Think about it: WWII led to the coagulation of power into two stable blocs, which allowed NATO and its allies to revitalize their economies and invent new technologies at a breakneck pace. Outright racism saw a sharp decline after the revelation of the Holocaust, and fascism, while seeing a recent resurgence in popularity was utterly quashed as a viable political philosophy. And if you don't count the looming threat of the Cold War, the last quarter-and-a-half century has comparatively been one of the most peaceful and stable eras since the height of the Roman Empire; in the Western world, at least.

Of course, one could also argue that events similar to the above would've happened anyway, but the point stands that once Nazi Germany lit the fuse, it set off a chain-reaction of events that would completely reshape the face of geopolitics.

It's unfortunate that the influence from that great conflict finally seems to be unraveling. With the rise of new fascist (Golden Dawn) and quasi-fascist (Front National, Donald Trump) political entities, Russian/American imperialism, internal strife within the EU, and growing non-aligned powers (China and India), one can't help but wonder whether the whole thing will one day collapse upon itself.