The end of World War II
There had been nearly four years of combat between the United States and the Axis coalition, which was headed on initiative by Germany, Italy, and Japan, since Japan launched a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, 2022) Eventually, the United States unleashed two atomic bombs on Japan to put an end to this protracted conflict. Little Boy, a bomb containing around 140 pounds of uranium, was detonated on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. It was noted as the initial use of a nuclear bomb during hostilities. Three days later, the more potent bomb, Fat Man, was also dropped on Nagasaki, and whereas Germany eventually submitted immediately after Little Boy, Japan refused to surrender despite the chaos after the explosion (Atomic Heritage Foundation, 2014).
Even after the second attack, Japan dragged on for almost a month until the declaration of surrender, yet eventually succumbed to the U.S. and the Second World War was terminated (Library of Congress, 2019).
The Diastrophism of World Hegemony
The majority of Europe, Asia, and other continents were destroyed during World War II. Railroads and other infrastructure, such as bridges, were not exempt from the disaster. Due to the destruction caused by the conflict, their countries experienced widespread shortages of basic necessities as a result of their inability to produce adequate industrial and agricultural goods. Even the UK suffered from wartime debt and liquidated nearly all of its assets (IMF, 2019).
On the other hand, there was only one exception: the United States. By mobilizing the entire economy for war, the decade-long great depression finally ended. Millions of people were conscripted into the army, and huge numbers of Americans participated in defense jobs. This phenomenon caused the unemployment rate in the U.S. to be lower than its pre-depression level (History.com, 2009). By the end of the war, the U.S. had stockpiled almost 70% of the world’s gold reserves. At the same time, only the U.S. dollar was treated as the currency, which has an equivalent value to gold. The United States obtained world supremacy (IMF, 2019).
The Beginning of Postmodernism
The severe destruction of WWII gave people the opportunity to contemplate their traditional values, the spirit of the times, and many societal thoughts. This influenced artists, writers, and the public to focus on topics that had not been discussed (Meadow and Jacobson, 2019).
Postmodernism is a tough concept to define because of its volatility. On the other hand, postmodernists recognized irreversible conflicts, the variety of human affairs, and a multitude of ways of being and knowing, whereas modernists highlighted the transient character of modern life and ultimate goodness. Put differently, postmodernism is commonly seen as the abandonment of the combined progressive schemas and universal rationality that followed the Enlightenment (Smelser and Baltes, 2019).
Similar sentiments emerged in literature following the brutal breaches of human rights during World War II, with authors arguing that accepting meaninglessness may be the only path ahead if searching for purpose is unachievable. Thus, postmodern traits like acceptance of randomness and fun were reflected in the works of writers like Italo Calvino, John Barth, and Samuel Beckett (MasterClass, 2021).
Design and Arts
After the war, the demand for low-cost houses and furniture vitalized design and production.
New materials and technology used in WWII helped to disseminate mass-produced design furniture at cheaper costs, and the first commercial jet was introduced in 1957, suggesting a new optimism and cultural synthesis of Eastern and Western aesthetics.
For instance, with novel materials like plastic and fiberglass, American furniture manufacturer Herman Miller introduced stylish yet reasonably priced pieces such as the Eams chairs.
Modern furniture was created by a number of Scandinavian and Japanese designers who balanced advanced technology with organic materials (Goss, 2020).
One thing about wars that never changes is the terrible toll they take on human lives and suffering, even though World War II had unintended good impacts on communities and the arts. Realizing that every life on Earth has equal value is essential in these unstable times.
Reference list
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Goss, J., 2020. Design, 1950–75. [online] Metmuseum.org. Available at: https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/dsgn3/hd_dsgn3.htm [Accessed 14 November 2023].
HISTORY.COM, 2009. Great Depression History. [online] History.com. Available at: https://www.history.com/topics/great-depression/great-depression-history [Accessed 14 November 2023].
IMF, 2019. Money Matters, an IMF Exhibit — The Importance of Global Cooperation, Destruction and Reconstruction (1945-1958), Part 1 of 6. [online] Imf.org. Available at: https://www.imf.org/external/np/exr/center/mm/eng/mm_dr_01.htm [Accessed 14 November 2023].
Library Of Congress, 2019. World War II | Great Depression and World War II, 1929-1945 | U.S. History Primary Source Timeline | Classroom Materials at the Library of Congress | Library of Congress. [online] Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA. Available at: https://www.loc.gov/classroom-materials/united-states-history-primary-source-timeline/great-depression-and-world-war-ii-1929-1945/world-war-ii/ [Accessed 13 November 2023].
MasterClass, 2021. Postmodern Literature Guide: 10 Notable Postmodern Authors. [online] MasterClass. Available at: https://www.masterclass.com/articles/postmodern-literature-guide [Accessed 14 November 2023].
Meadow and Jacobson, C., 2019. The Period of Modernism in World War I and World War II: [Essay Example], 875 words. [online] GradesFixer. Available at: https://gradesfixer.com/free-essay-examples/modernism-in-world-war/ [Accessed 14 November 2023].
Smelser, N. and Baltes, P., 2019. International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences | ScienceDirect. [online] Sciencedirect.com. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/referencework/9780080430768/international-encyclopedia-of-the-social-and-behavioral-sciences [Accessed 14 November 2023].
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, 2022. Axis Alliance in World War II. [online] encyclopedia.ushmm.org. Available at: https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/axis-powers-in-world-war-ii [Accessed 13 November 2023].
