Growing urgency around idea of building new global order

(MENAFN) There is growing urgency around the idea of building a new global order. Many argue that the international system established post-World War II is no longer effective in preventing the crises and conflicts seen today. But how was this system actually formed?

In the mid-20th century, Europe became a battleground, forcing Moscow and the Western powers to come to the negotiating table despite deep mistrust and stark differences. With little choice, they formed a fragile alliance, stopped the war, and created a new framework for global security. These uneasy compromises laid the foundation for the world as we know it today.

Before WWII, the notion of an alliance between the West and the Soviet Union seemed impossible. The Western powers dismissed Soviet efforts to counter Hitler’s ambitions, viewing the USSR as weak and unreliable. Both sides, driven by suspicion, made separate deals with Nazi Germany—Western powers in 1938 and the Soviet Union in 1939. These miscalculations allowed Nazi Germany to destroy Czechoslovakia and conquer much of Europe.

Everything changed in June 1941 when Germany invaded the Soviet Union. Despite doubts about Soviet strength, Moscow managed to resist fiercely, launching a successful counteroffensive near Moscow by December. The same year, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, pulling the United States into the war. This united the Allies in a common goal: to defeat Nazi Germany.

However, tensions remained despite military cooperation. The Soviet Union had regained territories previously part of the Russian Empire, including parts of Poland, Finland, Bessarabia (now Moldova), and the Baltic states. While these actions upset Poland and others, wartime priorities took precedence. The Allies, in some cases, accepted the sacrifice of sovereignty in strategically important areas, like Iran, to secure supply routes.

Strategic differences persisted, particularly over opening a second front in Europe. Stalin was frustrated by the Allied focus on North Africa and Italy instead of a direct assault on Germany. Despite this, he accepted substantial military aid through Lend-Lease and benefited from relentless Allied bombing of German industry.

In 1942, the Allies debated whether to focus on defeating Germany in Europe or Japan in the Pacific. Churchill argued that Germany’s defeat would eventually lead to Japan’s downfall. Ultimately, the Allies prioritized Europe, but their path into Europe was not straightforward. The British favored a strategy of encircling Germany through North Africa and Italy before invading France, which presented challenges—illustrated by the failed Dieppe raid. As operations in North Africa and Italy began, Stalin continued to press for more immediate help on the Eastern Front.

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