dissipate its radioactive material. The result of the bomb was catastrophic. It brought 

irreversible destruction to anything and anyone within a six-mile radius of the blast. The radiation 

caused by the bomb spread for miles, and patches still remain today.  

More than 78,000 people were killed or fatally injured in Hiroshima. Just 3 days later, a second 

bomb was dropped at Nagasaki, Killing nearly 70,000 more 8. The blast sent a mushroom cloud rising 

6
​“A Brief History of Rocketry.” NASA. NASA. Accessed May 6, 2020. 
https://science.ksc.nasa.gov/history/rocket-history.txt. 
7
“​ 1940 Willys Quad.” Jeep® History in the 1940s. Accessed May 6, 2020. 
https://www.jeep.com/history/1940s.html#quad. 
8
​Great Events of the 20th Century. ​New York: The Reader’s Digest Association, 1977. Pg. 364-365 
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over 50,000 feet above the city, casting a shadow over the six previous years of fighting. This event, 

however necessary it may have been, has had lasting effects on the country and its people. The scars 

that remain may fade, but will always be there.  

Various ways to harness this nuclear energy also began development during this time, and is 

one of the most efficient energy sources used in modern society today, though many countries have 

not fully embraced this form of power production because of the devastating consequences of 

accidents and plant meltdowns.  

New technology was developed such as the first radar system used in Great Britain. In the years 

leading up to the war, Great Britain decided to begin funding radar research and look for ways to 

implement radars monitoring its borders. In just three years Sir Robert Watson-Wyatt created the first 

operational radar system that was employed throughout the duration of the war. Nearly 20 radar 

stations were installed to detect German Bombers at Briain’s borders. Following the development of 

this radar technology was a new defense system called the “Dowding System.” This system took 

advantage of the new radar technology and was the world’s first wide-area ground control interception 

network. The system divided Britain into sectors, and if any attacks were detected by radar, fighter 

planes were sent to intercept incoming bombers from the corresponding airfields 9. The development 

of radar technology and implementation of the Dowding Defense System proved very helpful during 

the Battle of Britain in 1940. Further research and development of this primitive radar technology has 

been completed, and has been used in some variation by almost every major military world wide.  

Another leap made in technology was done in 1944 upon the release of the Harvard Mark 1, 

what has become largely known as the first large-scale automatic computer to be put into operation in 

9
​Johnson, David Alan, and Richard Townshend Bickers. ​The Battle of Britain​. Combine Publishing, 1998. 
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the United States 10. Many believe that the Harvard Mark 1 was the beginning of practicality of 

large-scale computing, and had begun design to aid in the war effort.  

Countries like the United States were converted into large industrial factories, in an attempt 

to “out produce” the enemy, pulling itself out of the lingering Great Depression. The United States 

was able to produce a total of 96,318 aircraft in 1944 alone, its closest competitor being Germany who 

produced 40, 593 aircrafts of all types in that same year 11. By the end of the war America had 

produced over 300,000 planes. This is a shocking comparison to average annual aircraft production of 

just 3,000 planes in 1939 12. This war refueled the American Economy, and allowed the United States 

to finally break free of its seemingly hopeless, never-ending depression, and shaped the future of the 

American workforce.  

New military tactics, such as the German “Blitzkrieg” were utilized and proved to be very 

effective. Blitzkrieg or “lightning warfare” was Hitler’s main military strategy during the beginning of 

Germany’s military campaign. It involved breaking the enemies line of defense with fast attacks of 

armored infantry formations, using the element of surprise to surround and over-power the enemy 13. 

This strategy proved to be very useful during the early invasions of Poland, France, Ukraine and 

surrounding countries. Similar military strategies have been implemented today, but are more 

commonly known as “mobile warfare.”  

World War II not only brought these previously mentioned discoveries and advancements in 

today's society, but serious geographical changes as well. The United States and the U.S.S.R remained 

10
​Cohen, I. Bernard. "Mark I, Harvard." (2003): 1078-1080. 
11
​http://manufacturing-victory.org/history/ManufacturingVictory-lessonplan.pdf 
12
​ Parker, Dana T. B
​ uilding Victory: Aircraft Manufacturing in the Los Angeles Area in World War II,​ p. 7, Cypress, CA, 2013. 
ISBN​ ​978-0-9897906-0-4​.
​Glantz, David (November 2010). B
13
​ arbarossa Derailed: The Battle for Smolensk, 10 July – 10 September 1941: The 
German Advance to Smolensk, the Encirclement Battle and the First and Second Soviet Counter-Offensives, 10 July – 24 
August 1941​. I​ ​. Solihull: Helion.​ ​ISBN​ ​978-1-906033-72-9​. 
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close allies throughout the war. However, following the surrender of the remaining Axis Powers in 

1945, both sides rushed to claim new territory. Germany was divided into four sectors, as was Berlin 

itself. Russia controlled the eastern half of the city, as the remaining allies decided to combine their 

divided sectors into one unit, controlling the West part of the city. Tensions continued to rise between 

Russia and the United States as each had opposing views as to what should be done with Berlin, 

Germany’s future. Russia wanted to ensure that Germany remained weak to ensure that they could 

never attack them again. The remaining allies wanted to rebuild and strengthen Germany once more 

to allow democracy to flourish after years of facing the oppression of Fascism 14.  

As tensions continued to rise, so did the border separating West and East Berlin. A wall was 

erected, dividing the two sectors and completely cutting off East Berlin from the rest of the world. The 

wall was a large concrete structure, fitted with surrounding fences, guard towers and machine guns to 

prevent anyone from escaping. Many risked their lives crossing the division between the two sectors in 

search for a better life and their loved ones. Many were cut off from their family members when the 

wall was built and they found themselves on opposite sides. It is estimated that over 100,000 people 

tried to cross the border into West Germany, with nearly 5,000 succeeded. It is also estimated that 

almost 200 people were killed in failed attempts 15. This wall would stand from 1961 until 1989 when 

it was finally brought down. A chain reaction caused by revolutions in neighboring eastern countries 

lead to the wall's final fate. My father, who was serving a church service mission in England at the time, 

was in England when the wall came down. Some of his close friends had gone to Berlin to see its 

demolition, and brought him a piece of the Berlin wall before his departure back to the United States 

in 1990. Upon its destruction, the East German government allowed people to freely pass to West 

14
​“Berlin after 1945.” History Learning Site, May 25, 2015. 
https://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/modern-world-history-1918-to-1980/the-cold-war/berlin-after-1945/. 
15
​"Todesopfer an der Berliner Mauer"​ [Fatalities at the Berlin Wall] (in German). Chronik der Mauer​.  
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Germany. Celebration ensued over the next several weeks as family members and friends reunited for 

the first time in almost 30 years, and Germany was set back on the course to self-sufficiency. Berlin 

would remain the epicenter for the Cold War between the United States and Russia during its 

division, a massive arms race waged between Soviet Russia and the United States. This war prompted 

even more developments in technology and industrialism in both the United States and Russia, 

including detailed space exploration piggybacking off of rocket technology that was developed during 

WWII. As a result, nuclear weapons were mass produced by both Russia and the United States, huge 

technological and scientific discoveries were made, and the world continued to move forward.  

The United Nations was also created as a direct result of WWII in an effort to prevent any sort 

of warfare on a global scale from occurring ever again. The United Nations still stands today, and is 

joined by over 193 countries world wide16. World War II changed the history of the world forever. In 

its wake, millions were left dead, injured, or without homes. Advancements in every aspect of our lives 

from communication to agriculture were made as a direct result of this conflict, which affect us every 

day. Lives were lost, alliances were forged, and the rails were set for the world moving forward. 

Because of the honorable service of men and women who aided in this struggle and saw it through to 

victory, we are able to live in a nation of freedom, and enjoy the liberties and human rights that have 

been so valiantly preserved. World War II forever changed history, and now it is up to us to make the 

most of it and continue to steer it in the right direction. 

 
 
 
 
 
 

16
​ ​"Charter of the United Nations, Chapter II: Membership"​. United Nations. 17 June 2015. 
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Bibliography 
 

1. “World War II Casualties.” World War 2, October 4, 2009. 

http://worldwar2-database.blogspot.com/2010/10/world-war-ii-casualties.html. 
2. “Adolf Hitler Is Born.” The History Place - The Rise of Adolf Hitler: Chapter Index. 
Accessed May 7, 2020. http://www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/riseofhitler/index.htm. 
3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfnEy8FuElc 
4. “Germans Invade Poland.” History.com. A&E Television Networks, July 29, 2019. 
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/germans-invade-poland​. 
5. “Three-Power Pact Between Germany, Italy, and Japan, Signed at Berlin, September 27, 
1940.” The Avalon Project : Summary of the Three-Power Pact Between Germany, Italy, and 
Japan, Signed at Berlin, September 27, 1940. Accessed May 7, 2020. 
https://avalon.law.yale.edu/wwii/triparti.asp 
6. “A Brief History of Rocketry.” NASA. NASA. Accessed May 6, 2020. 
https://science.ksc.nasa.gov/history/rocket-history.txt. 
7. “​ 1940 Willys Quad.” Jeep® History in the 1940s. Accessed May 6, 2020. 
https://www.jeep.com/history/1940s.html#quad​. 
8. G ​ reat Events of the 20th Century. ​New York: The Reader’s Digest Association, 1977. Pg. 
364-365 
9. Johnson, David Alan, and Richard Townshend Bickers. ​The Battle of Britain​. Combine 
Publishing, 1998. 
10. Cohen, I. Bernard. "Mark I, Harvard." (2003): 1078-1080. 
11. h ​ ttp://manufacturing-victory.org/history/ManufacturingVictory-lessonplan.pdf 
12. Parker, Dana T. ​Building Victory: Aircraft Manufacturing in the Los Angeles Area in World 
War II,​ p. 7, Cypress, CA, 2013. ​ISBN​ 9​ 78-0-9897906-0-4​. 
13. G ​ lantz, David (November 2010). B ​ arbarossa Derailed: The Battle for Smolensk, 10 July – 10 
September 1941: The German Advance to Smolensk, the Encirclement Battle and the First and 
Second Soviet Counter-Offensives, 10 July – 24 August 1941​. ​I.​Solihull: Helion.​ I​ SBN 
978-1-906033-72-9​. 
14. “Berlin after 1945.” History Learning Site, May 25, 2015. 
https://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/modern-world-history-1918-to-1980/the-cold-war/ber
lin-after-1945/. 
15. "Todesopfer an der Berliner Mauer"​ [Fatalities at the Berlin Wall] (in German). Chronik der 
Mauer​.  
16. "​ Charter of the United Nations, Chapter II: Membership"​. United Nations. 17 June 2015.