America's global ascendancy, 1918-1945. Why, and to what extent, did Essay

America's global ascendancy, 1918-1945. Why, and to what extent, did the united states eclipse Great Britain as the worlds leadi - Essay Example The value of the Pound Sterling, its consumer expenditure, fell by more than 60%. The coal Germany sent to Britain as reparations depressed the victor’s local economy, hastening General Strike of 1926. During the World War I private investments made by the British abroad were sold, raising some ?550 million. Nevertheless ?250 million new investments were made within the course of war. As a result the net loss was some ?300 million. During the war Great Britain lost some 40% fleet sunk by German submarines. Most of these losses were replaced in 1918 and soon after the war was over. As military historian Correlli Barnett argued, that war made no serious economic damage on Britain yet â€Å"crippled the British psychology† (Barnett 2002) Other changes have included increasing British Dominions’ assertiveness. Such battles as Vimy Ridge and Gallipoli for Canadians, Australians and New Zealanders led to grown national pride as well as a growing reluctance to be subord inate to the Crown. Those battles used to be depicted favorably in these nations propaganda as significant of their power and valor during the War. The War also released pent up native nationalisms, as native elites and often populations tried to take advantage of the precedent of introduction of self-determination in the counties of Eastern Europe. Great Britain had to face disturbances in Ireland, Egypt, Iraq, India and Palestine within a period of time when those territories were supposed to be demilitarized. This notwithstanding, the only territorial loss Great Britain sustained was the loss of Ireland, where the delay in resolving the home rule issue, along with the Easter Rising of 1916 increased popular support for separatists and led immediately to the outbreak of the 1919 Irish War of Independence. Consequent change followed in 1919. With the Treaty of Versailles, the Great Britain found herself in charge of more than 13 million of people and 4,000,000 square kilometers. Fo rmer German colonies as well as possessions of Ottoman Empire were distributed among the Allied powers as mandates of League of Nations. It was the time when the British Empire reached its territorial peak (Ferguson 2004, p.315). Unlike Great Britain the Unites States of America participated in hostilities but a year and a half and did was not as devastated as European belligerents. Furthermore that war gave a tremendous impetus to the development of US national economy. As it goes in a song popular soon after the War was over, having seen Paris American soldiers were reluctant to stay at their farms no more. They moved from their farms to the nearby smaller cities and towns offering labor force for the industry. Agriculture was becoming increasingly mechanized due to the widespread used of such heavy equipment as tractors. As a result the output of American agriculture increased rapidly. A year after World War I was over Woodrow Wilson crusaded for United States to join the League of Nations that he had been effective in creating yet he rejected the Republican compromise over the issue so it was not possible to obtain a 2/3 majority. During a cross country tour to promote the League of Nations Woodrow Wilson sustained a number of strokes. He never recovered completely and lost its skills of the leadership so he was rendered unable to compromise or negotiate. Consequently the Senate rejected America’s entry into the League of Nations (Cooper 2009, ch 23-24). During the course of War America rendered successfully