Name: Vanessa Silva Ramos Enrollment number: Al03024943

Name of the subject: Mundo Name of the teacher: Carlos Federico

contemporaneo
Module: Activity: Exercise 10
Date: 25/09/2024
References: Canva

Alpha History. (2012, mayo 29). Europa de posguerra. World War I; Alpha

History. https://es.alphahistory.com/worldwar1/posguerra-europa/

Reguera, E. (2023, October 14). Economic Consequences of World War II:

Impact on the Global Economy. Learn Economics.

https://aprendeeconomia.info/economia-de-posguerra-segunda-guerra-

mundial/

Tomé, C. (2015, September 3). The post-war that made us — Cuaderno de

Cultura Científica. Cuaderno de Cultura Científica.

https://culturacientifica.com/2015/09/03/la-posguerra-que-nos-hizo/

1.
 1. How did the construction of the Berlin Wall impact the lives of
Berliners? The Berlin Wall had a profound impact on the city and its
residents. Families and friends were separated, and East Berliners were
cut off from the economic opportunities and freedoms of the West. The
wall also became a flashpoint for Cold War tensions, with U.S. and
Soviet tanks famously facing off at Checkpoint Charlie in October 1961.

2. What were the main differences between life in West and East Berlin?
The Berlin Wall, constructed in 1961, physically separated the two
sides. East Berliners were largely prohibited from crossing into West
Berlin, except under strict conditions. In contrast, West Berliners had
the freedom to travel and could easily visit other parts of West
Germany.

3. In your opinion, when did the USA and the USSR come closest to direct
conflict during the Cold War? In my opinion, the closest the USA and
the USSR came to direct conflict was during the Cuban Missile Crisis in
October 1962

4. How did you interpret the emotions and reactions of the people when
the Berlin Wall was finally torn down? I think it was a thrill of joy
because after a long time families were able to reunite and this division
was removed

FORO
Post-war Europe

World War I had a profound effect on the continent, altering countries, eliminating
dynasties, and creating a new postwar Europe. Left behind are three of the continent's
most powerful monarchies: the Hohenzollern dynasty in Germany, the Romanovs in
Russia, and the House of Habsburg-Lorraine in Austria-Hungary. The map of Europe
was radically redrawn; Borders were redefined, and new countries were formed, arising
from the Russian and Austro-Hungarian empires. Some ethnic and nationalist groups,
who had long dreamed of nationality and self-rule, finally got the chance. But the
reconstruction of Europe did not satisfy everyone or eradicate old prejudices or
presumptions about who should govern and where. The new Europe was an idealistic
construct, but it would not be strong enough to withstand the extremism and fanatical
nationalism that appeared a dozen years later.

The economic devastation caused by the war was significant. Europe suffered industrial
and agricultural losses, leading to chronic shortages of food and essential goods. The
war industry was strengthened to the detriment of the consumer goods industry, which
made it difficult to convert heavy industry aimed at producing military equipment into
one aimed at producing goods and services.

The post-war periods are times of tremendous social, political and economic attrition.
Armed conflicts provide a clear enemy to fight, a political objective to achieve, and they
push the economy to achieve that purpose: peace.

Socialist countries
1.China

Since 1949, the People's Republic of China adopted socialism/communism as

its form of government, after a long civil war of more than 20 years in which
the Chinese Communist Party was victorious.

It is currently the second most populous country in the world and one of the
world's two largest economies, the only country that competes in GDP with
the United States. Xi Jinping is the head of state.

2. North Korea

Its conversion to communism took place in 1945 with the end of World War II,
when the Soviet Union and the United States divided up the territories of
Korea.
The war between the two nations remains latent because they never signed
a peace agreement. Kim Jong-un is the supreme head of state.

3. Cuba

After the Cuban Revolution, led by Fidel Castro and Ernesto "Che" Guevara in
1959, Cuba gradually made a transformation to communism, which was
ratified in 1961.

4. Laos

The Lao People's Democratic Republic, after its independence from France in
1949 and a civil war that lasted until 1975, acquired socialism as its system
of government.

With a great ethnic variety and a population that is mostly dedicated to

agriculture, there is a socialist state in Laos but with a market economy, and
since 1980 more and more private companies have been operating in the
country.

5. Vietnam

After three decades of war between the north and the south, in 1976 the
Socialist Republic of Vietnam was unified under socialism. In its definition, it
opted for a parliamentary socialist form of government with a market
economy, dominated by the Communist Party.

It is one of the economies that grew the most in the 21st century but with
high rates of inequality.

Countries with a Capitalist regime

1.United States

One of the main defenders of capitalism at a global level. The free market
economy has led to industrial and technological development, but also to
high social inequality and lack of universal access to services such as health.

2.West Germany (FRG) (1949-1990) and Unified Germany

Unlike the GDR, the FRG adopted a capitalist model and became one of the
most powerful economies in Europe. Although economic growth has been
sustained, there are challenges in terms of the integration of the former
socialist regions after reunification.

3.United Kingdom
 The United Kingdom has followed a capitalist economy with market policies.
While it has had significant growth, especially during the 20th century, it has
faced inequalities and, more recently, challenges with Brexit.
Video
End of World War II: Victorious Nations and the New World
Geopolitical Order

World War II (1939-1945) was a global conflict that involved most of the
world's nations. The end of the war marked the beginning of a new
geopolitical order, led by the victorious nations: the United States, the Soviet
Union, the United Kingdom, and France, who became the world's leading
powers. After the surrender of Germany in May 1945 and the surrender of
Japan in September of the same year, the world entered a new era
characterized by tensions between two ideological blocs: capitalism, led by
the United States, and communism, led by the Soviet Union.

Bipolarity of International Relations: United States vs. Soviet Union

The end of World War II ushered in the Cold War, a period of political,
economic, and military tensions between the United States and the Soviet
Union, known as the bipolarity of international relations. Both countries
emerged as superpowers with opposing worldviews:

United States: Defender of capitalism and liberal democracy. Their goal was
to expand their free-market model and protect the free world from the threat
of communism.

Soviet Union: Promoter of communism and socialism under a one-party

regime. It sought to expand its influence over Eastern Europe and other
territories, supporting revolutionary movements around the world.

The world was divided into two blocs: Western, led by the United States, and
Eastern, led by the Soviet Union. This division was evident in several conflicts
such as the Korean War (1950-1953) and the Cuban Missile Crisis (1962),
events that brought the world to the brink of nuclear war.
Presentation of Key Events and their Dates

Start of World War II: September 1, 1939, when Germany invaded Poland.

D-Day: On June 6, 1944, Allied forces (mainly the United States, United
Kingdom, and Canada) landed on the beaches of Normandy, France. This
operation marked the beginning of the liberation of Nazi-occupied Western
Europe.

Germany's surrender: On May 8, 1945, known as V-E Day, Germany

surrendered unconditionally to the Allies, ending the conflict in Europe.

Atomic Bombings and Surrender of Japan: On August 6 and 9, 1945, the

United States dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and
Nagasaki. As a result, on September 2, 1945, Japan surrendered, ending the
war in Asia and the Pacific.

D-Day and the Collapse of Nazi Germany

D-Day was a crucial turning point in World War II. The Normandy landings
allowed Allied forces to begin the liberation of France, which eventually led to
the collapse of the Nazi regime. The fall of Germany occurred in May 1945
after the entry of Allied troops into Berlin and the suicide of Adolf Hitler on
April 30, 1945.

After Germany's surrender, the Allies concentrated their efforts on Japan,

which refused to surrender. The United States, in order to avoid a ground
invasion and with the aim of quickly ending the war, decided to use nuclear
weapons against Japan. This event changed the course of the war and the
geopolitical dynamics going forward.

Consequences for Japan and the United States

After Japan's surrender, the United States occupied the country and oversaw
its reconstruction and democratization. This occupation lasted until 1952 and
transformed Japan into an economic power with a democratic, capitalist
government. For its part, the United States consolidated its position as a
global superpower, with military bases around the world and a booming
economy, driven by the reconstruction of Europe and Asia through the
Marshall Plan.
In conclusion, the end of World War II not only brought with it the defeat of
the Axis powers, but also the establishment of a new world order, dominated
by the rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union, which would
mark international relations for much of the twentieth century.