Arguably the two most formative events of the 20th century were the first and Second World War. Both killed millions of people, spawned radical ideologies and happened in relatively close succession. It is the closeness in proximity of these two conflicts that has generated such study and intrigue into what caused them, mostly so they can be avoided in the future. At the Brenton woods conference in 1944 they had this very thing in mind when developing the new world economic order. All of which was designed off of two thesis that are still at play today on the world stage. They are: Depression leads to collapse of trade which leads to war, and that wealth leads to trade which leads to peace. Through the majority of the 20th and into the 21st
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In that time and time again we have seen trade stop wars from ever happening and the breakdown of trade destabilize entire regions. Over the past century we have seen the first hold true in a number of regions however we have most recently seen it in Russia since the fall of the Soviet Union. The Second theses have also been clearly seen throughout the century in the case of Europe and the EU. When it comes to wealth leads to trade leads to peace there is no better example than the EU common market. More specifically the French and German aspects of the EU and how they have ushered in a new era of peace and prosperity in Europe. European states have been going to war with each other more or less continually since the creation of European states. However beginning after the renaissance these wars began to get increasingly more bloody and deadly, resulting in a devastating mass casualty war at least once a century. Such conflicts as the war of Spanish secession, Seven years’ war, Napoleonic wars, Crimean war, Napoleonic wars and the Franco-Prussian war. However it was in the …show more content…
The first lesson of wealth leads to trade which leads to peace is clearly reflected in the EU and was one of the main principles behind the seventy years of peace in Europe. The Second lesion of depression leads to collapse of trade leads to war is also seen in the actions of Vladimir Putin in Russia. It is clear that if the world truly wishes for lasting peace it should focus entirely on trade and keeping the world economy stable. If this can be done we very well might have a worldwide EU like level of cooperation and
In that time and time again we have seen trade stop wars from ever happening and the breakdown of trade destabilize entire regions. Over the past century we have seen the first hold true in a number of regions however we have most recently seen it in Russia since the fall of the Soviet Union. The Second theses have also been clearly seen throughout the century in the case of Europe and the EU. When it comes to wealth leads to trade leads to peace there is no better example than the EU common market. More specifically the French and German aspects of the EU and how they have ushered in a new era of peace and prosperity in Europe. European states have been going to war with each other more or less continually since the creation of European states. However beginning after the renaissance these wars began to get increasingly more bloody and deadly, resulting in a devastating mass casualty war at least once a century. Such conflicts as the war of Spanish secession, Seven years’ war, Napoleonic wars, Crimean war, Napoleonic wars and the Franco-Prussian war. However it was in the …show more content…
The first lesson of wealth leads to trade which leads to peace is clearly reflected in the EU and was one of the main principles behind the seventy years of peace in Europe. The Second lesion of depression leads to collapse of trade leads to war is also seen in the actions of Vladimir Putin in Russia. It is clear that if the world truly wishes for lasting peace it should focus entirely on trade and keeping the world economy stable. If this can be done we very well might have a worldwide EU like level of cooperation and