Unipolar World, Globalization, and World War II Analysis
Unipolar World
Conflicts: Increase of population, massive migrations, terrorism, frustration.
Ronald Reagan initiated globalization with financing from the World Bank and International Monetary Fund.
The Persian Gulf War
Consequences: Thousands of deaths, serious material losses, oil price decrease, security council economic sanctions.
In April 2003, Iraq was invaded by the United States and the United Kingdom.
Globalization
At the end of the Middle Ages, in the 16th century, European countries, Asia, Africa, and America had an important trade flow.
The Maastricht Treaty was signed, giving rise to the European Community.
An example is the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), signed between Mexico, Canada, and the United States in October 1992.
In South America, Mercosur was created. Composed of Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela, Uruguay, Peru, Bolivia, and Colombia, this treaty allows countries to exchange products.
Causes of terrorism: Displacement of communities, independence movements using terrorist methods, Iraq’s invasion of the USA using terrorism as a way to fight a superior power.
The Second World War
Germany invaded Poland on September 1. Therefore, England and France declared war against Germany, while Italy remained out of the conflict.
Between September 1939 and June 1941, Germany, Italy, and Japan occupied important regions of Africa, Asia, and Europe. Their objective was to rule the world and distribute it among each other.
In April 1940, Germany invaded Norway.
On June 10, 1940, Italy declared war on France and England.
In August 1940, Hitler started an air attack on England, but English aviators saved their country.
On September 27, 1940, Japan signed an agreement that confirmed its participation in the Axis formed by Germany, Italy, and Japan.
In November 1940, Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia surrendered to Germany. Italians were defeated in Greece.
On June 21, 1941, Hitler attacked Russia, and a few weeks later, Germany occupied several cities of the U.S.S.R. Nevertheless, the Russian army defended its country and stopped the German advance. The Battle of Stalingrad, in which the German Army was defeated, took place between September 1942 and early 1943.
On the other hand, Japan, which declared war on China since 1931, took over Canton, Shanghai, and Nanking in 1938, a fact that allowed it to control the most important regions of the country.
On December 7, 1941, the Japanese navy and air force attacked Pearl Harbor in the Hawaiian Islands where the American navy was located; with this, the American Navy lost much of its fleet. A few days later, Japanese aircraft sank English ships.
On July 10, 1943, Anglo-American armies landed in Sicily to invade Italy. The fascist council rose up against Mussolini; Petro Badoglio took over the power, and the new Italian government declared war against Germany on October 13, beginning the end of the war.
In 1943, France could take its place again, being recognized as a State by England, the United States, and Russia.
Among the allies’ projects to defeat Germany was to have a good relationship with Russia.
In December 1943, during a lecture given in Moscow, England, the U.S.S.R., and China proposed the creation of a worldwide organism: the United Nations (UN).
The allies also made the decision to defeat Germany to later declare war against Japan, with the United States being responsible for this mission.