Following the war the governments had to figure out how to rebuild. This meant they needed a plan for what they wanted their nation to look like following the war. This meant deciding who to look for for advice. From the first world war they knew the importance and implications of an unsuccessful reconstruction. In many European countries this was decided for them out of necessity. Many recovering nations had to look outside for assistance. This meant looking to the US or the USSR. Both of which had their own agendas. Victoria De Grazia, author of Irresistible Empire- America’s Advance through Twentieth-century Europe and Italian historian, argues that the American consumer economy took over the European economy following the war. There was a desire to achieve the level of consumerism that Americans had. This society was encouraged by the Marshall plan. De Grazia tells the story of a Castilian village where they put on this show of tourism to encourage Americans to give them aid. The art scene following the war changed as well. There was an emphasis on modern art and questioning what was art. The influence of consumerism can be seen throughout this style. With the emphasis on consumer products as a symbol of American culture as well as wealth came the use of these everyday items as art pieces. The SFO museum highlights these items in their exhibit on Modern Consumer Products. This ties into the De Grazia article about the importance of consumerism following the war. The Modern Consumer; 1950s Products and StyleAlexandre Kojeve, a French philosopher and author of the Outline of a Doctrine Of French Policy, argues that France must decide where they fall in the power hierarchy following the war. They have the potential to fall into the Anglo-Saxon bloc and thus be influenced by the Americans. But there is also the potential for a Latin bloc. There is the question of to what extent France will be able to remain a nation state, it is almost inevitable that they become part of an empire or bloc. Both of these articles focus on the idea of growing globalization. They focus on the impact of blocs, or Empires as Kojeve states. These spheres of influence are integral to the new political order. European countries who had in the previous century held an abundance of power now felt themselves relying on the help of the Americans to recover. This help did not come without a cost even if most of that cost was influence and an ally against the Soviets. The thing that I wondered was where these spheres of influence were inevitable and if not what caused them.
Author: katiep34
2 thoughts on “Reconstruction and Consumerism”
I am currently reading a really interesting essay by C.S. Lewis that, in one way, addresses the question that you pose. Lewis’ focus is on the difference between the historian and the historicist. He proposes that historicism is a practice that attempts to take an overly teleological approach to reality. He argues that saying that something must have happened in history is an illogical argument. Therefore, I think what you are getting at is very similar. It doesn’t really make sense to say that these spheres of influence must have been what happened at this particular time in history. Rather it is necessary to look at what specifically caused this event to happen as a reality in its time.
I do believe that the spheres of influence were created with the intention of America coming out on top and gaining allies as they do so. If this did not occur in the way that it had, then there might have been a delay in globalization and the development of international relations.
I am currently reading a really interesting essay by C.S. Lewis that, in one way, addresses the question that you pose. Lewis’ focus is on the difference between the historian and the historicist. He proposes that historicism is a practice that attempts to take an overly teleological approach to reality. He argues that saying that something must have happened in history is an illogical argument. Therefore, I think what you are getting at is very similar. It doesn’t really make sense to say that these spheres of influence must have been what happened at this particular time in history. Rather it is necessary to look at what specifically caused this event to happen as a reality in its time.
I do believe that the spheres of influence were created with the intention of America coming out on top and gaining allies as they do so. If this did not occur in the way that it had, then there might have been a delay in globalization and the development of international relations.