ap euro
Lauren Thomas
AP European History
Weinberger p. 3
April 17, 2013 How was European unity achieved by the end of the 20th century?
World War II was by far the most destructive war in history. Countries were faced with struggles they never dreamt of encountering as well devastation to millions. Nazi Germany and Hitler were fighting for a worldview extermination of the Jewish race, hoping to carry out a new Aryan empire, while the Japanese were fueled by extreme nationalism and hate, all of which lead to complete devastation throughout most of Europe. How was European unity ever supposed to occur? There are several factors which lead to the ultimate European unity at the end of the 20th century.
When Germany and Japan were defeated, new positions of leadership were available. The Soviet Union quickly moved in to capture Germany and Eastern Europe. China, France, and Great Britain were too weak to continue in the war, leaving the United States and the Soviet Union to butt heads. These allies were determined not to repeat the mistakes of World War I, in which the countries failed to set up an organization to enforce world peace. The United Nations was born. It was a “declaration on liberated Europe” which was ultimately a pledge in which liberated nations could create “democratic institutions of their own choice”. The EU still stands strong today and maintains international peace. Although at this time, new tensions began to surface between the United States and the Soviet Union. The struggle for the end of that totalitarian regime started what we call the Cold War. Several small wars broke out and it was questionable if this power struggle would ever end.
When Europe became spilt into East and West, Germany was stuck in the middle. The Soviet Union made a blockade that isolated the three western sections of Germany from the western portion of Europe. Western allies began to fly life necessities into Berlin to save the 2.5 million western Germans. Because the
AP European History
Weinberger p. 3
April 17, 2013 How was European unity achieved by the end of the 20th century?
World War II was by far the most destructive war in history. Countries were faced with struggles they never dreamt of encountering as well devastation to millions. Nazi Germany and Hitler were fighting for a worldview extermination of the Jewish race, hoping to carry out a new Aryan empire, while the Japanese were fueled by extreme nationalism and hate, all of which lead to complete devastation throughout most of Europe. How was European unity ever supposed to occur? There are several factors which lead to the ultimate European unity at the end of the 20th century.
When Germany and Japan were defeated, new positions of leadership were available. The Soviet Union quickly moved in to capture Germany and Eastern Europe. China, France, and Great Britain were too weak to continue in the war, leaving the United States and the Soviet Union to butt heads. These allies were determined not to repeat the mistakes of World War I, in which the countries failed to set up an organization to enforce world peace. The United Nations was born. It was a “declaration on liberated Europe” which was ultimately a pledge in which liberated nations could create “democratic institutions of their own choice”. The EU still stands strong today and maintains international peace. Although at this time, new tensions began to surface between the United States and the Soviet Union. The struggle for the end of that totalitarian regime started what we call the Cold War. Several small wars broke out and it was questionable if this power struggle would ever end.
When Europe became spilt into East and West, Germany was stuck in the middle. The Soviet Union made a blockade that isolated the three western sections of Germany from the western portion of Europe. Western allies began to fly life necessities into Berlin to save the 2.5 million western Germans. Because the