The horrors of World War II reinforced the demands of early twentieth century internationalists to establish a global bill of human rights that would obligate “every state to recognize the equal right of every individual on its territory to life, liberty and property, religious freedom and the use of his own language.” 

Why was World War II a turning point in human rights?

After the Nazis were defeated by the Allied Forces in WWII, the world united to agree on minimum standards of dignity to be afforded to all human beings. These minimum standards became known as human rights.

What happened to human rights after ww2?

After the Second World War, the international community recognised the need for a collective expression of human rights. Adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations in 1948, the declaration sets out a range of rights and freedoms to which everyone, everywhere in the world, is entitled.

What were the main effects of World War 2?





By the end of World War II, much of Europe and Asia, and parts of Africa, lay in ruins. Combat and bombing had flattened cities and towns, destroyed bridges and railroads, and scorched the countryside. The war had also taken a staggering toll in both military and civilian lives.

What rights were given after ww2?

Free speech, marriage and family life



Books written by Jewish authors were ordered to be removed from libraries and Jews were banned from publishing German newspapers. Organisations with potential influence, including trade unions, were eliminated.

What did ww2 teach us about humanity?

The war provided two contradictory lessons: the first was that war was to be avoided at all costs, the second was that democracies had to be ready to resist aggression. The second lesson led most western European states, including Germany, to rearm and join the Atlantic alliance.

How does war violate human rights?



These include actions that are recognised as violating the most basic human rights, such as violence endangering life, torture and physical or moral coercion, as well as non-compliance with many due process rights. The Convention forbids in the strongest terms the utilisation of human shields.

How did World War 2 affect society?

As millions of men and women entered the service and production boomed, unemployment virtually disappeared. The need for labor opened up new opportunities for women and African Americans and other minorities. Millions of Americans left home to take jobs in war plants that sprang up around the nation.



What were the effects of ww2 on society?

New families were created as women married servicemen of other nations and moved overseas; children were born in fatherless homes as a result of demobilised troops leaving the UK to return to the US or Canada or due to a death as a result of the war; and the divorce rate spiked as many families struggled to re-adjust

What were 3 effects of ww2?

At the end of the war, millions of people were dead and millions more homeless, the European economy had collapsed, and much of the European industrial infrastructure had been destroyed.

How does war affect people’s lives?

Death, injury, sexual violence, malnutrition, illness, and disability are some of the most threatening physical consequences of war, while post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety are some of the emotional effects.

What was the turning point in human rights?



Magna Carta, or “Great Charter,” signed by the King of England in 1215, was a turning point in human rights. The Magna Carta, or “Great Charter,” was arguably the most significant early influence on the extensive historical process that led to the rule of constitutional law today in the English-speaking world.

How did World War II act as a turning point in world history?

World War II resulted in a number of major changes in the social, political, and cultural makeup of the entire planet. Much of the map of Europe was changed. One of the largest changes was the shrinking of the size of Germany. Europe was then divided into a communist eastern half and a democratic western half.

What was the main turning point of ww2?

The war in the Pacific turned against Japan during the Battle of Midway (June 3–6, 1942), an American victory that destroyed the Japanese first-line carrier force and, together with the Battle of Guadalcanal, ended Japan’s ability to prosecute an offensive war.

Was Russia involved in World War 2?

Introduction. The Soviet Union in World War II is the story of several wars. When World War II started, the Soviet Union was effectively an ally of Nazi Germany in a relatively conventional European interstate war. Although the Germans did most of the fighting in Poland, the Soviet Union occupied the eastern part.

What are 4 major outcomes at the end of ww2?



The decentralization, demilitarization, denazification and democratization of Germany. The division of Germany and Berlin, and Austria and Vienna into the four occupations zones outlined at Yalta.