13.4 Out of the Ashes

By the end of this section, you will be able to:

  • Describe the final stages of the war in Europe
  • Identify the components of the agreements reached at Yalta and Potsdam
  • Analyze the decision to drop atomic bombs on Japan
  • Discuss the efforts to transform Japan after its surrender

Just as it did after World War I, immense hope prevailed after World War II that genuine and lasting peace might arise. The future of the globe itself seemed to hang in the balance if humans could not avoid using violence to solve their problems. However, the use of nuclear weapons to end the fighting in the Pacific meant the postwar world had to grapple with new ethical and technological concerns. The rebuilding of war-torn and defeated countries added a new dimension to what victory looked like.

This lesson has no exercises.

The content of this course has been taken from the free World History, Volume 2: from 1400 textbook by Openstax