The Aftermath of the Great War

Workshop 9-1: Aftermath of the Great War (download if you want this info in .doc format)

THE AFTERMATH OF THE GREAT WAR

World War I, called “the Great War” at the time, was a turning point in world history. The changes it brought and the problems it created continued long after the fighting ended. World War I was in many ways a new kind of war. It involved the use of new technologies. It ushered in the notion of a war on a grand and global scale. It also left behind a landscape of death and destruction such as was never before seen.

 Many European cities were destroyed because of the war

Both sides in World War I paid a tremendous price in terms of human life. About 8.5 million soldiers died as a result of the war. Another 21 million were wounded. The war took a heavy toll on those far from the front, too. Some civilians, such as those aboard the Lusitania, were killed as a direct result of the conflict, Millions more died from hunger or from an influenza epidemic that swept through both neutral and warring countries.
The war also had a devastating economic impact on Europe. The great conflict drained the treasuries of European countries. One account put the total cost of the war at $338 billion, a staggering amount for that time. The war destroyed acres of farmland, as well as homes, villages and towns. It would also shift the balance of power in the world. Europe would never again regain its preponderant role in world politics; the US would assume that role.The enormous suffering that resulted from the Great War left a deep mark on Western society as well. A sense of disillusionment settled over the survivors. The insecurity and despair that many people experienced are reflected in the art and literature of the time.Another significant legacy of the war lay in its peace agreement. The policies made during the Versailles Treaty sought to bring a new sense of peace and security to the world, but it would only produce anger and resentment. Some Germans vowed that they would tear up the Versailles Treaty and regain lost lands. Italy claimed that it should have received more Austrian territory as well as a share of Germany’s African colonies. The Japanese were disappointed by the territorial settlements in Asia.Another political consequence of the war is the disappearance of the centuries- old empires like the ones in Germany, Russia, Austro- Hungary and the Ottoman Empire. The collapse of old empires led to the creation of new countries in the years after World War I. The pre- war territory of Austria- Hungary formed the independent republics of Austria, Hungary and Czechoslovakia, as well as parts of Italy, Poland, Romania and Yugoslavia. Russia and Germany also gave up territory to Poland. Finland and the Baltic States – Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania – gained independence from Russia. Most Arab lands in the Ottoman empire became Turkey. European leaders took national groups into account in redrawing the map of Europe and thus strengthened the cause of nationalism.Map of Europe after the war

World War One would give the chance to different radical political movements to take control of government. In 1917, Russia would go through a revolution that would change world politics from then on. In Italy, Spain, Germany and other Eastern European countries the appearance of fascist governments would be the order of the day.
While World War I brought great political and social changes, it did not sweep aside the attitudes that had helped cause the war. Militarist and nationalist ideas persisted, especially in those countries that felt cheated by the peace settlements. In the decade after the war, some extremists formed political parties that glorified war and violence. These parties paved the way for militarist leaders to take power in some countries.
Imperialism remained as well, Asians and Africans under European rule had been encouraged by Allied promises of independence and by Wilson’s Fourteen points. Their hopes sank as they realized that under the mandate system, they could only wait for independence at some future date.
At the end, we can say that if the League of Nations had been stronger, it might have been able to deal with these problems. However, conflicts among the League’s members kept it from acting effectively. In the years ahead, peace would again break down and the world would be drawn into another devastating war.

Questions:

1. What were the economical, social and political consequences of World War One?
2. What attitudes didn’t change after the war?
3. One observer noted at the time that the Versailles Treaty was “a peace built on quicksand”. Explain what he meant by that phrase.

~ by HistoryRocks.com on October 16, 2007.