Cold War & Decolonization (1900-Present)

Implementation of the Dodge Plan that revitalized Japan's economy and fostered capitalist development.

Establishment of democratic reforms within nearby South Korean territory to strengthen the regional bloc against communism.

Signing of a defense treaty with Japan to serve as a frontline in containment against Soviet aggression in Asia.

Provision of military aid to Japanese forces engaged in guerrilla warfare against local communist rebels.

Ho Chi Minh

Joseph Stalin

Benito Mussolini

Mao Zedong

A patchwork approach to reconstruction emerges with varying levels of success among individual nations based on their own resources.

Without US financial aid under Marshall Plan terms, immediate economic recovery would stall, causing extended hardship.

European reliance on Soviet assistance increases, potentially escalating East-West tensions across the continent.

Independent European initiatives laid by cooperation frameworks such as OEEC could have fostered intracontinental rebuilding efforts.

Telegraph systems

Jet airliners

Steam engines

Assembly lines

By implementing trade embargoes against Soviet-aligned nations to stifle their economic growth.

Through direct military intervention in economically strategic regions to control resources.

Offering loans to developing countries in exchange for establishing American military bases.

By providing Western European countries with financial aid to rebuild their economies and prevent communist expansion.

Proxy wars prompted universal economic sanctions that equalized trading conditions across all nations.

Proxy wars disrupted regional stability, affecting supply chains and limiting access to key materials.

They had no significant impact on global trade since they were confined to isolated regions.

Proxy wars largely enhanced trade networks by opening new markets through rebuilding efforts.

Telephone

Telegraph

Morse code

Pigeon post

There was increased competition for resources among emerging blocs driven by ideological differences.

International commerce diminished substantially due to widespread disruption of traditional maritime routes only.

Trade routes remained static because pre-war infrastructures continued to dictate post-war economics unchanged.

The focus turned entirely towards local production, rendering long-distance trade obsolete globally after WWII.

Direct military confrontations between superpowers in colonized regions hastened independence movements.

Superpower interventions often led to prolonged conflicts within decolonizing states due to ideological alignments.

Unprecedented economic growth in decolonizing countries fueled by investments from both U.S.A and USSR vying for influence.

A temporary suspension of colonial policies as European powers focused solely on containing communism or capitalism respectively.

Deforestation caused by increased demand for paper maps

Desertification near launch sites due to infrastructure development

Ozone layer depletion due to rocket emissions

Space debris accumulating from satellite launches