World War II (1939-45): The Second World War was a global total war waged by most nations on Earth. The war witnessed the targeting of civilian population centers and the use of nuclear weapons. It remains the deadliest conflict in history. The war began on September 1, 1939 when Germany invaded Poland and ended on September 2, 1945 when Japan surrendered following the atom bomb attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
First Computer (1941): Germany created the first programmable computer in 1941. The Germans used the machine to calculate wing flutter on their aircraft. Despite the technical breakthrough, the Germans did not consider the computer important for the war effort and cut funding. The Americans followed with their own computer in 1942.
The Holocaust (1942-1945): The Germans originally wished to deport Jews and others, but the war changed things. They closed their borders and turned concentration camps into death camps. The Holocaust involved the systematic killing of Jews, Slavs, Soviet prisoners of war, political opponents, the mentally and physically disabled, and others the Nazis considered impure. In addition to mass murder, the Holocaust included sadistic experiments and the creation of an ideology in order to justify crimes against humanity and dehumanize the victims. Between 15 and 20 million died in the Holocaust.
Bretton Woods System (1944): Bretton Woods created the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. Protectionism destroyed the world's economy and led to the rise of the dictators. The world wanted to avoid a repeat of the Great Depression. As a result, they created a system to intertwine the world's economies to such an extent that war would never be an option. The end result of this globalization was outsourcing, free trade, and peace between the major powers.
The Long Telegram (1947): In July, 1947, an article appeared in Foreign Affairs magazine. The author, George Kennan, established American foreign policy for the next fifty years. He argued the Soviet Union believed itself at war with capitalism and would seek to expand. Since they respected power, standing up to the Soviets would stop that expansion. As long as the Soviets remained contained, flaws in the communist system and ethnic diversity would eventually rip them apart. Kennan proved prophetic.
Partition of India (1947): On August 15, 1947, India gained its independence and Pakistan came into existence. Pakistan became home to Indian Muslims while Hinduism remained the major religion in India. About one million people died as Hindus scrambled to India and Muslims fled to Pakistan. Animosity between Hindus and Muslims went back to the Middle Ages and the Mughal Empire. As a result, each side took turns massacring refugees. Eventually, the two countries fought a series of wars and almost came to nuclear blows. Sixty years later, the animosity remains.
Israel (1948): Israel declared independence from Britain on May 14, 1948. This fulfilled a 1917 promise the British tried to ignore. Britain wanted Palestine for themselves. However, determined Jewish resistance and memories of the Holocaust forced British capitulation. Immediately after becoming independent, Arab nations declared war and were defeated. Sixty years later, Israel remains in the crosshairs of neighbors that despise them and refuse to recognize their right to exist.
Berlin Airlift (1948-49): Following World War II, the Allies split Germany in two. The western powers occupied West Germany while the Soviets took the East. Likewise, Berlin was split in two. On June 24, 1948, Josef Stalin decided to cut Berlin off from the west and force city's unification. In response, American President Harry Truman began airlifting supplies to the besieged Berliners. Planes dropped supplies every day around the clock. Eventually, Stalin capitulated and he lifted the siege. West Berlin remained free.
NATO (1949): To counter Soviet expansionism, the west formed the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The group's mission was to deter a Soviet strike into Western Europe. Under the NATO Charter, if one nation is attacked, the entire alliance is attacked. The collective defense helped hold the Soviets in check during the Cold War. On October 4, 2001, NATO invoked the charter for the only time in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks on America.
China (1949): After two decades of Civil War, the Communists declared victory and formed the People's Republic of China on October 1, 1949. China's fall to the communists was a psychological blow to the west who feared a Sino-Soviet bloc. In the end, the Chinese and Soviets squabbled and almost came to blows. Richard Nixon opened China to the west in 1972 which began China's reintegration into the world community and its transformation away from failed communist policies.
First Computer (1941): Germany created the first programmable computer in 1941. The Germans used the machine to calculate wing flutter on their aircraft. Despite the technical breakthrough, the Germans did not consider the computer important for the war effort and cut funding. The Americans followed with their own computer in 1942.
The Holocaust (1942-1945): The Germans originally wished to deport Jews and others, but the war changed things. They closed their borders and turned concentration camps into death camps. The Holocaust involved the systematic killing of Jews, Slavs, Soviet prisoners of war, political opponents, the mentally and physically disabled, and others the Nazis considered impure. In addition to mass murder, the Holocaust included sadistic experiments and the creation of an ideology in order to justify crimes against humanity and dehumanize the victims. Between 15 and 20 million died in the Holocaust.
Bretton Woods System (1944): Bretton Woods created the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. Protectionism destroyed the world's economy and led to the rise of the dictators. The world wanted to avoid a repeat of the Great Depression. As a result, they created a system to intertwine the world's economies to such an extent that war would never be an option. The end result of this globalization was outsourcing, free trade, and peace between the major powers.
The Long Telegram (1947): In July, 1947, an article appeared in Foreign Affairs magazine. The author, George Kennan, established American foreign policy for the next fifty years. He argued the Soviet Union believed itself at war with capitalism and would seek to expand. Since they respected power, standing up to the Soviets would stop that expansion. As long as the Soviets remained contained, flaws in the communist system and ethnic diversity would eventually rip them apart. Kennan proved prophetic.
Partition of India (1947): On August 15, 1947, India gained its independence and Pakistan came into existence. Pakistan became home to Indian Muslims while Hinduism remained the major religion in India. About one million people died as Hindus scrambled to India and Muslims fled to Pakistan. Animosity between Hindus and Muslims went back to the Middle Ages and the Mughal Empire. As a result, each side took turns massacring refugees. Eventually, the two countries fought a series of wars and almost came to nuclear blows. Sixty years later, the animosity remains.
Israel (1948): Israel declared independence from Britain on May 14, 1948. This fulfilled a 1917 promise the British tried to ignore. Britain wanted Palestine for themselves. However, determined Jewish resistance and memories of the Holocaust forced British capitulation. Immediately after becoming independent, Arab nations declared war and were defeated. Sixty years later, Israel remains in the crosshairs of neighbors that despise them and refuse to recognize their right to exist.
Berlin Airlift (1948-49): Following World War II, the Allies split Germany in two. The western powers occupied West Germany while the Soviets took the East. Likewise, Berlin was split in two. On June 24, 1948, Josef Stalin decided to cut Berlin off from the west and force city's unification. In response, American President Harry Truman began airlifting supplies to the besieged Berliners. Planes dropped supplies every day around the clock. Eventually, Stalin capitulated and he lifted the siege. West Berlin remained free.
NATO (1949): To counter Soviet expansionism, the west formed the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The group's mission was to deter a Soviet strike into Western Europe. Under the NATO Charter, if one nation is attacked, the entire alliance is attacked. The collective defense helped hold the Soviets in check during the Cold War. On October 4, 2001, NATO invoked the charter for the only time in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks on America.
China (1949): After two decades of Civil War, the Communists declared victory and formed the People's Republic of China on October 1, 1949. China's fall to the communists was a psychological blow to the west who feared a Sino-Soviet bloc. In the end, the Chinese and Soviets squabbled and almost came to blows. Richard Nixon opened China to the west in 1972 which began China's reintegration into the world community and its transformation away from failed communist policies.