Question

Which countries gained the most from world war 1 and world war 2? And how did they gain?

Can you please explain this to me? Like which countries gained and from what? I'm a little unclear on this, and would like to understand it better! :) Maybe like 3-5 countries?

Thanks so much! :)

Answer 1

Hi @Captain_Page_Turner :) thanks for coming!!! :)

Answer 2

No prob, I was free and saw this question out there when I checked in. :)

The easiest way to look at this is to see who the victors were and the losers. In both World Wars, Germany was on the losing end so we can start with them.

To keep things short and simple, Germany was forced to take on war reparations and actual blame for the first world war in the Treaty of Versailles -- they lost a lot of prestige and their economy was heavily damaged by the Treaty at the end of WW1. At the end of WW2, Germany not only lost the war, but the country was split in half -- West Germany going to the UK, United States, and France, and East Germany going to the Communists (USSR-sponsored government).

In both wars, the United States came out largely untouched and actually better off than the European countries did. The US was only in WW1 for a little over a year (Wilson tried to keep the US neutral and out of the war). After the war, the US continued to grow and expand (until the Great Depression) and was largely untouched because it wasn't in the line of fire as most of the European countries were. The US had many workers (especially as soldiers came home looking for work), functioning factories, and a healthy economy untouched by the war the way that Europe was, paving the way for what would be known as the Roaring 20s.

After WW2, the US once again was in a hugely advantageous position because of its relative isolation from the direct fronts of the war. Europe was once against devastated, but the US stepped in with the Marshall Plan, war factories were converted back into making cars and luxury goods, and new markets opened up in the next few years as the European and Japanese economy got back on their feet.

We can also look at Russia -- after WW1, Russia had already gone through the throes of revolution and its armies were humiliated on the battlefield before that. After WW2, the country was devastated and millions had died, but it was regarded as one of the only real superpowers left standing afterward because it was one of the victors, if not the one that had borne the brunt of the war's worst casualties. It recovered quickly after the war and would go on to compete with the US for world influence.

Answer 3

Ohh okay.. Wow! That really cleared things up! I understand it a lot more now, thanks! :)

Seems like there are so many details regarding WW1 and WW2 that it's like a never ending cycle of facts!

Thanks so much @Captain_Page_Turner :)

Super interesting! Definitely helped me a ton! :)