You have to have read the book Michael H. Hunt, The World Transformed: 1945 to the Present. 2nd ed. (ISBN 9780199371020)

The American Century, per Henry Luce, is the 20th Century. However, Americans are arriving into the century full of despair and anxiety. The article begins by making claims that Americans are not happy. The author explains the claim by saying that Americans are not happy with themselves in relation to the country. What is causing this unhappiness could be related to conflicts, wars, disruptions, economic consequences and diminishing pride (Luce, 1941). While many people would seek more hopes into the future, the author argues that Americans future is full of hopelessness and uncertainties. The article has captured some of the characteristics of the world in 20th Century including its population. This paper reflects on general issues, trends, opinions or characteristics of the period being studied.

One of the characteristics of the period being studied, as reflected in the article, is conflicts among nations. Britain were against Germany while France, being an ally of Britain was also in conflict with Germany and any other country allied to it. The source of the conflict is the desire to control resources and power (Luce, 1941). The most powerful country, for instance, may have the power to control the rest of the world. The rising level of conflict is enhanced by the fact that the conflicting nations are interested in certain territories which they believe may prove critical to their strategic developments. America finds itself in a dilemma. Whether to take sides in the conflict or remain neutral. Unlike other countries, the author says that America is unique because it does not compete with the conflicting nations. Its main interest in the conflict, perhaps, is the fact such conflicts may interfere with their ongoing trade agreements with some of the conflicting nations (Luce, 1941). A conflict of such a magnitude should have a mediator, but America is not in a good position to negotiate and build peace.

The period being studied, as reflected in the article, is full of disruptions. One of the importance of peace is that it causes calmness across the world. However, in a world full of conflicts, people live in fear of disruptions almost daily (Luce, 1941). The author says disruptions have led to an increased level of nervousness, and that nervousness as per the author is more in the United States of America compared to Britain. The people in Britain are calm and collected, because they have realized the mistakes they made in the past and are not willing to make the same mistakes again (Luce, 1941). Americans, on the other hand, are nervous not because they are facing war but because they are facing difficult decisions. America, unlike the European countries, found itself in a neutral position and any decision it made had to be well informed in order to avoid creating unnecessary enemies. For example, if America decides in favor of Britain, the decision may not be accepted by Germany. If there is any trade going on between Germany and the United States, such decisions may affect the progress of such trade agreements (Luce, 1941). Therefore, despite the war, the level of anxiety is high because of the decisions which the country must make.

Apart from disruptions, the other characteristic of the period being studied is war. For example, on September 3, 1939, Britain woke up to a shocking news that the country was under attack (Luce, 1941). The German soldiers had invaded the country and were creating havoc across the country. Winston Churchill responded in a manner that reaffirmed the British characteristic to the world. Churchill said that even as the storm of war blew across the land unleashing the fury of its devastations as it traverses the land, in the hearts of every British citizen, there was peace and belief of a better tomorrow. The war being referred to, in this case, is the World War II which began in the year 1939 and ended in the year 1945 (Luce, 1941). The war saw a loss of more than 20 million lives and destruction of property worth billions of dollars. The attitude of Britain towards the war was fascinating because they approached it full of hope that they will eventually emerge as winners. The United States was not quick to join the war because it was believed that the war would only take place in Europe and if there was a country in need of assistance, then a formal request shall be made (Luce, 1941). However, when America started counting losses due to the war in regards to the destruction of its ships and trading vessels, it was left with limited options but to join the war.

Even as America joined the war, it was known that situations such as war are likely to have serious negative consequences on the economy of the countries involved in the war. The World War I, for instance, left some countries like Germany, on the brink of economic collapse after they spent a huge chunk of their resources in the war and then had to repay Britain and France as per the Treaty of Versailles (Luce, 1941). War is exceptionally expensive, because it requires mobilization of a large army as well as spending heavily on weapons and machines and the medical expenses are tremendous. Germany, for instance, suffered the consequences of World War I because of the huge losses it made and the reparations due to the Allies post the war. Apart from the financial losses, war also affects the economy because it interferes with trade. For example, war interferes with the movement of goods from one place to another. It also takes away people who can provide services to the economy. The people who were left behind were mainly women and the elderly who may not offer the same services provided by the young generation. Therefore, the World War II led to economic recessions which followed because of the huge deficits between expenses and income (Luce, 1941). Countries like Britain found themselves in huge debts because what they spent on the war was far higher than what they gained in regards to revenue. Germany also suffered the same fate as Britain as did several other countries who were involved in the war.

Finally, the other characteristic of the period being studied as reflected in the article is the rise in entertainment industries. The film industry, for instance, was taking off quite fast because of the invention of the television (Luce, 1941). The televisions were boosted by the invention of still photograph cameras that were improvised to take videos. Although the videos were still shown in black and white it provided an important opportunity for the people who were highly talented in acting to show case their talents. The tremendous growth of the film industry in Nazi Germany helped Hitler to sway the German audience and, create a sense of togetherness and pride in the country, while also offering inspiration to the public that Germany will emerge victorious. The growth in the film industry also created more opportunities for other industries such as fashion to develop (Luce, 1941). Advertising and marketing also grew with the development of film industry.

References

Luce, H. R. (1941). The American Century. LIFE Magazine.