Wars break down existing power structures. Winners get land, resources and political clout whereas the losers wane. Such redistribution leaves vacuums that are filled by new powers that have military success which directly equates to greater global status as well as economic benefit. There is a complete shift of post-war order.
World Wars I and II are the evidence of this change. Weary European powers such as Britain and France became ineffective whereas the United States and the Soviet Union rose as Super powers. Their mobilised industrial capabilities and decisive military input led them into unforeseen leadership positions of world powers whose global dominance was unprecedented and characterized the period which led to the cold war.
Axis powers; Germany and Japan who were defeated enjoyed long-term effect. During the occupation, they reconstructed a modern industrial base without huge expenditure on military. Such attention coupled with huge assistance by the US led to great economic recoveries which have become major sources of world economies.
Neutral nations strategically positioned are benefited too. In times of wars, such states as Switzerland or Sweden strengthen their economy by means of trade or finance. Resource-rich countries such as Saudi Arabia take advantage of the high demand after the war. Countries that have mastered the art of diplomacy like the one of post-Cold War India would be able to use any vacuum of power to their own advantage.
The technological and economic changes gain momentum with wars. The US technological authority was consolidated by the cold war space as well as the arms race. It is demand-driven by the conflict that puts an advantage on arms exporters and the use of resources. Reconstruction generates markets, which favors disproportionately, countries with industrial capability and capital to invade in the world markets.
Conclusion:
Through the act of destroying hierarchies, wars rearrange the world order using violent means. The decisive winners such as the post-WW2 US and USSR, those that had to adapt and rebuild themselves such as Germany and Japan and those that are well-modernized yet neutral or resource powers such as Switzerland and Brazil are key beneficiaries. Economic dexterity, military prowess and tactical range determine how certain countries pop up the global order to climb higher in the new hierarchy.
