History Discussion

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Post-World War II

After World War II, the US military personnel were demobilized; he involved recalling most American soldiers outside the US. The demobilization of soldiers occurred due to public demand, and the soldiers also protested the government's rate was carrying the entire process. By 1947, the number of active US soldiers who were serving outside the country had greatly reduced (Millet and Maslowski ch. 20). The demobilization process was marred by delays because most of the nations where the USA had withdrawn its soldiers experienced a severe shortage of security manpower.

The number of servicemen in the US armed forces reduced drastically. Before the beginning of World war II, there were over 8 million servicemen, but this figure to about 600,000 by 1950. World war II was different from any other war that American soldiers were engaged in because it involved heavy weapons and large bombs, meaning soldiers were at greater risk of losing their lives (Millet and Maslowski ch. 20). There was reduced interaction on the battlefield, and most of the soldiers felt isolated; this was the primary social factor that led to most soldiers quitting the profession after the war.

The demobilization of soldiers significantly reduced the amount that the American government paid to the soldiers to inform wages and salaries. The amount saved would be used to improve the working conditions of the soldiers. Improving the workplace cooled the discontent that was starting to grow in the soldiers and led to their strikes. The number of soldiers that America had lost during the was large, and some soldiers were also severely wounded, meaning there was the need to reduce the number of soldiers to plan on bringing new fresh servicemen. The veterans who participated in the World war needed to get some time off the service because they had seen their friends die; simultaneously, the effects of World war II were traumatizing.

Work Cited

Millett, Allan R., and Peter Maslowski. For the Common Defense. E-book, Simon & Schuster, 2012.

Compare and contrast the discussion above to the discussion below.  What similarities and what differences did you notice?  What conclusions about military history can be drawn from this compare/contrast analysis?

World War II greatly impacted the course of history, and its conclusion marking the beginning of the modern era. The post-war era not only brought about changes across the globe, but also the US military. Two of the most important changes to the US Armed Forces in the post-war period was the rise of the volunteer force and the integration of women.

Throughout many of the larger wars, the draft was implemented to meet the personnel requirements of the military. Particularly during the Vietnam War, draft evasion was a widespread problem and vulnerable populations often bore more of the burden of the draft (Millet and Maslowski ch. 16). But in 1971, the Nixon administration announced the ending of the draft and by 1973, conscription was replaced by the All Volunteer Force (Millet and Maslowski ch. 18). While this may have cost the US military in numbers, it resulted in a dedicated force committed to their peers, subordinates, and leaders.

Another major change within the US military in the postwar period was the integration of women into the armed forces. While women had served during World War II as part of the Women’s Army Corps, they were not given full permanent status to be regular members of the military until passage of the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act (“The Women’s Armed Services Integration Act”). This Act was passed by Congress in 1948, allowing women the opportunity to serve in the military, particularly in administrative positions and health services (Millet and Maslowski ch. 15). With more jobs opening up to women in all services and an increase in recruiting efforts, more and more women have joined the armed services with the most recent report in fiscal year 2018 showing the highest levels of female representation with 16 percent active enlisted members and almost 19 percent active commissioned officers (Office of the Under Secretary of Defense, Personnel and Readiness). Not only has the integration of women into the US military strengthened numbers as it transitioned to a more volunteer force, but has also made the military more diverse and inclusive for those who desire to serve their country.

The post-World War II era not only changed the face of world politics and every day life, but also saw great and varied changes within the US military. While changes in technology continue to impact military operations, I believe that the two most important changes to the US Armed Forces was the rising significance of the volunteer force and the integration of women in the military. A volunteer force has resulted in more committed soldiers, while integrating women into the military has ensured the armed forces remains open to all those who want to serve.

 

Works Cited

Millett, Allan R., and Peter Maslowski. For the Common Defense. E-book, Simon & Schuster, 2012.

Population Representation in the Military Services: Fiscal Year 2018 Summary Report. Office of the Under Secretary of Defense, Personnel and Readiness, 2020. https://www.cna.org/pop-rep/2018/summary/summary.pdf.

“The Women's Armed Services Integration Act.” U.S. Capitol Visitor Center, www.visitthecapitol.gov/exhibitions/congress-and-world-wars-part-2/womens-armed-services-integration-act.