The first time was the "Verdun System" formed after the First World War. Reason: World War I changed the power balance of imperialist countries. The victory of imperialism is due to the re-division of the world, including the Paris Peace Conference and the Washington Conference, which adjusted their relations in Europe and the Pacific and formed the "Versailles-Washington System".
The second change is the Yalta system formed after World War II. After World War II, the international pattern centered on Europe was replaced by the new world pattern centered on the United States and the Soviet Union. Reasons: After World War II, the international power balance has changed; Europe was severely weakened in the war; The economic strength of the United States has expanded unprecedentedly, becoming the number one power in the capitalist world; The Soviet Union became the only country in the world that could compete with the United States. On the basis of balance of power, the United States and the Soviet Union re-divided the world territory and sphere of influence according to the basic principles of international organizations such as Yalta.
The third time was the disintegration of the bipolar pattern in the 1980 s and 1990 s, and the world pattern developed towards multipolarization. The reason is the drastic changes in eastern Europe. After the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the United States became the only superpower and the bipolar pattern ended. The multipolarization of the world economic structure will inevitably lead to the multipolarization of the world political structure.
In the 20th century, two world wars broke out one after another, leading to the post-war global cold war. With the development of nuclear weapons, the destructive power of war can destroy the civilization on the earth as well as mankind itself. Under the new historical conditions, the issue of "war and peace" is related to the survival and development of all countries and nations in the world, and to the fate of mankind and the rise and fall of civilization. Striving for world peace and avoiding the disaster of nuclear war are the major issues that the international community is most concerned about. In the second half of the 20th century, although no new world war broke out, local wars continued, regional conflicts broke out one after another, international crises broke out one after another, and the world was not peaceful. Throughout the world history after World War II, the power of peace has been continuously enhanced, and the struggle to maintain peace has become the trend of the times.
65438+two world wars in the 20th century;
From 1929 to 1933, an unprecedented serious economic crisis occurred in the capitalist world. In order to get rid of the crisis, Germany and Japan established a fascist regime, invaded at home and abroad, gradually formed two major war sources in Europe and Asia, formed a three-country axis with Italian fascists, and madly expanded their aggression. In the face of fascist attacks, Britain, France and the United States pursued the policy of appeasement, and the Soviet Union finally pursued the policy of self-protection in an attempt to protect its own interests. The anti-fascist struggles of China, Ethiopia, Spain and other countries failed to unite to effectively curb the fascist attacks, and the local wars initiated by fascism gradually evolved into world wars. The Second World War began at 1939 and lasted for six years. The world people finally defeated the fascist forces.
Understanding: Like other colonial wars in modern history, the two world wars were all aimed at repartitioning colonies and competing for world hegemony. However, both world wars occurred after the rise of the second scientific and technological revolution and the formation of the whole world, so the characteristics and influence of wars are very different from the past.
(1) After the formation of the world, the colonies and economic interests of a few big countries spread all over the world and became big countries with global interests, which was a phenomenon that did not exist before. Due to the interconnection of the world economy, the interests of local areas will involve global interests. Therefore, the competition among a few big countries is global, and conflicts in local areas can easily turn into all-round confrontation, making it possible for wars to turn into world wars.
The development of science and technology has also provided the necessary means for the world war. In the era of cold weapons, a world war is unthinkable. Driven by the second scientific and technological revolution, modern means of communication and transportation such as telephone, telegraph, automobile and airplane were invented, which provided conditions for timely command and rapid mobilization of troops in a long distance and across regions, and enabled the war to be launched on a global scale. At the same time, the progress of science and technology led to the invention of weapons. Tanks, planes and long-range artillery have greatly enhanced the lethality of weapons, making wars more cruel and destructive. Only by mobilizing all the national forces can the participating countries maintain the war. In this way, the scope and cruelty of modern warfare far exceeds that of modern warfare.
(3) The principle of war is to preserve ourselves and destroy or weaken each other. However, in the cruel First World War, although the Allies finally won and weakened the Allies, the blows and losses brought by the war were enormous and almost unbearable. Especially for Britain, an old colonial empire, the world war further promoted its decline. The way of world war has been difficult to achieve the purpose of war, and the war that goes against the development trend of the whole world makes the provocateur pay for it.
It can be seen that the world war is the product of a certain stage of historical development. With the progress of civilization and the deepening of human understanding of war, world war can be avoided.
There are also differences between the two world wars, and the analysis of them can deepen human understanding of the war.
(1) Humans have different understandings of war. Before World War I, waging war against other countries was regarded as the right of the country, and the voice of anti-war was very weak. After the war broke out, the people of all the participating countries took part in supporting the war. After the First World War, the people of the world who suffered from war generally longed for peace and set off a pacifist movement. The victorious countries also hope to maintain a world order that is conducive to their own peace and prevent the war from causing turmoil again, which is conducive to the adjustment of international relations. 19 19, the league of nations was founded. Although it has been manipulated by a few big countries for a long time, as the first international organization with the purpose of maintaining peace and opposing war, it still reflects the voice of the people of the world and should be affirmed to some extent.
② Different responsibilities for the war. The first world war was provoked by both sides of the war, and the second world war was provoked by three fascist countries: Germany, Japan and Italy. Britain, France, the United States and other western countries entered the war for the purpose of maintaining colonialism and world hegemony, but these countries were not the initiators of the war. The motives, practices and consequences of appeasement policy should be criticized, but the main contradiction between Britain, France, the United States and Germany, Japan and Italy is the contradiction between democracy and fascism, which belongs to the democratic camp and has no legal responsibility for war. The difference in war responsibility determines that World War I is an imperialist war and World War II is an anti-fascist war.
(3) The two world wars broke out in different forms. Before the outbreak of World War I, the warring parties had made full preparations for the war. 19 14 just one month after the sarajevo incident, countries declared war one after another and soon entered a full-scale war. After a series of local wars, World War II broke out. There is a huge gap between fascism's ambition and strength to dominate the world, so it can only gradually invade and expand abroad, gradually enhance its war capability, and test the reactions of Britain, France and the United States. In this way, the September 18th Incident, Italy's invasion of Ethiopia, German-Italian armed intervention in Spain, the July 7th Incident and the all-out war of aggression against China broke out one after another. During this period, if countries threatened by fascist aggression can unite to stop fascist aggression, world war can be avoided. However, democratic countries such as Britain, France and the United States adopted appeasement policies, which made fascist countries fearless. Instead, they formed alliances, strengthened their strength and provoked a full-scale world war.
(4) Because people have different understandings of war and different responsibilities for war, there are also differences in the way they treat defeated countries after the two world wars. After the First World War, the victors took advantage of the battlefield and pushed the war responsibility onto the defeated country headed by Germany, forcing the defeated country to sign a harsh peace treaty and plunder the defeated country, but did not pursue individual war responsibility. After World War II, the basic spirit of dealing with defeated countries is to eliminate fascism and militarism and prevent another war. The defeated country was democratized and demilitarized, and a democratic system was established. Moreover, according to the international treaties before the war, individual responsibility shall be investigated and war criminals shall be tried.
2. Evolution of the pattern of international relations in the 20th century: (1) Versailles-Washington system. After World War I, the balance of power among imperialists was changed. The victorious countries successively held the Paris Peace Conference and the Washington Conference and signed a series of treaties, which formed a new pattern of post-war imperialist international relations. With the expansion of fascist forces, Germany tore up the Treaty of Versailles, Japan destroyed the nine-nation convention, and the Versailles-Washington system collapsed. 1939 Germany raided Poland, Britain and France declared war on Germany, and the Versailles system completely collapsed; 194 1 The Pacific War broke out in and the Washington system completely collapsed.
Understanding: ① The Paris Peace Conference and the Washington Conference adjusted the relations between imperialism in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region, and formed a new post-war imperialist order, the essence of which was that imperialism re-divided the world. This has intensified the contradiction between imperialism and colonial and semi-colonial countries. ② The system has not changed the traditional political pattern centered on Europe, but the rise and struggle of the United States and Japan have seriously impacted this pattern. (3) The system reflects the fierce struggle between the allies to divide their interests and the collusion for the same interests. ④ The system temporarily eased the contradiction between imperialism and laid the foundation for capitalism to enter a relatively stable development period in the 1920s. ⑤ Because the system is the product of temporary compromise, the contradiction between victorious countries cannot be fundamentally eliminated, and punitive plunder will inevitably deepen the contradiction between defeated countries and victorious countries. With the aggravation of the imbalance of imperialist political and economic development, it will inevitably lead to the intensification of various contradictions and trigger new conflicts and wars.
(2) Yalta system. After World War II, world powers began to redraw the world map and sphere of influence according to the basic principles established by international conferences such as Yalta, and established the Yalta system and a new pattern of international relations. This system includes how to deal with the defeated country and prevent fascism from coming back; Redefine the political map of postwar Europe and Asia, and redraw the borders of fascist defeated countries and their occupied areas; The establishment of the United nations and other content. Under this system, a peaceful international environment of the Cold War emerged, and local wars such as the Korean War and the Vietnam War were accompanied by the Cold War pattern. From 1945 to 1955, the confrontation and cold war between the two camps of socialism and capitalism emerged. The outstanding performance of the cold war pattern in the mid-1950s was the hegemony between the United States and the Soviet Union. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, with the drastic changes in Eastern Europe and the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the Yalta system collapsed.
Understanding: ① As the product of the world anti-fascist war, Yalta system advocates peace and democracy in principle and peace among countries with different social systems. This has played a positive role in the establishment of people's democratic regimes in Eastern European countries in the early post-World War II period, the victory of China's new-democratic revolution, and the strengthening of the Soviet Union's influence in international affairs, which is a historic progress. (2) The system is based on the comparison of American and Soviet forces. In essence, it is the division of the world pattern made by the United States and the Soviet Union according to their own strategic needs, which is deeply branded with the power politics of big countries. The establishment of this system marks that the traditional international pattern centered on Europe has been replaced by the bipolar pattern of the United States and the Soviet Union, and international relations have entered a new era. (4) Although the United Nations established in World War II was manipulated by the United States in the early days, with the rise of the Third World and the restoration of China's legitimate seat in the United Nations, the United Nations has gradually become a platform for upholding justice; At present, the United Nations has become the largest international organization in the world, playing an obvious role in dealing with major international issues and playing an irreplaceable role in maintaining world peace, security and development.
3. The multipolarization trend of the current world political pattern: After the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the Cold War ended, and the bipolar world pattern of the United States and the Soviet Union collapsed, temporarily forming a situation of "one superpower and many strengths". The United States is the only superpower, and European Union, Japanese, Russian, China and other countries and national alliances are important forces in the international situation. In the long run, the world is developing towards multipolarization.
Understanding: After the disintegration of the bipolar structure, it is difficult for the United States to achieve the goal of dominating the world. This is because: ① Western Europe advocates that Western Europe plays a leading role in the new European order and is equal to the United States in the new world order, thus accelerating the process of European integration; After becoming an economic power, Japan strives to become a political power and improve its political status and influence in the world; (3) After the disintegration of the Soviet Union, Russia's strength has obviously weakened, but it still has vast territory, rich resources and strong military strength, trying to restore its status as a big country and opposing the United States to seek hegemony alone; With the drastic changes in Eastern Europe, the contradiction between North and South has become increasingly prominent. The rise of the third world has become a new political force, and the voice of establishing a fair and reasonable new international order is growing; ⑤ 1978 Since the reform and opening up, China has been exploring the socialist modernization road suitable for China's national conditions, and has made remarkable achievements, pushing the attempt of socialist modernization mode to a new stage. Multipolarization of the world is a long process, and only on the basis of multipolarization can we truly establish a new pattern of international relations.
Peace and development are the themes of the times: today, mankind has entered the 2 1 century and is facing new challenges. Peace and development are the common theme of all nationalities in the world, and modernization and globalization are the inevitable trend of historical development.
Understanding: In the 2nd/kloc-0th century, all countries took development as their primary task. Although the problems of resources and environment have begun to attract people's attention, great efforts are still needed to truly realize the harmonious development between man and nature. 2 1 century, the biggest development problem that mankind needs to solve is the imbalance of development, which is the widening gap between the rich and the poor in the north and the south. Poverty in southern countries is caused by many reasons, among which the long-term colonial rule of developed countries and the current unreasonable international economic order are the important reasons. 2 1 century, mankind needs to solve the contradiction between globalization and nationalism. On the one hand, on the basis of safeguarding national sovereignty and fundamental interests, every nation should have a global awareness, follow the principle of national equality and peace, and resolve conflicts of interest through consultation; On the other hand, we must resolutely oppose hegemonism and establish a new international political and economic order. Only in this way can peace be maintained and development be guaranteed. Modernization is the common development path of all nationalities in the world, and the modernization of each nationality has its own characteristics.