Research Paper on 20th Century: Age of Antagonism, Prosperity & Republics

Introduction

The 20th century is a crucial period in the history of the world as many events that shaped today's life occurred. Significant events in previous have been used to assign names to given certain centuries. The 16th century was named age of exploration, whereas the 18th century known as the age of reason. A careful examination of events suggests the age of antagonism, age of prosperity, and age of republics can be appropriate in describing the 20th century.

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The Age of Antagonism

The choice of the name the age of antagonism can be supported by events in various regions of the world that depict instances of a struggle between two or more parties over specified issues. Events in Europe during the 20th century make a strong case for this period to be named the age of antagonism. The First World War and the Second World are some of the landmark events that portrayed the continent as a region in a considerable struggle. The war was characterized by political struggles all over the continent with Germany leading Austria-Hungary and Italy it battling France, Britain, and Russia. The war ended in 1918 with Germany's declaration as to the guilty party in provoking the war (Heinrichs 11-12). The harsh conditions given Germany in the treaty that ended the war would motivate extremist nationalism that later led to the rise of Adolf Hitler and the eventual outbreak of the Second World War.

After the outbreak of the Second World War, the United States did not take part in the conflict when it was at its initial stages in 1939. However, this changed when the Japanese forces overran Pearl Harbor with the US attacking Japan in retaliation and also taking a lead role at the end of the war. Notably, the United States invaded Japan and installed a puppet government that was based on democracy (Heinrichs 12). The involvement in the Japanese case drew North America into Asian affairs, which lasted for the rest of the 20th century.

Australia and Africa were also not spared in the global antagonism of the 20th century. During the Second World, Austrian volunteer soldiers fought on the side of the Allies. These soldiers participated both in the Pacific and North Africa, where they joined Africans who fought on both sides of the war divide (RSLNSW rslnsw.org.au). Practically, such involvement meant that Austrians and Africans actively participated in the war.

Strengths of the Name Age of Antagonism

The name draws strength from the fact that the antagonism took place in almost every region of the world. The strength in the name also lies in the active participation of people from different parts of the world in the war. This, way giving it such a name captures what happened in the whole world.

Weaknesses

The name has a connotation of death and destruction. The age of reason and age of exploration represent major positives about the development of the world. Hence, assigning the 20th century, the name almost amounts to the glorification of what happened in the highlighted wars.

Age of Republics

It was during the 20th century that most of the states as known today. The spread of nationalism motivated people in different parts of the world. The Soviet Union which emerged as a global superpower after the Second World War engaged in a struggle for supremacy (known as the Cold War) that lasted for at least 40 years. The disintegration of the union in 1991 not only marked the end of one of the long-standing political conflicts but also resulted in many independent states that formally held allegiance to Moscow.

Asia was also not spared in the bitter pro-self-rule conflicts that characterized the world during the 20th century. In 1946, a revolution took root in China to fight against the invasion of the Japanese as well as the legacies of the British rule in mainland China. The Chinese Communist Revolution, under the leadership of Mao Zedong, fought the Japanese, and by 1949, the Communist Party claimed victory, resulting in the proclamation of the People's Republic of China (Meisner 2-3). The emergence of a new republic known as China would completely alter the geopolitics of the region forever and the world.

Besides Asia, the struggle for independence in Africa that led to the creation of several states stands out as an example of the formation of new republics. During most of the 20th century, Africa as a continent remained a colony of European powers who shared territories based on the agreement of the Berlin Conference of 1884/85. However, after the Second World War, many regions of Africa began the struggle for independence from the colonial powers. A decade into the second half of the 20th century, many African countries had attained the status of a republic and, by the end of the century, virtually African regions had formed new nations. Today the continent is home for more than 50 states. Such massive formation of countries had never witnessed before hence the age of republics in Africa.

The final illustration of the formation of republics is the case of Oceania. Many regions in the Austrian continent were under the occupation of the British and the United States. However, during the 20th-century republic, consciousness spread across this region, which in turn motivated the formation of movements that eventually resulted in the creation of independent nations. Today countries such as Australia, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, Fiji, Vanuatu, and Kiribati are republics. These countries are stable democracies that are governed based on the systems that were chosen by the people.

Strengths in the Name Age of Republics

The name can resonate well to the readers as it represents the events that formed what people can be physically identified today. Although it cannot be concluded that more republics will form, the massive nature of nature the nations formed in this period creates it more memorable compared to naming previous centuries as such.

Like the age of reason and age of exploration such naming does not represent positive happenings in society as it captures the attainment of freedom from exploitation of various peoples around the world.

Weaknesses

One of the first limitations to this name is that it connotes death and destruction that occurred as these countries sought nationhood. For this reason, it may not be considered as a positive development by some sections of the global society.

The other weakness related to this description of new republics is being formed even in the 21st century. As such, some observers may consider this period as inconclusive hence less relevant in describing the 20th century.

Age of Prosperity

Prosperity has been part of humanity for many centuries. However, there is no other period in history that global population achieved prosperity more than what has been witnessed in the 20th century. In the United States, the country saw phenomenal economic growth that began at the turn of the 20th century and followed a steady until the 1970s when globalization began. Although the growth of incomes interfered during the Second World War, Americans enjoyed great prosperity after the end of the war (Samuel 9-12). This has been sustained, and the country remains one of the most prosperous nations on earth.

Europe is also a perfect example of prosperity in the 20th century. Like many European nations, except the British Empire, had witnessed significant industrialization at the start of the 20th century. Countries like Germany, Italy, and France, among others, enjoyed enormous economic growth during the early years of the century, resulting in urbanization and high quality of life of the people. Despite the destruction that occurred during the First and Second World Wars, these nations rebuilt themselves, and by the start of the second of the century, they had achieved great prosperity. As the global political climate became more peaceful significant economic developments occurred in Europe, which raised the living standards of people to historical levels.

Some countries in Asia also experienced prosperity that had never witnessed before. Singapore experienced incredible economic growth from the 1960s up to the 1990s that people in the city-state had never seen before the reign of Lee Kuan Yew. Notably, per capita income rose from $ 435 in 1959 to $12,700 in 1990 (Giugliano). In the same breath, China, since the country instituted economic reforms in 1978, has lifted more than 850 million people, lowering the prevalence of poverty from 81.percent to less than one percent for the period under review (World Bank).

Brazil is also another example of prosperity. The South American nation has seen a considerable rise in the incomes and wellbeing of its people since the 1970s. The country has experienced huge strides in economic growth. It has attracted substantial global investments of the last few decades to be ranked as one of the most prosperous nations in the world (Amann and Baer 413).

Strength of the Name Age of Prosperity

The lifespan of people has increased all around the world as people live in better conditions. This can easily be connected with the life of people in the world. It also reflects a period in the history of the world where more amount of wealth was created than any period in history hence synonymous with prosperity.

Weakness

Prosperity is not well-distributed. Economic prosperity does not imply that everybody is proud of what has happened in their lives. Notably, many countries in Africa are still poor hence the term cannot resonate well with people.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the age of antagonism can offer a fitting description of the 20th due to intense conflicts that occurred in North America, Europe, Africa, and Asia. Age of republics is also relevant to the period to the massive number of nations that came into existence. Moreover, the age of prosperity is also pertinent due to the enormous creation of wealth. Despite their weaknesses, the three terms have significant relevance to the 20th century.

Works Cited

Amann, Edmund, and Werner Baer. "Brazil as an emerging economy: a new economic miracle?" Revista de Economia Politica, vol. 32, no. 3, 2012, pp. 412-423. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S0101-31572012000300004

Giugliano, Ferdinando. "Singapore's Economic Miracle Uncovered." Financial Times, 2015, www.ft.com/content/3fcb2d4c-a807-3bda-a329-6bcf9e3b5ee2.

Heinrichs, Waldo. Threshold of War: Franklin D. Roosevelt and American Entry into World War II. Oxford UP, 1990.

Meisner, Maurice . "The significance of the Chinese Revolution in world history". Working Paper. Asia Research Centre, London School of Economics and Political Science, London, UK, 1999. http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/21309/1/Significance_of_the_Chinese_Revolution_in_world_history.pdf

RSLNSW. "Australian Involvement In The Second World War." 2018, rslnsw.org.au/commemoration/heritage/the-second-world-war.Samuel, Lawrence R. The American Middle Class: A Cultural History. Routledge, 2013.

World Bank. "The World Bank In China." World Bank, 2018, www.worldbank.org/en/country/china/overview.