Overthrow of reichs and empires, and the "unipolar world"

Submitted by Michael S. (United States), Jul 8, 2014 at 05:08

Leo, I don't see your point. Three major powers were destroyed in WWII. Here are some "before" and "after" comparisons:

1. US: World power under Roosevelt --> Superpower under Truman

2. USSR: Great power under Stalin --> Superpower under Stalin

3. UK: Empire under George VI --> Empire under George VI

4. France: World power under Lebrun --> World power under DeGaulle

5. Spain: Empire under Franco --> Empire under Franco

6. Portugal: Empire under Carmona --> Empire under Carmona

7. Belgium: Empire under Leopold III --> Empire under Leopold III

8. Netherlands: Empire under Wilhelmina --> Empire under Wilhelmina

Three powers were uprooted during the war:

9. Germany: Reich under HItler --> partitioned, occupied by Russia, US, UK and France

10: Italy: Empire under Mussolini --> occupied by US, UK and Yugoslavia.

11. Japan: Empire under Hirohito, with divine pretensions --> occupied by US

France had a period of a provisional government under DeGaulle and the "Free French", before the restoration of the Republic. The others of the first eight lost important parts of their empires from 1946 onward. Germany, Italy and Japan have continued under allied occupation, however until the present day: at first, as military governments; and after treaties were signed years later, as independent states "hosting" the occupiers. It seems pretty clear, then, which three powers were "overthrown". It's also very clear which superpower eventually came out on top, creating, as Vladimir Putin termed it, a "Unipolar World".

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