The 1940’s are an important time in American history, not only because the country participated in WWII, but because of all the changes that came around because of the war. New organizations were formed, laws were passed, the country got a new president, and the United States almost engaged in war with the Soviet Union. The changes that occurred in this decade were the start of a new era. The domestic and foreign policies of the United States in the 1940’s helped to shape the world into what it is today, by forming organizations like the United Nations, engaging in the Cold War, and changing the home life of Americans with new laws.
World War II, which ended in 1945, was not only a huge political event itself, but also the catalyst for a great number of changes in the United States political system. The president during most of WWII was Franklin D. Roosevelt. He was inaugurated in 1933, and continued to lead the country for an unprecedented four terms (Grapes). He collaborated with Winston Churchill (“Winston Churchill”), who became the Prime Minister of Britain in 1940, and Joseph Stalin, the premier of the Soviet Union at the time and Lenin’s successor (“Joseph …show more content…
The leaders used this conference to discuss exactly how they would govern Germany after the war, including border changes, prosecution of war criminals, agreeing on war reparations, etc. In this conference, the partitioning of Vietnam along the 17th parallel was also agreed upon. The Potsdam Declaration was issued, outlining how the Allies planned to defeat Japan. More importantly, it was during this conference that Truman hinted at the existence of an atomic bomb to Stalin. Afterwards, the dropping of the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki proved this fact. This sparked more tensions between the Soviet Union and the United States, leading to the arms race and outrageous competition between the two nations (“Harry S.
World War II, which ended in 1945, was not only a huge political event itself, but also the catalyst for a great number of changes in the United States political system. The president during most of WWII was Franklin D. Roosevelt. He was inaugurated in 1933, and continued to lead the country for an unprecedented four terms (Grapes). He collaborated with Winston Churchill (“Winston Churchill”), who became the Prime Minister of Britain in 1940, and Joseph Stalin, the premier of the Soviet Union at the time and Lenin’s successor (“Joseph …show more content…
The leaders used this conference to discuss exactly how they would govern Germany after the war, including border changes, prosecution of war criminals, agreeing on war reparations, etc. In this conference, the partitioning of Vietnam along the 17th parallel was also agreed upon. The Potsdam Declaration was issued, outlining how the Allies planned to defeat Japan. More importantly, it was during this conference that Truman hinted at the existence of an atomic bomb to Stalin. Afterwards, the dropping of the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki proved this fact. This sparked more tensions between the Soviet Union and the United States, leading to the arms race and outrageous competition between the two nations (“Harry S.