Reflections on The First and Second World Wars - Coursework Example

REFLECTING ON THE EXPERIENCE OF THE FIRST AND SECOND WORLD WARS By The of the The of the School (University) The City and State The Date Introduction The Great War was described as the world’s first conflict to be global. It pitted the powers of Germany, the Ottoman Empire and Austria-Hungary against the forces allied to Great Britain, which were Russia, The United States of America, Japan, Italy and also France. By the end of the war, which occurred in 1914, there were numerous casualties and the destruction was immense. Carnage and destruction defined the end of the war, and it saw more than nine million soldiers who were fighting in the war get killed (Solomon, 116, 2006). It was a war that both sides intended to win no matter the costs and thus the great number of soldiers who died while serving their respective sides. The Great War went on for four years, and due to the warfare and modern weaponry, there were a means for either side to finish their opponents. The war was characterized with weaponry such as chemical weapons, machine guns and also tanks. By the time the war ended in 1918, the Central powers were defeated, 12 million soldiers wounded while countless others lay dead. Deaths from civilian casualties who were not even involved in the war numbered up to 10 million (Lamberti & Fortunati, 121, 2009). It was a war that sparked the other wars that happened; WW2 and cold war. During and in the aftermath of the war, France and Germany were the most affected countries because in order to ensure that they fought and won, they employed the tactic of sending most of the males to battle. They were aged between the age of 15-49 and they were sent to battle without the proper knowhow of how to survive in a war. The war marked a very important stage where it saw the fall of imperial dynasties that had dominated before, namely Turkey, Russia, Germany, and Austria-Hungary. In 1919, there was a peace conference that was planned, the leaders of the Allied States made a pledge to ensure that they built a world that was safe against such future conflicts that had brought about such a major level of destruction. With the Versailles Treaty that was signed in 1919, June 28th, the objective was not properly reached. Germany felt that they had been tricked into signing the treaty and they believed that there would be no peace without a victory for their side. It was indicated by Wilson in a speech that he gave in January 1918. With time, hatred towards the Versailles Treaty grew and those who had formed the treaty got a resentment that would in two decades bring another war in the midst; world war two. It would seem that Germany did not want to agree to the terms that were written in the treaty, and they considered it to be a defeat. World War 2 was a war that occurred just two decades after world war one. The war was the most widespread, and it involved more than 30 countries known as the most deadly war in the whole of history. The death toll in this war was estimated to be about 50 million deaths; both civilian and military and these figures vary, with some records stating that there were an estimated 85 million deaths. It lasted for the year 1939-1945, but the conflicts had begun earlier at a time that the treaty was still being debated upon. In the Second World War, the Great Powers were also involved, and they ended up forming to alliances of the military that were of opposition; Axis and Allies, and this happened in 1939. The war was sparked by one of the known dictators of the time; Adolf Hitler when he invaded Poland and sparked off the war (Lee & Higham, 350, 1997). The invasion was carried out in the year 1939 and after the inception of the war, it would continue for six years, which were known as the six most deadly years of all time. The Allied defeated the Japan and the Nazi Germany and were thus able to bring an end to the war that had claimed many lives. After Poland was invaded by Germany, France and Britain declared war on Germany as a way to retaliate and repay what had been done. Little did they know that they know that they would spark off one of the most deadly wars of all time. German was able to control much of Europe and was also able to form an alliance with Japan and Italy. This alliance was known as the Axis alliance. The Allied alliance was the British Commonwealth and the United Kingdom, and they fought against the Axis alliance. The result of World War 2 was that the Allies alliance won and defeated the Axis alliance thus were able to ensure that there was the Third Reich collapsed. There was also the creation of the United Nations, which still continues to exist to date as a way of maintaining world peace and order. There was also the emergence of superpowers such as the Soviet Union and the United States. There was also the formation of a permanent member of the UNSC such as the Soviet Union, France, China, United Kingdom and also the United States. There were the only positive outcomes that came out of the war in that it brought about a change in the world in terms of social structure and also the political alignment. With the end of World War two, there came to exist another war that was different from the other two. The United States and the Soviet Union had emerged as the superpowers that now went on to become rivals thus set the stage for another war; the Cold War (Phillips, 13, 2001). The cold war is a war that lasted for 46 years and is recorded as one of the longest wars to have ever existed. The cold war can be described as a war that brought about military tension and also a state of political unrest between the United States and its NATO alliances who were also known as the Western Bloc, and the Soviet Union and its Warsaw Pact alliances, also known as the Eastern Bloc (Gottfried & Reim, 15, 2003). The war was different from the others, mainly because it did not involve fighting between the two sides in a large scale manner, thus the name cold war (Phillips, 45, 2001). Though there were certain major wars in Afghanistan, Vietnam, and Korea, the war was not that intense as the first and second world wars. The cold war brought about the building of the Berlin wall back in the year 1962, and it was built to prevent Germans from the East from fleeing. It would help in ensuring that there was no drain of workers; thus the economy would not be affected. The wall was taken down during a time that seemed to mark the end of the war in 1989, and it marked numerous years of separation (Keohane, 148, 1993). The cold war is responsible for bringing about change that is still evident to this day despite the fact that it also caused a lot of suffering at the time. The cold war saw a wave of revolutions that the end ensured that the only superpower that was left was the United States. Also, it left a legacy such as the ones that are shown in movies, books, music and other media that portray the time of the cold war. Another element that seemed to mark the cold war was the nuclear war threat between the U.S.S.R and the United States. Most of the Asia Pacific states have an export-oriented structure of economics and depend on mostly maritime commerce and transportation. It means that their income comes from trade through the seas and ocean. It can be seen in the figures below of the world trade. Fig. 1. China’s Critical Sea Lines of Communication Fig.2 international maritime route Most of the attacks that happened during the wars were aimed at crippling the defences and the source of income for any country. SLOC helps in creating mutual interests if the parties involved feel the same about the current situation. China benefited from the wars and with that, it ensures that it places uttermost importance to the sea line security and it needs to play an important role in safeguarding the sea line of communication with other countries in the region. Seeing the land is covered by water, and that it occupies more than half of the world, sea lines are a means of communication between countries and they help in maintaining contact. During a time of peace, such as at the end or before the ww1 and ww2, they were used for commercial activities such as trade routes and a means to earn currency. During the wars, they were used as a means of communication (United States, 256, 1987). There are many communication lines among them two most significant which are; one passing through South China and Middle East and also in the Indian Ocean; the other through the East China Sea to the Sea of Japan all through to the Pacific Ocean, to the Coast of the Pacific of Canada and the United States. There are other lines that relate to the Pacific of Asia, namely the Eurasia, North Pacific, Cape of Good Hope and the South Atlantic line and also the American line. It can be seen in the figures below Fig. 3 string of pearls Fig. 4 Lines of communication The seas that are located in the Pacific of Asia are considered to be the busiest in the entire world. There is a significant volume of military traffic and commercial movement involved with the Sea of Japan. All these factors lead to the conclusion that states take their sea lines in a more serious manner because they could be the downfall or rise of any state within the shoreline (Klein, Mossop & Rothwell, 200, 2010). Maritime trade and transport is mostly divided into three main categories which are Liquid bulk, comprising of petroleum products and crude oil; dry bulk, which is characterized by coal, iron ore and grain and finally general cargo, which is characterized by containers. Though the defence systems are normally up for any country, there are the challenges that each country faces such as the illegal transportation of goods and services and also the illegal movement of personnel along the sea line. There is also the determination if a passer-by through territorial waters is a threat to the country or not. It was a major issue, particularly at the time of the world wars, and they showed that any vessel that passed over could be a risk or a friendly. In order to avoid misunderstanding, there was a statement that was signed by the Soviet Union and the United States in the year 1989 for the innocent passing of warships through territorial waters. There were details of interpretation that were set at the time that governed the passage of innocent passers (Gompert, 116, 2013). Any attempt that is made to hinder the passage of ships or to block the passage poses a threat to the security of the SLOC in any region. The unstable political relationship between countries may bring about a threat to the security of the sea line. Countries such as China, Japan, and the United States which makes up most parts of the lines are prone to becoming a threat to the sea line security. Though there are certain guidelines set forth that oppose the increase of the role of the military in the Pacific of Asia, these guidelines are not fully the last line of defence. Any interruption in the security of the SLOC could bring about armed clashes that can occur between the states in the coastal region as a means to claim the jurisdiction of maritime. Presently, there is the fear that there will be an insecurity threat between the Japanese and the East China Sealine (Forbes, 156, 2003). The naval build-up is also a threat seeing that numerous countries are engaging in build-ups of defence mechanisms, and it would seem that most countries within the sea line of communication are enabling their capacity to defend themselves. Transportation of harmful materials is also a security threat to most countries seeing that toxic substances are a threat to the country as a whole. It combines with piracy, drug trafficking, hijacking of maritime, pollution and also natural disasters all pose a major threat to SLOC (Collins, 30, 2002) Conclusion From the wars, there were various strategies that were adapted to be used in case of similar attacks in any country. Maritime commerce and secure sea lines of communication help in supporting defence and security interests in that in terms of trade, there is the secured ability to trade to be regarded as safe. SLOC is one of the major strategies that every country with a shoreline thinks about in terms of policy and strategic thinking. With the Oceans currently taking the most of the earth, countries have now been able to access a free good passage through the oceans and seas. Bibliography Collins, J. M. (2002). Military strategy: principles, practices, and historical perspectives. Washington, DC, Brasseys. Forbes, A. (2003). The strategic importance of seaborne trade and shipping: a common interest of Asia Pacific. Canberra, Sea Power Centre. Gompert, D. C. (2013). Sea power and American interests in the western Pacific. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&scope=site&db=nlebk&db=nlabk&AN=578537. Gottfried, T., & Reim, M. (2003). The Cold War. Brookfield, Conn, Twenty-First Century Books. Keohane, R. O. (1993). After the Cold War: international institutions and state strategies in Europe, 1989-1991. Cambridge, Mass, Harvard Univ. Press. Klein, N., Mossop, J., & Rothwell, D. (2010). Maritime security: international law and policy perspectives from Australia and New Zealand. London, Routledge. Lamberti, E., & Fortunati, V. (2009). Memories and representations of war: the case of World War I and World War II. Amsterdam, Rodopi. Lee, L. E., & Higham, R. (1997). World War II in Europe, Africa, and the Americas, with general sources a handbook of literature and research. Westport, Conn, Greenwood Press. Phillips, S. (2001). The Cold War: conflict in Europe and Asia. Oxford, Heinemann. Solomon, R. C. (2006). Dark feelings, grim thoughts experience and reflection in Camus and Sartre. Oxford, Oxford University Press. United States. 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