Repercussions of the II World War

Repercussions of World War II and International Relations After 1945

Introduction

• The Second World War (1939-1945) involved the Axis powers (Germany, Italy, and Japan) against the Allies (United Kingdom, France, USSR, and the United States).
• It was the most widespread and destructive war in human history.
• The post-war period was marked by constant confrontation between the capitalist and socialist blocs, particularly the United States and the USSR, during the Cold War.

1. Repercussions of the Second World War

• The war's magnitude, its total war character, and the use of new combat techniques and weaponry led to devastating consequences.

1.1. Human Losses

• Estimates suggest approximately 60 million people died in World War II.
• The USSR suffered the most significant losses, exceeding 23 million people, with only a third being military personnel, representing at least 10% of its population.
• China's losses are estimated at around 15 million people.
• Poland lost 6 million people, representing over 15% of its population.
• Estonia lost approximately 25% of its population.
• Yugoslavia's losses of 1.5 million resulted from a civil war with an ethnic component.
• France had about 600,000 deaths, and the United Kingdom approximately 500,000.
• The United States suffered approximately 300,000 military deaths, as their territories were not battlegrounds.
• Germany lost nearly 5 million, mostly military personnel.
• Japan lost 2 million people, including 200,000 in the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
• Italy may have lost around half a million people.
• A significant proportion of casualties were civilians, around 50% overall, with higher percentages in countries like Poland (90%) and Lithuania and Latvia (100%).
• Massive bombings of urban centers, chemical weapons use, and Nazi racial policies contributed to civilian deaths.
• Nazi extermination programs targeted Jews, political opponents, Roma, and disabled individuals. Approximately 6 million Jews were exterminated, nearly a third of Europe's Jewish population. The total number of victims of the Nazi holocaust is estimated at 17 million.
• Between 30 and 40 million people were displaced, mainly in Europe, leading to significant changes in ethnic and population distribution.

1.2. Economic Losses

• The war caused immense material destruction, with aerial bombings and military advances devastating infrastructure.
• Communication networks were destroyed in central Europe, oil was scarce, and industrial production fell to a fifth of pre-war levels.
• Farmlands were unusable due to mines and bombs, leading to severe food shortages and famine.
• Significant capital assets were destroyed: 25% in the USSR, 13% in Germany, 8% in Italy, and 7% in France.
• The USSR faced particularly devastating effects, with ruins in the agricultural sector and setbacks in industrialization.
• A vast arms industry could not be easily repurposed, and there was widespread material destruction.
• Only the United States emerged unscathed on its territory, with its aid being crucial for European recovery.
• The U.S. economy grew by 10% in the post-war years, positioning the United States as the world's leading power.

1.3. Territorial Repercussions

• The war led to fewer border changes compared to previous conflicts. Most changes were formalized in the Yalta (February 1945) and Potsdam (July-August 1945) conferences, nullifying Hitler's conquests.
• Austria and Poland were re-established as national states.
• Poland gained a larger coastline and a more homogeneous territory.
• Czechoslovakia regained the Sudetes and part of Hungarian territory.
• The USSR benefited territorially, gaining a buffer zone in Eastern Europe through the establishment of