US History in the Post WWII Era Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

US History in the Post WWII Era - Essay Example But it was the attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese troops as a part of their expansion plan in to the Far East that made the United States to get involved in the war. By 1942, all the major nations in the world were participating in this destructive war.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   World War II was effective in bringing about the downfall of Western Europe as the dominant world power. Eastern Europe and East Asia suffered heavy losses. It also led to the rise of the Soviet Union and United States as the superpowers and this opened up an era of Cold War. World War II also marked the end of British Empire. This paper is based on the thesis statement that the World War II and Cold War were the most defining events in the history of United States that brought out radicalization of the nation.  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The United States, post World War I had become the dominating power in the world market of food, minerals and industry. But with the crashing of the stock market America was crippled by the financial crisis or the Great Depression in the 1930’s. With the decision of the American Government to join the war, a wave of patriotism began to rage the Americans. World War II brought an upheaval in the lives of American population. The war transformed the social, cultural and political environment of the United States. As the war posed a crisis for American culture, the Americans had to unite to defeat the enemy, irrespective of class, racial and ethnic boundaries that had long divided them. The African Americans were largely employed in various works during the war time. World War II brought significant changes in the role of American women also. Earlier, they were suppressed by the patriarchal society to stay within the confines of their homes. But during t he war, women joined the workforce to replace men who were drafted in to the armed forces. "Rosie the Riveter" became the symbol of women working in