postwar society
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PostwarSocietyandGlobalization.pptx
Postwar Society and Globalization
1960-Present
Change in Political Thought
From the 1960s on, most European nations (except Spain, Greece, Portugal, and France) experience a shift to a more liberal/progressive approach.
The greater political to the left eased some of the Cold War tensions
Ostpolitik – West Germany’s attempt in the 1970s to ease diplomatic tensions with East Germany (spearheaded by German Chancellor Willy Brandt)
Détente – the progressive relaxation of Cold War tensions that emerged in the early 1970s
In 1975 the major global powers met in Helsinki to sign the Final Act of Conference on Security and Cooperation Europe in which all nations agreed that the existing European boarders cannot be changed by force
Changes to Society
The 1960s was a period of rapid economic growth.
Increases in wages meant an increase in the middle class which led to higher consumer spending
The economic growth for the most part, impacted most of society, yet the working class and immigrants still experienced low living standards
The consumer revolution led to increases in mass travel and tourism
The household lifestyle also experienced shifts as household appliances such as televisions, washers, and vacuum cleaners that were considered luxury items were now common items.
With increase consumerism an emergence of youthful counterculture which actively criticized affluent society and challenged the political status quo.
The Vietnam War
After Vietnam won its independence from France in 1954, the nation was divided into a Communist north and anti-communist south.
The United States provided military aid and advisors to South Vietnam to prevent the spread of Communist ideology and the Soviet Union’s influence of power in the region.
The U.S. provided 500,000 troops
In the end, the U.S. military strategy did not prevail, and a large anti-war movement spread in the U.S.
Large student revolts in U.S. college campuses occurred as students protested America’s involvement in the war
In 1974, North Vietnam invaded the south and forced unification of the nation under a Communist regime.
The East Bloc in the 1960s
The East Bloc suffered from a stagnated economy that lacked greatly from most Western, non-communist nations.
To ease the economic turmoil, Communist governments decentralized and eased economic restrictions
Slight economic improvements in some regions but overall basic consumer goods shortages still occurred
The economic challenges that East Bloc faced caused domestic turmoil and political instability
Postindustrial Society
The transition to a postindustrial society was guided by a new generation of conservative political leaders
Neoliberalism – philosophy of the 1980s conservatives who argued for decreased government spending on social services
Neoliberals called for the privatization of state-run industries and services
Conservative political leaders advocated for the growth of private enterprises and decreased government regulation on the economy
The Collapse of the Soviet Union
The economic conditions in the East Bloc did not improve in the 1970s and 1980s as shortages on basic consumer goods continued to impact citizens
Some of the factors that led to the economic crisis in the East Bloc include:
Lack of transition to a postindustrial society
High state welfare spending
Heavy state subsidies on industries
Poor social mobility opportunities
The poor economic conditions led to social disorder and dissent in Czechoslovakia and Poland
In Czechoslovakia, Charter 77 openly criticized the local Communist government.
In Poland, the Solidarity trade union was supported by Polish intellectuals and the Catholic Church, which called for social and political reform in Poland and openly challenged the Communist regime.
Russian Revival and the East Bloc
With the fall of Communism in Russia, President Boris Yeltsin pushed for economic reform.
Following Yeltsin, Vladimir Putin expanded the economic and foreign policies of Yeltsin.
Living conditions in Russia improved, and political power was more centralized
Putin took an aggressive stance towards the Commonwealth of Independent States and used political muscle to oppose political rivals
Following the example of Russia, the former East Bloc states utilized “shock therapy” in their economic reforms
Communist institutions were replaced with a more democratic system and a capitalist style economy allowed for significant economic growth
The Revolutions of 1989 that followed the collapse of the Soviet Union brought civil war to Yugoslavia that lasted until 1999 with the intervention of NATO.
European Union
Economic pressure encouraged the expansion and consolidation of the European Common Market which was renamed to the European Union (EU) in 1993.
The EU pushed for the free movement of European labor, capital, and services throughout the member nations.
In order to become a member, nations had to meet the strict financial criteria set forth by the Maastricht Treaty.
In 2002, the euro replaced the national currency of the member nations
New Social Viewpoint
Through the 2000s, in developing countries the population continued to grow but in developed countries families averaged 1.6 children.
Women were more career minded and postponed childbearing into their 30s
Couples struggled to find a balance between their careers and family planning
Immigration flows shifted as immigrants from Africa, Asia, and the former Soviet Bloc migrated to western Europe searching for new opportunities
Undocumented immigration to Europe rose from 50,000 in 1993 to 500,000 in 2003.
Large influx of Muslim migrants, as Islam is now the majority minority religion in Europe
Growing American and European tension as a result of the U.S.’s interventionalist foreign policies in the aftermath of the terror attack of 9/11
Increased global tension over the challenges facing adequate energy resources
