In the aftermath of World War II, Europe showed a notable overall decline in both its economic production and its overall primacy in the international community. While some historians have argued that the Second World War is what had served as the impetus for the decline of Europe, when tracing the evolution of Europe throughout the course of the twentieth century, it becomes evident that Europe suffered a gradual decline throughout this time period. As such, when World War II concluded, Europe collapsed as a result of more than six decades of slow erosion of the empire.In an effort to better understand the overall decline of Europe during the twentieth century, this investigation considers the specific events that shaped the development of Europe between the years of 1914 and 1965. Through a careful consideration of what has been written about Europe's development between these years it will be possible to demonstrate that Europe faced a steady decline as a result of international events that were beyond the control of the empire. These events culminated in the physical destruction of Europe during World War II. When considered together, the history of Europe between 1914 and 1965 will show that Europe faced an unavoidable pathway to erosion which eventually led to the complete destruction of the empire.
[...] Despite years of attempting to rebuild the country after World War Europe again lay in ruin, the victim of a war that it could not prevent. Upon Germany's unconditional surrender, the United States and members of the Allied Powers began working together to establish a peace agreement for all enemy states in Europe. The Potsdam Conference, which took place in the summer of 1945, outlined the methods that would be used for creating peace in Europe: The Governments of the United Kingdom, the United States and the U. [...]
[...] As both the US and Russia came to power after World War II, most of the war torn countries in Europe did not have the resources or the capabilities to work toward protecting the European empire. As such, Europe suffered its final blow because of its inability to effectively take control in the years after the Second World War. Conclusion Clearly, the data in this investigation demonstrates that Europe suffered a slow decline throughout the early and mid-twentieth century. Unfortunately, the circumstances of history were not ones that favored European nations. [...]
[...] The Rise of Fascism and World War II As a result of the economic and political turmoil that began to spread across Europe after World War II, fascism began to arise. According to Blum (1998) fascism, which is most closely related to the rise of Benito Mussolini in Italy, also served as the impetus for the development of Nazism in Germany. In an effort to rebuild in the face of significant political and economic uncertainty, Germany adopted fascism as a means to promote the superiority of the white race. [...]
[...] Himmelberg (2001) in his assessment of the Great Depression notes that Europe suffered the ill-effects of the Great Depression because of its precarious financial situation after World War I and the enactment of polices by the US to increase tariffs on foreign countries. According to Himmelberg, the Fordney-McCumber Act of 1922 and the Hawley-Smoot Tariff of 1930 prevented Europe from selling its goods in the United States. This coupled with the fact that the US economy collapsed during this time period, left Europe with no real solutions for its financial debacle. [...]
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