Essay on Cold War

World War II has been forever recognized as the single greatest military conflict in human history. Although the Allies, composed of Britain, Russia and the United states, prevailed in the conflict, the war itself was instrumental in completely transforming the social, economic and political landscape of not only the nations involved but the world at large as well. The aftermath of the war saw the decolonization of Africa and Asia, whom before that point were under the stranglehold of European imperialism. Furthermore, it inspired the creation of United Nations, a coalition of nations from around the world to oversee global affairs and international relations in the hopes that such a devastating conflict would never again materialize.

Among the nations to experience drastic change within their infrastructure was the United States. The aftermath of the war saw a profound change within American society as well as its relationship with the international community. The war elicited lasting changes particularly in the spheres of education, global relations as well as communal life. This essay will analyze a few of the lasting changes that occurred in American society during the years following the war, with specific reference to the educational and domestic changes in American society, the postwar prosperity that facilitated Americas transition into a global superpower and the emergence of the Cold war and its subsequent impact on American foreign policy.

As veterans and GI's slowly began to return to America from the warfront, the daunting task of what to do with the overwhelming number returning soldiers became a priority in American politics. To remedy the situation, congress passed the Servicemen's Re-adjustment Act in 1944 or what is better known as the GI Bill, "enacted out of the fear that employment markets could not accommodate 15 million veterans, the GI Bill made generous provisions for retuning soldiers/ in the postwar decade 8 million veterans advanced their education at Uncle Sam's expense." (911)

The GI Bill allowed soldiers to gain access into post secondary institutions, all on the government's expenditure. The bill also had the adverse effect of eliminating the elitist status associated with facilities of higher learning as colleges and universities up until that point were viewed as a concession predominantly afforded to rich, notable members of society.

With higher education now becoming more commonplace in American society, the industrial sector began to lose its influence on Americans as education opened the ways for alternatives to the drudgery and monotony of industrial toil. Empowered by the education they had received, millions of Americans demanded more professional and sophisticated occupations within the service sector, a sentiment that manifested in the emergence of the white collared job. With the birth of white collared jobs came an increasing disdain for