The discrepancy in wealth between Western and Eastern Europe is due largely to the Marshall Plan (Eastern bloc states couldn't accept the aid). Without it, Brit

The discrepancy in wealth between Western and Eastern Europe is due largely to the Marshall Plan (Eastern bloc states couldn't accept the aid). Without it, Britain would have struggled to rebuild its economy (and Britain was very poor in the '50s). So the "American Era" effectively began with the conclusion of World War 2. World War 1 was the sign that imperialism might not be such a good idea, since it led to an effectively pointless war, but it didn't change the relative levels of power. World War 2 occurred because certain societies didn't learn this lesson and became even more monstrous than the old imperial powers. After it, imperialism essentially died in Europe, but was unfortunately reborn in the US corporate complex.