The twentieth century marked a turning point in global history, characterized by the struggle for human rights, the decline of colonial empires, and the emergence of new superpowers. Centuries of colonial rule had deprived many nations of basic human freedoms such as the right to property, free speech, and political participation.
Across Asia and Africa, resistance movements began to rise in opposition to racial segregation, forced labor, and political exclusion imposed by colonial powers. In India, for instance, the Indian National Congress played a vital role in challenging racial insults and restrictions on civil liberties. Similarly, in Kenya, the Mau Mau uprising used guerrilla warfare tactics to confront British colonial rule and push back against injustices such as public caning and racial discrimination.
The demand for freedom was not only political but deeply human. Colonized peoples longed to reclaim their land, labor, and dignity, all of which had been stripped away through exploitative systems of rule. The efforts of liberation movements in Africa and Asia, for instance, the Mau Mau in Kenya and nationalist groups in Zimbabwe sought to restore ownership of ancestral lands and dismantle racial hierarchies.
Although many of these movements were labeled “rogue” or “illegal” by colonial authorities, they laid the foundation for modern human rights advocacy and the eventual recognition of national sovereignty.
Parallel to these decolonization efforts, the aftermath of World War II reshaped global power dynamics. The ideological divide between capitalism and communism gave rise to the Cold War. This was a period of intense rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union. While the U.S. championed democracy and free enterprise, the Soviet Union promoted a socialist alternative rooted in state control and equality.
These competing visions of governance influenced liberation struggles worldwide, as newly independent states were drawn into the ideological and political orbit of one superpower or the other.
In the postwar era, America’s rise to globalism became one of the most defining legacies of this American historical transformation. Through military alliances such as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), economic recovery initiatives like the Marshall Plan, and strategic policies under the Truman Doctrine, the United States positioned itself as both a guardian of global stability and a promoter of democratic ideals.
This expansion of influence, however, also reflected a complex moral tension between power and principle between promoting freedom abroad and maintaining control over global economic and military systems.
Ultimately, the intertwined stories of colonial liberation, the Cold War, and America’s emergence as a superpower reveal the global struggle to define what freedom, justice, and human rights truly mean in the modern world.
Causes and the Most Enduring Legacy of the Cold War
There are many courses that are related to cold war and some of them include; American fear of the communist attack, When USSRs expanded west into the eastern Europe and the unfulfilled election promises, The tension brought by the Americans to the USSR in fear of being attacked/Also when Americans refused to share their nuclear secrets and the last is The USSRs dislike of Capitalism. Immediately after the end of World War II Americans believed in freedom and capitalism while the soviets believed in communism.
These two ideologies fought in favour of gaining power to which one between the two was superior and this was a major cause of the cold war. To Americans/communism was viewed as a core threat to their freedom of doing things the way they wanted. This fear grew so much and even became paranoia. What worsened this situation is when the soviets union successfully tested an atomic bomb which made china to join the soviets.
The fact that the Russians 7 bombs couldn’t be assembled immediately to make a difference resulted to the contribution of cold war. Also when they compared their uranium and plutonium/it was clear that they couldn’t conduct theatre operations for two or three times consecutively and this could be done by Americans. In their day today life they lived in fear of being attacked by the Americans.
The enduring legacies of the cold war include pacification of politics in Europe. Also the cold war influenced the formation of simulation of a massive military /industrial and security complex and greatly influenced a stake in promoting armed rivalry with other nations.
America’s Rise to Globalism in the Post World War II Era
During World War II, The Americans came to know they could get rid of the advantages and disadvantages that came with wielding power. For example some Autocrats in Asia and Europe threatened United States of America’s security in a quick resurgent of the problems that were caused by lack of power.
The Americans were forced to face the bad results of force and violence in matters of global affairs.
When the war ended, some Americans tried to grab back a second chance to globalize their power problem. Just after the World War II, Americans started practicing economic power and strengthening the military force in an unprecedented measure.
They dug deep to find the cause and solutions pertaining the problems caused as a result of power. They started reconciling to the use of force and rather engaged in diplomacy which ushered them into a new dawn of interventionism. This interventionism is what resulted to the creation of a big military establishment in America. Its great interventionism and military establishment that have made America to rise into globalism.
Although the UN was established as a peacekeeping body, it proved incapable assuming responsibility for controlling of atomic technologies and weapons therefore the Americans through the Truman doctrine of 1947 committed American power and force in every form and theoretically in every forum.
This globalist approach led to the emergence of alliances such as North Atlantic Treaty organization (NATO) and impressive economic plans like the Marshall plan. As the most productive economy and largest source of supply and demand for resources, the United States had both the power to persuade the majority of nations, compel most of the remainder and isolate the few dissenters.
Conclusion
The twentieth century was defined by the pursuit of freedom that happened through decolonization, ideological rivalry, or global leadership. The struggle for human rights in colonized nations laid the groundwork for independence and justice. Meanwhile, the Cold War redefined political and moral boundaries across the world. In the postwar era, the United States’ rise to global influence demonstrated both the promise and paradox of power: the desire to promote liberty abroad while consolidating control at home. Together, these historical forces shaped a new global order whose effects continue to influence international relations today.
Works Cited
‘’ Robert W Strayer. Ways of the World”, 2nd Edition. Web
The United States and Globalization: Struggles with Hegemony
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