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1946: The Making of the Modern World
With the end of the Second World War, a new world was born. The peace agreements that brought the conflict to an end implemented decisions that not only shaped the second half of the twentieth century, but continue to affect our world today and impact on its future. In 1946 the Cold War began, the state of Israel was conceived, the independence of India was all but confirmed and Chinese Communists gained a decisive upper hand in their fight for power. It was a pivotal year in modern history in which countries were reborn and created, national and ideological boundaries were redrawn and people across the globe began to rebuild their lives.
In this remarkable history, the foreign correspondent and historian Victor Sebestyen draws on contemporary documents from around the world - including Stalin's briefing notes for the Potsdam peace conference - to examine what lay behind the political decision-making. Sebestyen uses a vast array of archival material and personal testimonies to explore how the lives of generations of people across continents were shaped by the events of 1946. Taking readers from Berlin to London, from Paris to Moscow, from Washington to Jerusalem and from Delhi to Shanghai, this is a vivid and wide-ranging account of both powerbrokers and ordinary men and women from an acclaimed author.
In this remarkable history, the foreign correspondent and historian Victor Sebestyen draws on contemporary documents from around the world - including Stalin's briefing notes for the Potsdam peace conference - to examine what lay behind the political decision-making. Sebestyen uses a vast array of archival material and personal testimonies to explore how the lives of generations of people across continents were shaped by the events of 1946. Taking readers from Berlin to London, from Paris to Moscow, from Washington to Jerusalem and from Delhi to Shanghai, this is a vivid and wide-ranging account of both powerbrokers and ordinary men and women from an acclaimed author.
464 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2014
90 people are currently reading
1592 people want to read
About the author
Victor Sebestyen
7 books171 followersVictor Sebestyen was born in Budapest and was only an infant when his family left Hungary. He has worked for many British newspapers, including the Evening Standard. He lives in England.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
October 19, 2015
I don’t often become completely engrossed in a book of straight history, usually I read historical biographies to get a sense of the past, but this book was hard to put down. With its detailed and in-depth account of events in the year following WWII, focusing on the causes and early stages of the Cold War, 1946: The Making of the Modern World has the most fascinating account of the mid to late twentieth century that I’ve read anywhere. Developments are presented chronologically, starting with an early dispute between the US and the Soviets over oil fields in Iran, but because the background and future impact of each event is included this book is much more than a glorified timeline of how WWII allies very quickly became enemies once the war was over.
Thoroughly researched, the book is highly readable and written with insight and clarity. Its scope goes well beyond Europe and Japan, also including India’s struggles toward independence, France’s attempts to reassert itself in Indochina, the contentious and difficult formations of Israel and Pakistan, colonialism’s dying gasps, and China’s simultaneously occurring communist revolution and war with Japan--one of the many things I learned is that 25% of WWII’s fatalities were in China, more than any other country except the USSR. Some of the most interesting, even eye-opening, parts are revelations about the thoughts, words, and deeds of political leaders, including Roosevelt, Truman, Churchill, Clement Attlee, Stalin, MacArthur, Hirohito, Mao, Chiang Kai-shek, Mei-Ling Soong, Nehru, Gandhi, Mohammed Ali Jinnah, David Ben Gurion, and Menachem Begin.
If I had any doubts about the difficulties of occupation or the massive extent of devastation, suffering and displacement that continued well after WWII fighting was over, those uncertainties would have been dispelled forever by this book. Because it was years in the making the author was able to interview many people with personal experiences of the time, giving events a human face and adding poignancy and impact to the history.
Thoroughly researched, the book is highly readable and written with insight and clarity. Its scope goes well beyond Europe and Japan, also including India’s struggles toward independence, France’s attempts to reassert itself in Indochina, the contentious and difficult formations of Israel and Pakistan, colonialism’s dying gasps, and China’s simultaneously occurring communist revolution and war with Japan--one of the many things I learned is that 25% of WWII’s fatalities were in China, more than any other country except the USSR. Some of the most interesting, even eye-opening, parts are revelations about the thoughts, words, and deeds of political leaders, including Roosevelt, Truman, Churchill, Clement Attlee, Stalin, MacArthur, Hirohito, Mao, Chiang Kai-shek, Mei-Ling Soong, Nehru, Gandhi, Mohammed Ali Jinnah, David Ben Gurion, and Menachem Begin.
If I had any doubts about the difficulties of occupation or the massive extent of devastation, suffering and displacement that continued well after WWII fighting was over, those uncertainties would have been dispelled forever by this book. Because it was years in the making the author was able to interview many people with personal experiences of the time, giving events a human face and adding poignancy and impact to the history.
February 21, 2018
Because of the way we structure history within the framework of specific dates, there's a tendency to see them as separate periods, as a series of singular, completely self-contained narratives with a beginning, middle, and end. The Second World War might well be generally defined as commencing on 1st September 1939 with the German invasion of Poland and finishing with the armistice in 1945, but the conflicts which brought about war started well before and the incredible destruction had multifaceted effects in the immediate aftermath and long afterwards, right up to today. Imagine a fictional story of a global war, with massive social, political, and economic change, and almost unimaginable numbers of dead, abruptly ending right after most of the arms were put down- it's quite clear that the story doesn't end there. Here, Victor Sebestyen addresses that 'what happened next' question with real verve and a wealth of fascinating detail, including areas such as India, newly created Pakistan, the Middle East, China, and Japan which are frequently overlooked.
The book progresses through the year switching focus between the various players, looking at both the local situation and the wider links or implications. So the reader gets, for instance, some discussion of Stalin's intelligence, including his reading habits, which leads to his attacks (both personal and through the party apparatchiks) on the content of Russian writers' and poets' work (eg. Anna Akhmatova) and the penalisation of those who promote Western literature of any types in Russia, which morphs into his reputation abroad (initially people very positive) and the ways in which other leaders dealt with him, especially as his attempted land grabs exceeded his personal capital. This is just one snapshot of the book- it's detail rich, but written with the same fair as a thriller; not only did I read the whole book in less than a week because it was that gripping, it sometimes made me laugh aloud- hardly what you'd expect from this period, but Sebestyen is as good at the small moments of comedy as he is at the horror.
And there's certainly a good deal of that. Peace was in name only: from the partition of India to the persistence of violent anti-Semitism, the brutal and chaotic death throes of colonialism to the atomic arms race, from the creation of the Jewish state of Israel to the failure of the Allies to identify, capture, or punish numerous Nazi war criminals... 1946 was a continuation or even intensification of the kind of dislocation, terror, hunger, and death many people experienced during the active war years. In this collation of a year of misery, it is truly possible to see the issues which form the various branches of modern world politics.
This is excellent history writing, both engaging and important, that gives you enough information to be immediately satisfied, but also piques your interest so that you leave it thinking: I MUST find out even more about that. And maybe that too. Oh and...
The book progresses through the year switching focus between the various players, looking at both the local situation and the wider links or implications. So the reader gets, for instance, some discussion of Stalin's intelligence, including his reading habits, which leads to his attacks (both personal and through the party apparatchiks) on the content of Russian writers' and poets' work (eg. Anna Akhmatova) and the penalisation of those who promote Western literature of any types in Russia, which morphs into his reputation abroad (initially people very positive) and the ways in which other leaders dealt with him, especially as his attempted land grabs exceeded his personal capital. This is just one snapshot of the book- it's detail rich, but written with the same fair as a thriller; not only did I read the whole book in less than a week because it was that gripping, it sometimes made me laugh aloud- hardly what you'd expect from this period, but Sebestyen is as good at the small moments of comedy as he is at the horror.
And there's certainly a good deal of that. Peace was in name only: from the partition of India to the persistence of violent anti-Semitism, the brutal and chaotic death throes of colonialism to the atomic arms race, from the creation of the Jewish state of Israel to the failure of the Allies to identify, capture, or punish numerous Nazi war criminals... 1946 was a continuation or even intensification of the kind of dislocation, terror, hunger, and death many people experienced during the active war years. In this collation of a year of misery, it is truly possible to see the issues which form the various branches of modern world politics.
This is excellent history writing, both engaging and important, that gives you enough information to be immediately satisfied, but also piques your interest so that you leave it thinking: I MUST find out even more about that. And maybe that too. Oh and...
December 21, 2015
excellent stuff about the year of the title and how the contemporary world started getting its shape; if 1945 was year zero (there is another very good book with that title by I. Buruma which makes a great companion to this one), this was in many ways year 1
covering the main places of interest (Europe, Asia, US) and a gripping read I discovered by chance and then couldn't put down; highly recommended
covering the main places of interest (Europe, Asia, US) and a gripping read I discovered by chance and then couldn't put down; highly recommended
July 19, 2018
This is a well written, interesting global history of the events in 1946 that shaped the world as we have known it. The the breadth and scope of the research in impressive. I learned a great deal and recommend it highly.
February 15, 2015
1946: The Making of the Modern World gives all of us baby boomers an introduction to the world we were born into. Author Victor Sebestyen provides 32 vignettes of post- WW2 events that shaped the second half of the twentieth century.
Sebestyen provides some details that my high school history books (circa early 1960’s) left-out:
• The division of India into two countries.
• The rise of New York City as a world metropolis.
• What happened to the Nazi’s after the end of the European conflict.
• Who was responsible for the atrocities in Europe.
• How the dying continued after the war.
• The political background of the establishment of a Jewish state in Palestine.
• The debate about making the atomic bombs accessible to all world powers as a means of preventing the next war.
• The role of France in the war and in the post-war recovery.
While Sebestyen’s journalistic style makes the book high accessible to readers, many historians would take issue with his lack of depth and documentation.
What’s missing is a comprehensive last chapter that explains how the events in 1946 shaped a half century. The Epilogue begins to provide this but limits the analysis to US-Soviet Union conflicts. At the same time, this was a more engaging book than any history books I read in high school.
Sebestyen provides some details that my high school history books (circa early 1960’s) left-out:
• The division of India into two countries.
• The rise of New York City as a world metropolis.
• What happened to the Nazi’s after the end of the European conflict.
• Who was responsible for the atrocities in Europe.
• How the dying continued after the war.
• The political background of the establishment of a Jewish state in Palestine.
• The debate about making the atomic bombs accessible to all world powers as a means of preventing the next war.
• The role of France in the war and in the post-war recovery.
While Sebestyen’s journalistic style makes the book high accessible to readers, many historians would take issue with his lack of depth and documentation.
What’s missing is a comprehensive last chapter that explains how the events in 1946 shaped a half century. The Epilogue begins to provide this but limits the analysis to US-Soviet Union conflicts. At the same time, this was a more engaging book than any history books I read in high school.
July 5, 2020
A terrific book worthy of a second and third reading. Yes, the shooting war may have ended in 1945 but deceit, broken dreams and dying did not. All countries in both Europe and Asia had rocky roads to travel before items of daily life returned to normal. Starvation stalked relentlessly; totalitarianism, usually in the form of communism, fomented discord and strengthened their respective bases where the Soviet steamroller had passed.
My only small quibble with this author was no mention of activities in the pivotal year of 1946 in the countries of Italy and Holland. To be sure, the author never promised to be offer a universal compendium of post-war history but I miss at least some mention of developments in these two nations.
My only small quibble with this author was no mention of activities in the pivotal year of 1946 in the countries of Italy and Holland. To be sure, the author never promised to be offer a universal compendium of post-war history but I miss at least some mention of developments in these two nations.
August 12, 2019
This was a great book that gave an overview of the major areas around the world in 1946 that were most impacted by the events of World War II. I would say a majority of the book focused on the West (USA, Russia, and Europe) but there were also fascinating chapters on China, Japan, and Israel. I learned a great deal reading this book as this time period is one of my weaker areas. I am not sure there was a lot that was new here for someone that is well read in the time period, but as a survey of the world in 1946, I highly recommend this read.
June 26, 2025
Victor Sebestyen’s 1946: The Making of the Modern World offers a sweeping, accessible, and engaging account of the pivotal year that arguably shaped the contours of the geopolitical order we live with today.
Sebestyen’s central argument is straightforward yet profound: 1946 was not merely the aftermath of World War II—it was the critical transition point where the world’s old imperial structures began collapsing, the United States and Soviet Union cemented their rivalry, and the ideological, national, and ethnic fractures that would define the next century became unavoidable.
Unlike narrowly focused military or political histories, Sebestyen crafts a broad, global canvas. He moves fluidly from the devastated cities of Europe to the emerging struggles for independence in Asia and Africa, demonstrating how the decisions and hesitations of 1946 planted the seeds for the Cold War, decolonization, the rise of the United States as a superpower, and the reshaping of global alliances.
Given ongoing global instability—from the reemergence of great power rivalry to debates over nationalism, borders, and alliances—Sebestyen’s book feels eerily relevant. It serves as a reminder that world orders are fragile, and transitions from war to peace or vice versa are fraught with unintended consequences.
Sebestyen’s central argument is straightforward yet profound: 1946 was not merely the aftermath of World War II—it was the critical transition point where the world’s old imperial structures began collapsing, the United States and Soviet Union cemented their rivalry, and the ideological, national, and ethnic fractures that would define the next century became unavoidable.
Unlike narrowly focused military or political histories, Sebestyen crafts a broad, global canvas. He moves fluidly from the devastated cities of Europe to the emerging struggles for independence in Asia and Africa, demonstrating how the decisions and hesitations of 1946 planted the seeds for the Cold War, decolonization, the rise of the United States as a superpower, and the reshaping of global alliances.
Given ongoing global instability—from the reemergence of great power rivalry to debates over nationalism, borders, and alliances—Sebestyen’s book feels eerily relevant. It serves as a reminder that world orders are fragile, and transitions from war to peace or vice versa are fraught with unintended consequences.
January 12, 2022
A fascinating look at the world immediately after WW2. If we think we’ve got a refugee problem now it’s nothing compared to 1946 with thousands upon thousands of displaced persons across Europe, some of which who couldn’t, or didn’t want to, go home. It also details the beginnings of the Cold War and, there too, is a couple of surprises. Highly recommended for history fans.
May 29, 2022
An incredible chronicle of the formation of the modern world following World War 2. Structured in chapters detailing the most important events that occurred around the globe during 1946. Empires failing, Axis power States being restructured by the west, power grabs throughout Europe and the formation of a socio and geopolitical landscape that set the table for the next fourty-five years.
March 27, 2021
Minu arvamuse leiab blogist https://triinuraamatud.wordpress.com/...
December 23, 2015
Victor Sebestyen wurde in Ungarn geboren, stammt damit von der anderen Seite des „Eisernen Vorhangs“ und berichtete für englischsprachige Leser hauptsächlich aus Osteuropa. Für den Autor eines populären historischen Sachbuchs ist das eine viel versprechende Ausgangsposition, die sich u. a. mit den Wurzeln des Autors befassen könnte. Sebestyen erzählt vom ersten Nachkriegsjahr 1946, in dem er markante Persönlichkeiten und deren Entscheidungen darstellt und Beziehungen zwischen Staaten aufrollt, über die man zum Verständnis heutiger Konflikte informiert sein sollte. Zur Verarbeitung der Fülle von Namen und Bezügen im Kopf des Lesers halte ich das für einen sehr wirksamen Ansatz.
Politik und Geschichte der Nachkriegszeit betreffend, zähle ich zu den „weißen Jahrgängen“, die im Geschichtsunterricht hauptsächlich Jahreszahlen paukten. In einem Schülerleben konnten sie mehrfach erleben, dass die Nachkriegszeit zwar formal im Geschichtsbuch enthalten war, rätselhafterweise aber jedes Mal das Schuljahr zu kurz war, um dieses Kapitel durchzunehmen. In den Jahren 1975 oder 1985 hätte ich mich für Sebestyens Stoff vehementer interessiert als heute, um seine Darstellung mit der von Zeitzeugen abzugleichen. Doch ein Buch wie dieses konnte vermutlich nicht eher geschrieben werden, weil Augenzeugenberichte über Flucht, Vertreibung und an Zivilpersonen noch nach Kriegsende begangene Gräueltaten der Besatzungstruppen für Jahrzehnte in Archiven verschwanden. Diese Berichte waren lange nur Historikern gegen Nachweis eines wissenschaftlichen Interesses zugänglich.
Sebestyens Ansatz, Geschichte als Geschichten über historische Persönlichkeiten zu erzählen, lässt sein Buch leicht lesbar und unterhaltsam wirken. Ihm waren offenbar verstärkt Quellen zur britischen Besetzung Norddeutschlands zugänglich, was die Vielseitigkeit der angeschnittenen Themen jedoch nicht beeinträchtigt. Zumindest bei mir ist es Sebestyen gelungen, die Sicht „der anderen Seite“ anzuregen, die Seite der Besatzungstruppen und ihrer Heimatländer. Dass auch die britische Bevölkerung im Jahr Null nach dem Krieg hungerte und fror, machte sich in den besetzten Gebieten wohl niemand bewusst, der mit der Militärregierung um Rückgabe beschlagnahmter Gebäude und Autos rang, um z. B. endlich wieder seinen Beruf ausüben zu können. Der Autor nennt direkt und ungeschminkt, wer nach dem Krieg von Vertreibung und dubiosen Geschäften profitierte und hält dabei besonders osteuropäischen Staaten den Spiegel vor die Nase. Durchaus kritisch geht er ebenfalls der Frage nach, ob die Amerikaner sich nicht mit dem Plan übernommen haben, ganze Völker umerziehen zu wollen. Knappe und treffende Kapitel über die Ursachen des Israel-Konflikts, die Nachkriegsgeschichte Griechenlands oder das Ringen um persische Ölquellen tragen erheblich zum Verständnis der heutigen Zustände in den genannten Ländern bei. Auch Kenntnisse über das Verhältnis zwischen den USA und China, den USA und Japan oder Deutschland und der Tschechoslowakei sollten zur Allgemeinbildung gehören. Schließlich schreckt Sebestyen nicht davor zurück, die mangelnde Vergangenheitsbewältigung z. B. in Polen und dort speziell den Antisemitismus der katholischen Kirche beim Namen zu nennen.
Als sein Buch verfasst wurde, ahnte vermutlich niemand, dass es in Europa aktuell wieder Displaced Persons und Übergangslager geben würde und sich daraus die Frage ergibt, was wir aus jener Zeit für die Gegenwart gelernt haben. „Gemeinsames Leiden macht nicht zu Brüdern,“ (Seite 294) hat Tadeusz Nowakowski treffend festgestellt. Sein Zitat zeigt beispielhaft, wie geschickt Sebestyen seine Quellen und Zitate für dieses Buch ausgewählt hat. Speziell die Frage, ob man ganze Völker umerziehen und deren Werte abwählen kann, ist heute in Deutschland aktueller als je zuvor.
Mit „1946: Das Jahr, in dem die Welt neu entstand“ errichtet der Autor in unterhaltsamer Art ein Fundament historischen Wissens und liefert seinen Lesern eine Menge Material als Anregung zum Wechsel der eigenen Perspektive. Auf diesem Fundament muss man selbst ein Gebäude aus Querverbindungen errichten. Ein leicht lesbares, populäres Sachbuch, das berichtet, Zeitzeugen zitiert und weniger analysiert.
Politik und Geschichte der Nachkriegszeit betreffend, zähle ich zu den „weißen Jahrgängen“, die im Geschichtsunterricht hauptsächlich Jahreszahlen paukten. In einem Schülerleben konnten sie mehrfach erleben, dass die Nachkriegszeit zwar formal im Geschichtsbuch enthalten war, rätselhafterweise aber jedes Mal das Schuljahr zu kurz war, um dieses Kapitel durchzunehmen. In den Jahren 1975 oder 1985 hätte ich mich für Sebestyens Stoff vehementer interessiert als heute, um seine Darstellung mit der von Zeitzeugen abzugleichen. Doch ein Buch wie dieses konnte vermutlich nicht eher geschrieben werden, weil Augenzeugenberichte über Flucht, Vertreibung und an Zivilpersonen noch nach Kriegsende begangene Gräueltaten der Besatzungstruppen für Jahrzehnte in Archiven verschwanden. Diese Berichte waren lange nur Historikern gegen Nachweis eines wissenschaftlichen Interesses zugänglich.
Sebestyens Ansatz, Geschichte als Geschichten über historische Persönlichkeiten zu erzählen, lässt sein Buch leicht lesbar und unterhaltsam wirken. Ihm waren offenbar verstärkt Quellen zur britischen Besetzung Norddeutschlands zugänglich, was die Vielseitigkeit der angeschnittenen Themen jedoch nicht beeinträchtigt. Zumindest bei mir ist es Sebestyen gelungen, die Sicht „der anderen Seite“ anzuregen, die Seite der Besatzungstruppen und ihrer Heimatländer. Dass auch die britische Bevölkerung im Jahr Null nach dem Krieg hungerte und fror, machte sich in den besetzten Gebieten wohl niemand bewusst, der mit der Militärregierung um Rückgabe beschlagnahmter Gebäude und Autos rang, um z. B. endlich wieder seinen Beruf ausüben zu können. Der Autor nennt direkt und ungeschminkt, wer nach dem Krieg von Vertreibung und dubiosen Geschäften profitierte und hält dabei besonders osteuropäischen Staaten den Spiegel vor die Nase. Durchaus kritisch geht er ebenfalls der Frage nach, ob die Amerikaner sich nicht mit dem Plan übernommen haben, ganze Völker umerziehen zu wollen. Knappe und treffende Kapitel über die Ursachen des Israel-Konflikts, die Nachkriegsgeschichte Griechenlands oder das Ringen um persische Ölquellen tragen erheblich zum Verständnis der heutigen Zustände in den genannten Ländern bei. Auch Kenntnisse über das Verhältnis zwischen den USA und China, den USA und Japan oder Deutschland und der Tschechoslowakei sollten zur Allgemeinbildung gehören. Schließlich schreckt Sebestyen nicht davor zurück, die mangelnde Vergangenheitsbewältigung z. B. in Polen und dort speziell den Antisemitismus der katholischen Kirche beim Namen zu nennen.
Als sein Buch verfasst wurde, ahnte vermutlich niemand, dass es in Europa aktuell wieder Displaced Persons und Übergangslager geben würde und sich daraus die Frage ergibt, was wir aus jener Zeit für die Gegenwart gelernt haben. „Gemeinsames Leiden macht nicht zu Brüdern,“ (Seite 294) hat Tadeusz Nowakowski treffend festgestellt. Sein Zitat zeigt beispielhaft, wie geschickt Sebestyen seine Quellen und Zitate für dieses Buch ausgewählt hat. Speziell die Frage, ob man ganze Völker umerziehen und deren Werte abwählen kann, ist heute in Deutschland aktueller als je zuvor.
Mit „1946: Das Jahr, in dem die Welt neu entstand“ errichtet der Autor in unterhaltsamer Art ein Fundament historischen Wissens und liefert seinen Lesern eine Menge Material als Anregung zum Wechsel der eigenen Perspektive. Auf diesem Fundament muss man selbst ein Gebäude aus Querverbindungen errichten. Ein leicht lesbares, populäres Sachbuch, das berichtet, Zeitzeugen zitiert und weniger analysiert.
December 19, 2018
A decent survey of the the year 1946; movements towards Indian Independence and Partition; the bombing of the King David Hotel by the Irgun; problems with too quick de-nazification since everyone who was qualified was a Nazi; led to a lot of mining disasters. The heating up of the Cold War.
I enjoy these style of books that look at just a year snapshot in time; this one is a solid read.
I enjoy these style of books that look at just a year snapshot in time; this one is a solid read.
May 27, 2020
Kainestav lugemine kõigile, kelle arvates II Maailmasõja õudused piirdusid üksnes sakslaste, punaväelaste ja jaapanlaste hirmutegudega. Või kes kujutlevad inimloomust siin pattulangemise järgses maailmas väga kauni ja hüvelisena.
October 31, 2023
Labai patiko! Perskaitęs šią knygą, kitaip pamačiau šių dienų pasaulines problemas, jų priežastis, Antrojo pasaulinio karo sunkias pasėkmes Europai ir pasauliui. Taip pat susipažinau artimiau su Europos ir pasaulio kurimusi, kuris anaiptol nebuvo toks paprastas ir lengvas kaip galvojau iki šiol. Verta paskaityti!
September 5, 2020
It is a great way to learn how the Cold War came to be.
January 18, 2021
Das Cover ist genauso ansprechend wie der Inhalt interessant und fesselnd - mir hat es sehr gefallen.
September 19, 2022
Excellent narrative and writing style with very good factual information. Loved it.
March 1, 2019
A surprisingly wide ranging book for having such a narrow temporal scope, it does an excellent job of tying together the worldwide threads in the immediate aftermath of the war. There was quite a lot in this book that I wasn't familiar with, particularly the especially grim conditions in postwar Europe, and the shocking volume of continuing displacement, internment, and murder of various peoples in numerous areas. This book is not an easy read at times, but worth the effort.
December 18, 2015
While my high school textbooks had a lot to say about World War II, I remember nothing in them about the immediate post-war period, especially in the European countries that were most devastated by the carnage, in contrast to the United States, which thrived after the war. Victor Sebestyen's book has filled in these gaps in my knowledge.
The author analyzes the decisions and actions taken in the year 1946 and how they shaped what he considers the modern world. "This book takes a global view that the whole world was transformed after the Second World War, more profoundly, it can be argued, than after the First," Mr. Sebestyen's says in his introduction. "From 1945 the remaining old European empires, such as the British, were no longer sustainable.... Imperialism was no longer dynastic but ideological -- loyalty was demanded less to a king or emperor than to an idea, say Marxism-Leninism."
Much of what the author has to say concerns the rise of the Soviet Union to the position of world power. "A war that had been fought to prevent Germany dominating and despoiling Europe ended with the danger that the USSR would take Germany's place," he writes. It was inevitable, he says, that conflicts between West and East eventually would escalate to the point of Cold War.
But the book is not just about war and politics. The author frames his narrative around circumstances and environments of the time that set the stage for the decisions made and actions taken. He brings in the record-breaking cold weather of the 1946 winter, the plight of refugees and the conditions of displaced persons camps, the extent of food shortages and austerity measures, the fraternizing between victors and vanquished. The most horrifying chapter to me was that on the post-war treatment of German military and civilians. Previously occupied countries took their revenge in the most vile and inhumane ways.
If you want to round out your spotty textbook knowledge of the postwar period, or if you're an aficionado of World War II literature, this is a great book to read and read again.
The author analyzes the decisions and actions taken in the year 1946 and how they shaped what he considers the modern world. "This book takes a global view that the whole world was transformed after the Second World War, more profoundly, it can be argued, than after the First," Mr. Sebestyen's says in his introduction. "From 1945 the remaining old European empires, such as the British, were no longer sustainable.... Imperialism was no longer dynastic but ideological -- loyalty was demanded less to a king or emperor than to an idea, say Marxism-Leninism."
Much of what the author has to say concerns the rise of the Soviet Union to the position of world power. "A war that had been fought to prevent Germany dominating and despoiling Europe ended with the danger that the USSR would take Germany's place," he writes. It was inevitable, he says, that conflicts between West and East eventually would escalate to the point of Cold War.
But the book is not just about war and politics. The author frames his narrative around circumstances and environments of the time that set the stage for the decisions made and actions taken. He brings in the record-breaking cold weather of the 1946 winter, the plight of refugees and the conditions of displaced persons camps, the extent of food shortages and austerity measures, the fraternizing between victors and vanquished. The most horrifying chapter to me was that on the post-war treatment of German military and civilians. Previously occupied countries took their revenge in the most vile and inhumane ways.
If you want to round out your spotty textbook knowledge of the postwar period, or if you're an aficionado of World War II literature, this is a great book to read and read again.
February 23, 2025
A very intriuging assessment of the global poltical landscape of the world in the wake of World War II. Sebestyen's goes from Europe, on each side of the Iron Curtain, to India, to the Middle East, to Japan and to the Russia in giving us a view of the world in the aftermath of the largest war in the totality of human history. The primary historical developments he assesses are the MacArther reordering of Japan, the riots that signalled the begining of the end of British rule in India, the Allied occupations of Germany as well as the vioelnce that began in Palestine that preceeded the creation of Israel as a state. One of the main aspects of this book that is conveyed so well is that, despite that image of the world post-World War II being a hopeful and optimistic time, it was in fact a bleak time for tens of millions of people. Many disturbing sequences are recounted, from mass ethnic cleansing of the German populations throughout central and eastern Europe, the beginings of Soviet repression in that region, to antisemitism in places like Poland having not waned but rather strengthened in the wake of the Holocaust.
A great sweeping look of the world at a pivotal time in history, and it is quite eloquently conveyed. Highly recommend.
A great sweeping look of the world at a pivotal time in history, and it is quite eloquently conveyed. Highly recommend.
March 31, 2017
I was waiting for a friend in Waterloo station, when I picked this book and six others, the cashier asked if I'm going somewhere to read all those books, I told him I'm somewhere already! Sadly I couldn't pick up more for not being able to hold more than seven at a time - I can't even remember how I managed to carry them home!
This is the first book I read so far about the history of the World Wars specifically the year 1946, and how it held so many critical events and decision making.
For someone like myself, growing up in Saudi and going to schools which taught a complete different type of history, made this book even more fascinating and challenging to follow up with. It shares massive amount of information wonderfully put together to produce stories of history.
What touched me most was the Palestinian Israeli case, and how little I found out I knew about it.
I definitely have a wider perspective and I can't recommend the book more.
This is the first book I read so far about the history of the World Wars specifically the year 1946, and how it held so many critical events and decision making.
For someone like myself, growing up in Saudi and going to schools which taught a complete different type of history, made this book even more fascinating and challenging to follow up with. It shares massive amount of information wonderfully put together to produce stories of history.
What touched me most was the Palestinian Israeli case, and how little I found out I knew about it.
I definitely have a wider perspective and I can't recommend the book more.
December 8, 2016
The book is about the policies that USA, Britain, and Russia took in the areas they controlled after WWII and at home. We get short biographies of the main policy setters so we can understand how their personalities played into their policies. Then the author examined each affected country to learn what significant things happen there after the war. He explained what led up to that policy or action and sometimes we're told how it played out in future years. The book was information-dense so it took some time to read, but it wasn't difficult to understand.
Though I took a "modern history" course in college that covered WWII, much of this information was new to me. I knew much of what he said about China, Japan, Germany, and Russia, but I knew very little about all of the other countries. I'd recommend this book to those interested in WWII, politics, or how we got to where we are now.
I received this review copy from the publisher through Amazon Vine.
Though I took a "modern history" course in college that covered WWII, much of this information was new to me. I knew much of what he said about China, Japan, Germany, and Russia, but I knew very little about all of the other countries. I'd recommend this book to those interested in WWII, politics, or how we got to where we are now.
I received this review copy from the publisher through Amazon Vine.
January 28, 2017
I would really have loved to give this book a better rating. Unfortunately, the poor organization of the book made it a poor book overall. The writing is great, Sebestyen makes history interesting and easy to read. The issue is that by breaking up the year into individual chapters about disparate events, it creates a structure that has no flow, and therefor blocks the organic growth of analysis. Had it been organized by, say, world powers and their struggles the flow would have been great, and the text would have been really analytical. As it is, though, it's hard to find where Sebestyen talks about the 'making of the modern world' part. Overall, I am very glad that someone is writing about the importance of that year for a broad audience.
January 5, 2020
This is an excellent overview of the many events that were churned up in the aftermath of the Second World War. Rather than providing a laundry list of circumstances, Sebestyen provides appropriate context and consideration for a variety of geopolitical issues that include the global refugee crisis, de-nazification, Japan's new constitution, America's nuclear monopoly, the split between Indian Hindus and Muslims, Iran's precarious geography, and others.
The reader gains an understanding of how devastating the world wars were along with how difficult it was to forge a new world order.
The reader gains an understanding of how devastating the world wars were along with how difficult it was to forge a new world order.
August 23, 2015
A fascinating and in-depth look into what made the Cold War so frosty, so quickly. Perhaps its most gripping chapters are those were it looks into the human tragedy which unfolded across Europe in the wake of the Second World War's end. The details on the ways countries dealt with or ignored (and in some cases made much worse) the migration of millions of displaced peoples are timely.
May 14, 2016
I knew 1946 was important for more than my birth! An excellent review of a crucial year in world history. The writer does an excellent job combining a chronological with a thematic approach. Personally, I never realized how the Jews contained to suffer oppression even after the end of the war. I also found the analysis of Russia's security motives enlightening. Highly recommended volume!
December 9, 2016
Definitely an interesting book that pictured the overview of the world events and detailed testimonials of the people who experienced the shift to a new world after the war. Interesting to find out more about the key characters like Stalin, Truman, Marshall, Atlee, Mao etc, and how they thought and made decisions that shaped different major events in history.
May 8, 2015
full of insights and facts utterly new to me. I have more of a clue about the cold war and the roles played by countries and leaders around the world. most interesting was the way that the allies approached the defeated nations after the war.
May 11, 2016
A book well worth reading especially for the younger set who were not familiar with was happening in 1946. Clearing this work gives one a much better understanding of the way the modern world emerged from WWII.
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