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History 12
Post WW2-Immediate Shifts of Power
1. 2 New “SUPERPOWERS” Emerge
U.S.A.:
VS.
U.S.S.R.
(The Best of the West )
(The Beast from the East)
 both were crucial in defeating Axis in Europe and Pacific
 both have growing “Spheres of influence”
 both have VETO on U.N. Security Council
 both engage in a “Cold War” that will dominate World Politics from 1945-1991
2. 2 Old Superpowers Diminish
Great(?) Britain
&
France
 both still given permanent seat on U.N. Security Council
 second World War in 20 years leaves both economies “shaken not stirred”
 WW2 leads to rapid decline of Empires: Britain leaves most places peacefully;
France goes down fighting
 France has to deal with war-time COLLABORATORS
(eg some leaders were tried and executed)
3. What happened to the defeated Axis Powers?
a) Italy
 Replaced Mussolini in July 1943, he later fled Rome
 1st Axis to surrender; Rome falls June 1944
 Mussolini executed by angry Italians
 Post-War Government: Parliamentary Democracy! (with a
President not a King)
b) Germany
 After surrender in May 1945: 4 Occupied zones created,
 later theses become 2 countries:
West Germany (Democratic) and East Germany (Communist) not
re-unified until 1989
 “Denazification” begins War Crimes Tribunal (177 indicted;
Himmler, Goering, Goebbels all commit suicide;
11 other top Nazis executed, only 3 aquitted
c) Japan




Surrendered after 2nd Bomb, August 14
Occupied and assisted by USA (Gen. Macarthur) until 1952
Showa Constitution= Parliamentary Democracy with Emperor
Hirohito as Figurehead
Military all but eliminated
Other interesting facts!

Only Eastern European Country to liberate themselves from Germany
WITHOUT HELP from Allies: Yugoslavia.

As a result their Resistance leader: Tito, (Joseph Broz) given control and he
installs a Communist government
 Another famous “Resistance” leader to lead his country:
Charles de Gaulle of France.

The European country which had a civil war following WW2 that “set the stage
for the Cold War”: Greece
 The only 3 leaders to “survive” the entire war as leaders:
1.) Mackenzie King of Canada
2.) Joseph Stalin of USSR
3) Emperor Hirohito of Japan (*reduced to figurehead)
 2 former British colonies to become “ newly” created countries Post WW2:
1)1947 a) India and b Pakistan
Results in “largest” migration in History and
Massive violence between Hindus and Muslims.
2.) 1948: State of Israel
invaded by new “neighbours” (Jordan, Egypt, Syria, Iraq) the next day
millions of Palestinian Arabs become refugees
 1945-1949 Chinese Civil War resumes
Mao Tse Tung and Communists WIN!
Declare People’s Republic of China.
*Chiang Kai Shek lives in exile in Taiwan_; he is recognized by UN as official
leader until 1971.