The 1940's Era Lesson

The 1940's was a decade that began on January 1, 1940 and ended on December 31, 1949.

The Second World War took place in the first half of the decade, which had a profound effect on most countries and people in Europe, Asia and elsewhere. The consequences of the war lingered well into the second half of the decade, with a war-weary Europe divided between the jostling spheres of influence of the West and the Soviet Union. To some degree internal and external tensions in the post-war era were managed by new institutions, including the United Nations, and the welfare state, providing to the post-World War II boom, which lasted well into the 1970s. However the conditions of the post-war world encouraged de-colonialization and emergence of new states and governments, with India, Pakistan, Israel, Vietnam and others declaring independence, rarely without bloodshed. The decade also witnessed the early beginnings of new technologies (including computers, nuclear power and jet propulsion), often first developed in tandem with the war effort, and later adapted and improved upon in the post-war era.

Major Political Changes

Establishment of the United Nations Charter (June 26, 1945) effective (October 24, 1945).
Establishment of the defense alliance NATO April 4, 1949.

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