by Fyodor Lukyanov
May 9, 2025
Why the cracks in the World War II settlement threaten global stability
Eighty years is a long time. Over such a span, the world changes almost
beyond recognition, and events that once felt close fade into legend. Yet while
history may become distant, its imprint remains. The Second World War
created a political order that shaped global affairs for decades – an order
many assumed was permanent. But today, the world is shifting rapidly and
irreversibly. The events of the rst half of the 20th century are no less
signicant, but their role in contemporary politics is no longer the same.
The West is dismantling the foundations of 1945 – Sri Lanka Guardian
https://slguardian.org/the-west-is-dismantling-the-foundations-of-1945/ 2/12
The war’s outcome, culminating in the defeat of Nazism, dened the modern
world order. In many ways, it was seen as a near-perfect struggle: a battle
against an unquestionably aggressive and criminal regime that forced nations
with deep-seated ideological differences to set aside their disputes. The Allied
powers – divided by political systems and long-standing mistrust – found
themselves united by necessity. None of them entered this alliance out of pure
goodwill; pre-war diplomacy was focused on self-preservation and
maneuvering to deect the worst consequences elsewhere. Yet when the
existential threat became clear, those ideological rifts were temporarily
bridged. It was precisely because of this that the post-war order proved so
resilient.
This framework weathered the storms of the Cold War and even lingered into
the early 21st century, despite major shifts in the global balance of power.
What helped hold it together was a shared moral and ideological narrative:
the war was seen as a ght against absolute evil, a rare moment when the
divisions between the Allies seemed secondary to their common cause.
Continue reading at slguardian.org
Featured image: World War II: A meeting with family near Belgorod, 1943
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