For the United States, the event of World War II was probably the single most influential factor in determining the nation's financial, political, and social prowess in the 20th century. While most are familiar with the war itself, few understand the scale of its scope and the massive effects it produced on a global scale. At home, it ended the Great Depression and strengthened our government's ability to manage the economy. Before the war, virtually every industry in the country was crippled or even dead, a problem that may never have been solved without the growing demand from defense industries. The trade union movement was a growing force to be reckoned with, even during the war it managed to grow in strength, becoming a major player in the post-war years, both privately and politically. As a result of the war, research, science, technology, engineering, and countless other fields were spurred to a meteoric rate of progress, invoking the national drive for progress that we still have today. The wartime labor market offered many a taste of what life might be like: with increased wages and other incentives, the public earned money and spent it thus, creating a fashion of life that would set the bar for future generations. Indeed, World War II provided such a boost to the country, while leaving much of the global economy in ruins, that it opened the doors that allowed the United States to become the world's only true superpower for the rest of the century. economic event that had negative consequences on governments and entire nations around the world. In some ways, it was this depression that helped establish Hitler as the leader of Germany, through his promises of a better life for the country's citizens. In the United States, FDR was in the midst of paper technology, and even changed the social fabric of the country, ending the Great Depression and ushering in a new era. It's no wonder that the men and women of this period are often referred to as "the Greatest Generation." Works Cited Blum, John Morton. V Was for Victory: American Politics and Culture during World War II. New York: Harcourt Brace, 1976 Darby, Michael R. Journal of Political Economy 84, no. 1 (February 1976): 1-16Kennedy, David M. Freedom from Fear: The American People in Depression and War, 1929-1945. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999Koistinen, Paul AC Arsenal of World War II: The Political Economy of the American War, 1940-1945. Lawrence, KS: University Press of Kansas, 2004. United States Department of the Treasury, “Fact Sheet: Taxes,” and available at http://www.treas.gov/education/fact-sheets/taxes/ustax.shtml