Post-World War II Teacher Resources

The Post-World War II era was a time of great change, of shifting alliances, and mass migration. Faced with the staggering loss of life and massive devastation of property, nations struggled to find ways to rebuild economies, improve faith in institutions, and prevent future wars.

Set the stage for a study of this period with an interactive that permits students to review the key battles, track division movements, and read personal stories from soldiers on the front lines of World War II. The period after the war was marked by diplomatic maneuvering. To aid countries affected by World War II and to battle the advance of communism, the United States adopted the The European Recovery Act.To gain an understanding of the particulars of the plan, young historians can examine the documents contained in the The Marshall Plan Exhibit or study primary sources related to the Marshall Plan that reveal attempts by the United States to contain the USSR at the beginning of the Cold War.

European countries were not the only ones affected by the Post-War period. High schoolers can investigate how imperialism influenced policy decisions related to Greater East Asia or read a story about life in Post-War Japan. Attempts to avoid another “hot” war gave rise to the Cold War. Class members read all about it through primary source documents and then formulate their own claims of who was most responsible for the battle between communism and capitalism.

Lesson Planet offers a complete collection of reviewed and rated resources that permit pupils to investigate the issues faced by immigrants after WWII, the impact of decolonization and the Third World Order, and the development of the European Union.  

The political and social upheaval of the Post-World War II era gave rise to the Iron Curtain and the Berlin Wall, to McCarthyism and the Arms Race, and is a period well-worth the attention of young historians.