Is 1945 a transformative moment in twentieth century history?

Essay from the year 2019 in the subject History Europe - Other Countries - Ages of World Wars, grade: 74, Oxford University, language: English, abstract: This essay will argue that, though the ‘transformative’ moments can be attributed to different dates across the globe, the period around 1945 was a fundamental turning point in transnational history, shaping the remainder of the twentieth century. With the redrawing of the world map, a newly intensified ideological polarisation, nuclear proliferation and the formation of the United Nations, the notion of ‘internationalism’ gained a new prominence. Year Zero, as it was later dubbed by the likes of Ian Buruma, revealed an entirely new world order with a particular focus on the emerging Cold War: it truly was a transformative moment in global history. With the end of the Second World War and the seeds being sown for the Cold War, the period between 1944 and 1948 was extremely disruptive, transforming the political and cultural landscapes. In order for it to be labelled 'transformative’, however, one must first understand the events of the past. For example, as many as 60 million people were killed during the war, with the new term ‘genocide’ entering our vocabulary to deal with the mass murder of the European Jews. Though it is important to note the vast incommensurability of events across the globe, there is no doubt that the events of this period had a ubiquitous effect on the world, marking the end of a destructive period of fascist authoritarianism and the dawn of a new political polarity.