4. After the War
With war raging across Europe, America seemed unaffected by the conflict and was eager to remain on the sidelines. That was until the ever growing Japanese empire launched a devastating attack on Pearl Harbor just before 08:00 a.m., on Sunday, December 7, 1941, forcing America to enter the war. The participation in World War II would transform America’s global presence forever as they were the only country to avoid economic ruin and the only country to possess atomic weapons.
Although two nuclear bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, America’s strategy when it came to possessing weapons of such destructive power, was to avoid future conflicts. In addition to that, the creation of the United Nations would also aid countries in settling disputes through compromise and the rule of law, the main one being that wars of conquest should be consigned to the pages of history.
The United Nations might be the most famous post war institution, but another lesser known institution was created around the same time. One that would change the global financial system forever.
