The commemoration of V-J Day, or Victory over Japan Day, was not only the final subjection of Japan but the final strand of World War II and the beginning of a new world in politics and economy. After the post-war years, the nations that emerged from the shadow of war had to find their way towards reconstructing economies, modifying alliances and finding their bearing in a transformed world. The post-war period was not only about healing but also about the construction of the new world.
In the immediate aftermath of the war, the power politics of the world were altered. The two new superpowers that emerged were the United States of America and the Soviet Union, both of which were ruled by opposite systems of politics. The US promoted capitalism and market-oriented economies, while the Soviet Union supported socialism and a publicly owned economy. This ideological divide intensified into the geopolitical rivalry known as the Cold War, which was marked by proxy wars, an arms race, and the threat of nuclear warfare. The world became a power struggle between the two superpowers, and both attempted to extend their influence by forming military alliances and forcing strategic partnerships.
Although the tension between the East and the West increased, there was also a global trend of cooperation and avoiding conflict. The United Nations was founded in 1945, and it was necessary for diplomacy and foreign relations to be established and for collective security to be present. On the one hand, there were diplomatic initiatives; on the other hand, there were military alliances, including NATO in the west and the Warsaw Pact in the east, which encapsulated the division between the two superpowers. Furthermore, the demise of the European colonial system saw several decolonisation processes. It was now possible for Asia, Africa, the Middle East and other regions to control their destinies and shape their future and economic systems as the old imperialistic systems of Europe gave way to a more complex world of new sovereign states.
At the same time, the world’s economies were also undergoing a dramatic change. Europe, which had been laid bare by the war, required immediate reconstruction. The Marshall Plan, which the United States funded, offered much-needed economic support to rebuild industries, repair facilities, and enhance trade. But besides the immediate needs, it was also a part of the strategy to contain the expansion of socialism by supporting the economic development of Western Europe. Only in the last century did the European economies begin to grow stronger and form the basis of the European Union.
However, this model of modernisation and reconstruction was not universal. While the developed countries of the West enjoyed high economic growth, many other countries could not match this, especially in the developing world. It was not a proposition that had always been good for the newly liberated states since many had to rely on foreign debt to induce industrialisation and supply raw materials. Some nations got into debt cycles and faced the consequences of post-colonial development in a globally driven economy.
Culture and society were not only influenced by politics and economics in the post-war era. The people who had been through the most horror embraced the ideals of peace, human rights and progress. It was suddenly everyone’s concern not only to prevent future wars but to create a world in which no country could ever live in isolation from the rest. It was a harsh fact that people had suffered a lot in the war, but at the same time, it was essential to understand that there must be no more war, diplomacy, cooperation, and unity of the whole world.
The story was about Japan’s defeat on Victory Over Japan Day and the beginning of a new life in the world. The politics and economics of the immediate post-war period set the stage for the modern world, and the Cold War rivalry, globalisation, and the institution of diplomatic relations still act as key agents in the shifting of global politics. The world formed from the war was not the same one that started the war, and the effects of those critical years still affect the world today.
Suheyla Coskun