1947: Making the World Over

World War II ended in 1945, but its effects were still being felt long after the surrender of Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan. Shortages in food, energy, and industrial production continued to plague much of the world, especially Europe, where strained economies teetered on the verge of collapse. As millions of war-weary people across the globe struggled to build a better future, the decisions made in 1947 proved crucial in ending the wartime milieu and ushering in a new and more stable age.

This book explores a wide variety of topics ranging from U.S. politics and international relations to big band jazz music, race relations in sports, and television technology, to tell the story of a world in transition. While focusing on the experiences of less well-known individuals who are often excluded from histories of the period, the author combines information from interviews with archival and secondary sources to explain why 1947 was a pivotal year in the emergence of the contemporary world.

Richard A. Leiby is a professor emeritus at Rosemont College in suburban Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he taught European History since 1988. His previous book chronicles the fall of the Berlin Wall, the collapse of the East German state, and the subsequent creation of modern Germany.