American History?

Question

I'd like to know what has started American supremacy. To my knowledge, American victory over Japanese imperialism and Allied victory at the end of WW2 was the time when America emerged as the super power. Before that it was the British that had the supermacy. Before British, it was the French. Before French, it was the time before the East and West had met, and China clearly was leading but at that time men didn't expand much beyond their border due to lack of technology. So Chinese influence didn't reach Europe. Genghis Khan, who is fairly unknown in the West, was an exception.
I'd also have to say that British supermacy was helpful for America to take over when British retired due to very similar lineage, culture and same language. Germany's ant-semitism was also big factor. Had it not been for that Germany would have been 1st nation to have nuclear weapon and that would have changed the fight between Allied and Axis.
I know some Americans are adamant that America has been

in charge of the world since her inception. But British scholars will rightfully challenge such stance. I'd like to know what do you think has caused America to have current supermacy?

Would you also say that America's current Iraq occupation, and the following mess in Middle East could initiate America's retirement as the super power?

Answer 1

You pretty much answered your own question. The real strength of the United States though, what made it a superpower if you will was its great industrial machine. The American assembly line during WW2 and its vast resources were its strength. Changing auto assembly plants to tank plants, controling vast amounts of oil and out producing the rest of the world were a large part of the reason that the U.S. became a super power. The Japanese, were convinced that the U.S. would inevitably be drawn into the war and they knew that although they might hold a slight edge in technology better planes, bigger ships,they could not match the U.S.'s resources or output there idea was to knock out the U.S. Aircraft Carriers at Pearl Harbour and take away the U.S.'s best far reaching weapons in the Pacific, allowing them to entrench themselves in there conquered territory and hopefully allow them time to gain control of the natural resources to sustain there war effort. Fortunatly the Carriers were away at the time. By the time the war eneded in Europe and Asia, everything was smashed, the industrial war machines of Germany, and Japan were destroyed. Great Britain although victorious and tired had stretched herslelf to the limit and was ineffecutal and essentialy impotent in the Pacific, its colonies had been conquered by the Japanese, it had lost a lot of face, and no longer had the resources or might to be considered a super power. The war ceated two new super powers. The U.S. who had been, attacked at Pearl Harbour and the Soviet Union, which had suffered a loss of life somewhere in the range of 20,000,000, more that the total casualties of all nations in WW1 combine. The Soviets suffered horribly during WW2, but this suffering also had the unintended effect of binding the diverse Soviet people together, driving them into comrade Stalin's arms and causing them to industrialize there bac k water nation and bring it into the 20th century. I hope that helps, although I realize I went off on a bit of a rant there.

Answer 2

The United States probably wasn't concerned with being a world power until Teddy Roosevelt sent the Great White Fleet around the world to prove we, the US, could do it. The end of World War I came about because the Germans and their allies could content with 1 million soldiers that the US was sending to Europe to fight. Rome was a world power, Alexander the Great (Greece), Persia, and lots of others throughout history. The British after the defeat of Napoleon and until the end of WWI were most likely the world power but I'm sure the French would disagree. Had Germany developed a nuclear device the face of the globe would be much different today. I'm not sure the Nazi anti-Jew attitude is a big factor, industrial might was also a big factor in developing the bomb at Los Alamos. Germany surely had the technical edge during WWII but due to poor leadership and limited industrial production, especially late in the war, she lost. Rockets, jet planes, fast submarines, better tanks and artillery, assault weapons, are just a few of the items that Germany developed for war first. Had Hitler waited just a few more years to start the war, the outcome may have been very different without nuclear bombs. England almost fell and without Lend- Lease would have. The United States happens to be a world power due to our military's size and most countries expect us to respond to trouble spots even though their politicians may not publically say so. Who else has the ability to move thousands of people and their equipment in a short time period.
Most countries are having trouble sending a few hundred troops to Lebannon as "peace keepers". The future of the US as a world power depends on the attitude of the population and the elected leadership.

Answer 3

I think there has a been a tussle over world domination for as long as there have been two groups of peoples.
U.S. politics have been involved with other nations way back to such times as the Monroe Doctrine of 1823. The U.S. hoped to dominate in the Americas.
We may see less domination by nation than by economic group. Is the mid-east war really about big oil?

Answer 4

no thanks....