What are some examples of the ways that war has benefited culture?

War has led to considerable social and cultural change. Sometimes this occurs in opposition to war, as in the 1960s counterculture that accompanied the antiwar movement. War can also lead to subtle cultural change that can have tremendous consequences. For example, many Americans, having fought against repressive regimes in Germany and Japan, were more willing to accept the changes promoted by the Civil Rights Movement. Indeed, President Harry Truman paid tribute to the service of black soldiers when he integrated the US military just three years after the war ended. War can also promote nationalism, which can have positive and negative consequences, but always involves significant cultural change. Finally, wars often foster cultural change by leading to collisions of different cultures. Many historians have argued that the Crusades, for example, contributed to major cultural change in Europe by exposing Europeans to the culture of the Middle East. Likewise, American participation in World War II created an internationalist mindset that would last throughout the twentieth century.