The First World War ended in costly victory for the Entente and total defeat for the Central Powers. It also sowed the seeds of future strife. The war swept away the German, Austro-Hungarian, Russian, and Ottoman Empires and created a string of new states, arbitrary borders, and simmering disputes from the Baltic Sea to the Persian Gulf. The European victors – France, Italy, and Great Britain – were
financially exhausted and politically spent. Grieving their unprecedented numbers of war dead, they sought territory and reparations from their enemies. The United States soon retreated into isolationism, dismayed by the seemingly unsolvable squabbles of the Old World. Russia remained mired in civil war and ideological violence, at first attacked by Western governments, and then ignored by them. The new League of Nations could play no meaningful role in preserving international security if its
principal members stayed committed to national agendas. In the League’s critical early years, Europe’s greatest potential powers, Germany and Soviet Russia, were not members at all. The First World War ended in a complete victory and an unstable peace. Post-war Germany, disarmed and humiliated, became a weak and short-lived republic. Its resentments and frustrations – real and imagined – fuelled the rise of Hitler’s brutal fascists. Bolshevik Russia, fascist
Spain, and much of eastern and central Europe also succumbed to brutal, though sometimes popular, dictatorships. Most had territorial designs on neighboring states or scores to settle at home against those who had not supported their rise. Mob violence, domestic repression, and outright wars flickered through much of Europe. Italy pushed to expand its colonial possessions in Africa. Japan honed the armed forces and militarist ethos that would soon conquer most of the Asia-Pacific region. The war
left the principal powers divided from one another, even at the Versailles treaty negotiations – vengeful toward old enemies and distrustful of old friends. The post-war world was weary, indebted, and disillusioned. Intellectuals and ordinary civilians questioned the notion of human progress and scientific rationality that pre-war generations had believed natural and indefinite. Writers spoke of a ‘lost generation’; artists
depicted the horrors of war. Western economies recovered and retooled slowly and unevenly from their wartime efforts; many eastern economies, ravaged by post-war inflation, barely managed to rebuild at all. Canada and the other British Dominions had purchased pride, glory, and political autonomy on battlefields from Flanders to Iraq, but they had done so at great cost. The scars of war, and the terrible legacy of the dead, left most victorious Allies shunning international commitments in the
post-war years. It was not apparent to the celebrating crowds in Ottawa or Paris in November 1918, but in the ashes of the First World War lay concealed the embers of the Second. Skip to Main Content of WWIITopic Explore articles, web series, podcast episodes, live webinars and more from the Museum about the end of World War II.  The National WWII Museum pays tribute to the historic anniversaries, as well as the myriad servicemembers and Home Front workers who helped preserve freedom and democracy. Through an ongoing series of digital programming, the Museum will reflect on the legacy and meaning of the end of World War II, bringing audiences distance learning programs, articles, featured artifacts, podcasts, and video content
featuring scholars, Museum historians and curators, and oral histories from the Museum’s collection. Learn with us wherever you are. Overview On May 8, 1945, World War II in Europe came to an end. As the news of Germany’s
surrender reached the rest of the world, joyous crowds gathered to celebrate in the streets, clutching newspapers that declared Victory in Europe (V-E Day). Later that year, US President Harry S. Truman announced Japan’s surrender and the end of World War II. The news spread quickly and celebrations erupted across the United States. On September 2, 1945, formal surrender documents were signed aboard the USS Missouri, designating the day as the official Victory over Japan Day (V-J Day). V-J Day was especially momentous—the gruesome and exhausting war was officially over—but the day was also bittersweet for the many Americans whose loved ones would not be returning home. “More than 400,000 Americans gave their lives to secure our nation’s freedom, and in the midst of
exultation, there was recognition that the true meaning of the day was best represented by those who were not present to celebrate,” said Robert Citino, PhD, Executive Director of the Institute for the Study of War and Democracy at The National WWII Museum. Seventy-six years later, The National WWII Museum will pay tribute to the historic anniversaries, as well as the myriad servicemembers and Home Front workers who helped preserve freedom and democracy.
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Frequently Asked QuestionsWhere is the schedule of upcoming commemorations, ceremonies, and programs?How do I participate in a webinar?The Museum’s webinars will be hosted on Zoom. You can access a Zoom webinar on your smart phone, tablet, or computer. If you are watching for the first time on your smart phone or tablet, you will need to download the Zoom app from the app store on your device. The Zoom app is free to download. Once the app is downloaded, click the Zoom webinar link for the program you are interested in. It will then open the app, and you will enter the webinar room. You will need to provide your email address to participate in a webinar. If you are participating in a Zoom webinar for the first time on a computer, Zoom will prompt you to download and run a bit of software. Once downloaded and installed, click the Zoom webinar link for the program you are interested in. It will then open the application and you will enter the webinar room. You will need to provide your email address to participate in a webinar. See here for additional information: https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/115004954946-Joining-and-participating-in-a-webinar-attendee- What if I miss a webinar?SponsorsThe series of digital programming commemorating the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II is made possible by The Nierenberg Family and Bank of America.
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What was the outcome of World War?Germany had formally surrendered on November 11, 1918, and all nations had agreed to stop fighting while the terms of peace were negotiated. On June 28, 1919, Germany and the Allied Nations (including Britain, France, Italy and Russia) signed the Treaty of Versailles, formally ending the war.
What was an outcome of the War of 1812?Ultimately, the War of 1812 ended in a draw on the battlefield, and the peace treaty reflected this. The Treaty of Ghent was signed in modern-day Belgium on December 24, 1814, and went into effect on February 17, 1815, after both sides had ratified it.
What were the outcomes of World War 2?Britain and France lost most of their empires due to World War II. Germany, Italy, and Japan were conquered and occupied. The Soviet Union lost its most productive citizens—more than twenty million died in the war.
What was the outcome and aftermath of WW1?World War I led to the deaths of millions of soldiers and civilians. Nearly ten million soldiers died in the fighting, far exceeding military deaths in all the wars of the previous 100 years combined. Millions of civilians also suffered. Many died from starvation, disease, mass deportations, and genocide.
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What was the outcome of the war
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