Legacy of World War II

3:35

Interview Transcript

Question: Was WWII the last good war?

Niall Ferguson: Well I’m not convinced that you can describe it as a good war in the first place, though we’d love to. And documentary makers in the United States, particularly, like to represent World War II as a kind of morality play, a contest between good and evil, forgetting conveniently that the war was waged principally, in its later phase, by the Soviet Union against Nazi Germany.

That is where the preponderance of the fighting occurred on the eastern front. And the Soviet Union, though it was allied to the western democracies, was really out of, to totalitarian regime as the others that we were fighting against. And it had, of course, begun the war in 1939 before the United States had became involved on the same side as Nazi Germany.

So in the "War of the World," I try to make it clear that this is extremely hard to take seriously as a morality play. It was a horrible event which could only be won by using the worst possible tactics that had been pioneered by the access of power.

For example, it was only possible to win World War II by bombing civilians. This is an extremely efficient way of killing people. It was a way of killing people that had been denounced by western leaders in the 1930s, but it was wholeheartedly embraced by them after the war begun. And it's ultimate product was the destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by atomic weapons.

It’s hard to see this as a good war in any real meaningful sense except that it had a good outcome compared with the old available alternative outcome of an Axis victory. I’m certain that that would have produced a worst world than the world that we inherited in 1945. That is as much as I think one can say about World War II.

Subsequent wars actually may have better claims. The Cold War was a much better war than World War II in two respects.

Firstly the issues were far more clear cut. The choice between freedom with all its disadvantages and complexities, and totalitarian communist rule, was a clear cut choice. And it is obvious which the right side was, although there is no question that the United States and its allies made many moral compromises in order to win the Cold War, it was nevertheless the right side to be on.

And I felt that passionately in the last decade of the Cold War, when I was coming of age politically. And it must be said that not many of my contemporaries at Oxford, in the early 1980s, saw as clearly as I think I saw which side was the right side in the Cold War.

The other good thing about the Cold War was that relatively few people died compared with World War II. Of course there was violence – and most of it happened in the Third World – it wasn’t quite the long piece that some people call it, but it was certainly preferable to a full blown nuclear war. So I’m, in that sense, a fan of the Cold War.

Recorded on: Oct 31 2007

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Rodrigo Obregon on January 7, 2008, 6:29 PM

History is written by winners

Rodrigo Obregon on January 7, 2008, 11:29 PM

History is written by winners

Jarrod Interval on April 14, 2009, 12:18 PM

World War 2 has many lasting legacies socially, politically, and economically. These legacies affect the world today.

J. Patrick McGill on April 14, 2009, 12:26 PM

For the people of America, the post-WWII world was able to be a very positive one. After years of the Great Depression, the economic slump was over due to the increased productivity. Americans were finally working and making money. People were starting to move to vast expanding suburbs. Politically, with America virtually the only major power in the war who’s country wasn’t destroyed. This combined with an active memebership in the League of Nations replacement the United Nations as well as with NATO, the US finally came out of its isolationist shell to become one of, if not the dominant power in the world then and still now. though we have lost some footing since then, I still feel America is on top and can stay there withe the proper work ethic and perserverance. It is one of the things that gives me great pride to be an American.

Jarrod Interval on April 14, 2009, 12:28 PM

World War 2 has many lasting legacies socially, politically, and economically. These legacies affect the world today.

The second world war in essence ended the Depression, which FDR failed to end through his economic reforms. WWII caused many new industries to start production of war materials, which helped the economy greatly.

World War II also gave birth to nuclear weapons. Weapons of mass destruction weren’t used before this, but now nuclear weapons are always an option for warring nations. The government and society always has to think twice aboiut getting into a war because of the threat of nuclear weapons. Nuclear weapons have also led to increasing protest to war by society.

By looking at FDR’s handling of World War II, world leaders of today can see a good example of how to successfully handle a major war. FDR dealt with major opponents in two different continents. America couls use his tactics if it were ever in a major war in the future. Also, FDR dealt fairly well with Stalin and other world leaders after the war, so this is also a good example of how to find peace after a war.

Monica King on April 14, 2009, 12:28 PM

WWII has had a lasting legacy on today’s society and my life. The war was fought between many different types of governments each believing theirs was the best form. Communists became the evil of the world and Democracy was out to put a stop to its spread. Still today, many are weary of communists governments and any idea that points to communism. Russia is a large communist model and they switched many times throughout the war. Russia sided with Hitler at the beginning to gain access to territory in Poland than it joined with the Allies by the end of the war because Hitler tried to invade Russia. After the war we became enemies in an arms race. Even now, many people find it hard to trust Russia, and the public doesn’t agree when our government gets involved with Russia’s government. I know I am always alittle apprehensive when I hear about Russia stirring up trouble (Georgia) because I know they have the weapons to do enough damage. During the war we built up our military and many of our factories turned to war production, we had a big boost in profits. It also hurt and helped many trade relations. We still do not have the best trade relations with Russia and Germany, but we have great trade relations with Britain, China, and other Allies from the war. We have been able to keep many of those Allies over the years. Socially, people thought that once this war was over that was it. They were tired of fighting wars and thought this was the last one. They were able to see so much death and destruction, many in-humane techniques of warfare that killed many innocent civilians. The public was outraged over the death of so many civilians. I hear it in the news now with Iraq, anytime there is a large killing of civilians it makes all the headlines and turns peoples stomaches. World War II has defined our trade relations, solidified our alliances with other nations, and affected how the public views the horrors of war and our own tolerance level

Francesca Rosa on April 14, 2009, 12:31 PM

One of the enduring legacies of WWII on our society today is the way we view the countries involved in the Axis Powers. We see Germans, Italians, and Japanese in an unfavorable light because of what their former leaders did to other countries. WWII also affected world trade and economics. The U.S. had loaned other countries aid in the forms of supplies, soldiers, and money. However now, due to WWII and other entangling trading agreements, the U.S. is in a severe recession. People are losing their jobs, their homes. I know that personally, the recession is affecting my family since the price of homes and property has gone up, making it difficult for us to move. The governments of not only the U.S. were affected by WWII, but those of the Axis powers were forever changed as well.

Daniel Crumrine on April 14, 2009, 1:38 PM

World War II has many lasting legacies on our personal life as well as society today.
Socially the Second World War had a big impact on society today. Many people have lasting views and problems for the Second World War era. People are still somewhat prejudice and still have racist and hardcore views of people from this time period.
Personally the Second World War affects me today. Economically this affects me today because this war gave birth to new industries within our country. One of these industries happened to be the steel industry. My Grandfather worked in the steel mill in Pittsburgh. My grandfather supported his family with this wage. Therefore the Second World War had an impact on my family economically.
Politically the war effects our government today. The war established the world’s dependency on the United States. The War also established the United States as the World power, which is still true today.

Jaclyn Wilson on April 14, 2009, 4:48 PM

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World War II still has a legacy on the world today.

Socially WWII left America in a new position. After seeing what Adolph Hitler did with the Jews in the Holocaust the United States began to see how bad racism can be. It still took time, but slowly equal rights have been opened to society as laws were also passed to give protection to women, African Americans and other minorities. By seeing the effects of racism and prejudice, society had another wake up and in general accepts differences now. I am glad that society is now more accepting. For example, this will help me in the future with a job, without prejudice against being a woman.

Economically WWII created a new economy and prosperity that brought the U.S. out of the Great Depression. America has continued to be prosperous. In general those who “won” the war have had a better economy and were able to grow quicker because they weren’t completely destroyed. Though the Allies did help put the world economy back together some after the war because the world suffered when a few major countries such as Germany’s economy was low. The worlds economy was greatly changed and new economic market powers grew from the aftermath and assistance after WWII.

As far as politics, the idea of if the Axis powers had been able to expand the western culture and government may be gone, would have led to a very different world. Luckily western government ideas survived for society today. The United States also could never again be isolationistic. America from then on has been a major world power dealing with foreign affairs. Both of my grandparents would later be involved in the military. My one grandfather even went over to Korea and fought in the Korean War, thankfully survived.

World War II changed society especially in making it a world power that can never again be isolationistic. After an event the effect can be big, but sometimes the effects resonate much longer than many think.

Michael Connor on May 9, 2009, 12:00 PM

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This is an interesting thread. I thought those following it might be interested in reading “LeMay: The Life and Wars of Gen. Curtis LeMay,” a provocative new biography of US Air Force Gen. Curtis E. LeMay, written by my friend Warren Kozak. Former CIA director R. James Woolsey praises it as “a fine, candid book" while former Secretary of Defense James Schlesinger calls it “an excellent biography.”

LeMay was instrumental in the defeat of Germany and Japan. But his impact went far beyond World War II. He was directly involved in almost every major event of the mid-20th Century. He was the head of the Air Force in Europe at the start of the Berlin Airlift. And he was on the Joint Chiefs during the Cuban Missile Crisis and the start of the Viet Nam War. The book is available now on Amazon and will be in bookstores later this week.

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