World War-I: Impact of the World War I
Impact of the World War I
- The impact of the war was extraordinarily wide-ranging, which was not surprising given that it was the first ‘total war’ in history. This means that it involved not just armies and navies but entire populations, and it was the first big conflict between modern, industrialized nations. In all the European states involved in the war, governments organized ordinary people as never before, so that the entire country was geared up to the war effort. ©crackingcivilservices.com
Political impact
- Victory of nationalism, changes in the map of Europe on national lines and creation of new states:
- One of the great result of the war was the triumph of the principle of nationalism.
- The settlement of peace conference of Paris differed from that of Congress of Vienna. While the Congress of Vienna was based on negation of the nationalist principle, Paris peace settlement made nationalism public law of Europe. ©crackingcivilservices.com
- Empire which had peoples in subjection against their will, dissolved into their component elements.
- Thus out of old Russian Empire was set up the four independent republics of Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
- Poland was recreated by gathering up the fragments which had been infamously seized by her neighbours during the last quarter of the 18th century.
- Fragments of the last empire of Austria-Hungary went to make the new state of Czecho-Slovakia as well as too enlarge the possessions of Rumania, Italy and of Serbia.
- The restoration of Alsace-Lorraine to France and the Danish speaking portion of Schelswig to Denmark redressed long-standing national grievances.
- In Ireland, the principle of nationalism scored triumph. ©crackingcivilservices.com
- Irish people started guerilla warfare against British rule.
- Eventually the British Government entered into negotiations with Ireland which resulted in treaty being signed in 1921.
- It provided for the establishment of an Irish Free State with dominion status.
- Nationalism received an immense impetus through the war and became self-conscious and assertive after it, chiefly in the new states.
- Nationalism outside Europe:
- The influence of nationalism was not confined to Europe alone. It has awakened China and rejuvenated Turkey.
- Great Britain was obliged to yield yield to Egyptian nationalism and in 1922 had to withdraw the protectorate which she had established over Egypt during the war.
- Acceptance of principle of right of self determination:
- At the Paris Peace Conference the principle of right of self determination of minorities was accepted.
- It was because of this that independence of Poland, Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia was recognised and new states of Lithuania and Latvia was created.
- Spread of democracy:
- Another important result of the war was the spread of democracy.
- Thrones toppled down in Russia, Germany and Austria and thus three of the oldest royal dynasties in Europe – Romanoff, Hohenzollern and Austria adopted democratic constitution, while in Russia the democratic movement became entangled with Bolshevism.
- The new states that have been created, set up republican constitutions with a parliamentary government based upon democratic franchises.
- Greece after her defeat at the hands of the Turks in 1922 abolished monarchy and set up a republic.
- One of the most significant triumph of democracy was in Turkey where Sultanate and Caliphate were abolished and a republic set up with Kemal Pasha as its President.
- In most cases military defeats discredited the monarchy, and the peoples in groping for a panacea for the political unrest and disorders which followed after the war, turned to Republicanism and in some cases to Communism for a better state of things.
- Rise of dictatorship:
- Trend towards democracy has in some countries been arrested by the rise of dictatorships. Post-war Europe was confronted with a variety of perplexing problems, and in many cases democracy was found incapable of coping with them.
- Hence the experiment of dictatorship has been tried in many countries, notably in Italy, Russia, Germany and Spain.
- The anti-democratic forces of the time were Bolshevism, Fascism and Nazism and all these gave rise to dictatorships.
- Revolution in Germany and rise of Hitler:
- In Germany, hardship and defeat caused a revolution: the Kaiser Wilhelm II was compelled to abdicate and a republic was declared.
- Over the next few years the Weimar Republic (as it became known) experienced severe economic, political and social problems. In 1933 it was brought to an end when Hitler became German Chancellor. ©crackingcivilservices.com
- Revolution in Russia:
- In Russia the pressures of war caused two revolutions in 1917.
- The first (February-March) overthrew the Tsar, Nicholas II, and the second (October-November) brought Lenin and the Bolsheviks (Communists) to power.
- Rise of fascism in Italy:
- Although Italy was on the winning side, the war had been a drain on her resources and she was heavily in debt.
- Mussolini took advantage of the government’s unpopularity, to take over control- Italy was the first European state after the war to allow itself to fall under a fascist dictatorship.
- Revolution in Germany and rise of Hitler:
- Decline of Europe’s prestige:
- The conflict caused a decline in Europe’s prestige in the eyes of the rest of the world.
- The fact that the region which had been thought of as the centre of civilization could have allowed itself to experience such appalling carnage and destruction was a sign of the beginning of the end of European domination of the rest of the world.
- The effects on individual countries were sometimes little short of traumatic: the empires which had dominated central and eastern Europe for over two hundred years disappeared almost overnight.
- Collapse of Habsburg Empire:
- The Habsburg Empire collapsed completely.
- The last emperor, Karl I, was forced to abdicate (November 1918) and the various nationalities declared themselves independent; Austria and Hungary split into two separate states.
- System of collective security:
- Many politicians and leaders were determined that the horrors of the First World War should never be repeated.
- President Woodrow Wilson of the USA came up with a plan for a League of Nations, which would settle future disputes by arbitration and keep the world at peace through a system of ‘collective security’.
- Unfortunately the job of the League of Nations was made more difficult by some of the terms of the peace settlement reached after the war, and the peace itself was unstable.
- Final stage of partition of Africa:
- Some historians argue that the war led to the final stage of the partition of Africa, when the peace settlement placed Germany’s colonies in Africa under the control of the League of Nations. ©crackingcivilservices.com
- The League allowed them to be ‘looked after’ by various member states. This meant that in practice, for example, Britain acquired Tanganyika, while Britain and France divided Togoland and the Cameroons between them, and South Africa gained German South West Africa (Namibia).
- Emergence of the USA on world scene:
- The USA began to play an important role in European politics.
- She played an important role winning the war and helped Europe in economic reconstruction.
- Emergence of new balance of power:
- The power shifted to England and France. Japan now also appeared as a powerful nation. But the USA dominated all.
Economic impact
- World War I caused economic loss, wastage and vast destruction.
- The national debt of England had increased upto 7435 million pounds, France 147472 million pounds and Germany 160600 million Marks.
- Government could not improve their industries, trade, production of agriculture and commerce etc. To meet requirements, government of all European nations had to import essential items from abroad. Prices shot up due to decrease in production.
- Due to heavy loans, countries issued new paper currencies on a large scale. It led to the inflation. Value of currency decreased.
- The governments imposed and increased taxes which led to the beginning of a new wave of discontent and paved the wave for revolution in some countries.
- In the Central Powers and in Russia, the civilian populations suffered severe hardships caused by the blockades.
- Unemployment:
- Millions who got employment during war got unemployed leading to serious unemployment problem.
- Increase in non-European trade:
- On the other hand, some countries outside Europe, particularly Japan, China and the USA, took advantage of Europe’s preoccupation with the war to expand their trade at Europe’s expense.
- For example, the USA’s share of world trade grew from 10 per cent in 1914 to over 20 per cent by 1919.
- Since they were unable to obtain European imports during the war, Japan and China began their own programmes of industrialization.
- Great Depression:
- During the 1920s the Americans enjoyed a great economic boom and their future prosperity seemed assured.
- Within a few years, however, it became clear that they had made the mistakes of over-confidence and over-expansion: in October 1929 the Wall Street Crash heralded the beginning of a severe economic crisis which spread throughout the world and became known as ‘the Great Depression’.
Social impact
- Huge death toll:
- The most striking effect of the war was the appalling death toll among the armed forces.
- Almost 2 million Germans died, 1.7 million Russians, 1.5 million French, over a million Austro-Hungarians and about one million from Britain and her empire. ©crackingcivilservices.com
- Italy lost around 530 000 troops, Turkey 325 000, Serbia 322 000, Romania 158 000, the USA 116 000, Bulgaria 49 000 and Belgium 41 000.
- And this did not include those crippled by the war, and civilian casualties.
- A sizeable proportion of an entire generation of young men had perished – the ‘lost generation’; France, for example, lost around 20 per cent of men of military age.
- Rise of social problems:
- Many died or disabled, women became widows, only earning member of family died.
- These created serious family disharmony and male-female ratio got disturbed (as male died more).
- Women empowerment:
- With so many men away in the armed forces and increasing demand of human labour, women had to take their places in factories and in other jobs which had previously been carried out by men.
- Hence women came out of their homes and began to work in factories, mills offices. They worked for the economic development of their country side by side with males and took active parts in political movements. This gave self-confidence and they demanded equal status and rights with men.
- Softening of racial feelings:
- People of all races took part in war. They fought together, on common front and sharing common food. This brought them nearer.
- Destruction of culture and setback to education:
- Many scholars, poets, scientists etc lost their lives, cultural building destroyed.
- Due to compulsory military service, students had to leave educational institutions leading to decrease in education.
- New method of warfare:
- New methods of warfare and new weapons were introduced – tanks, submarines, bombers, machine-guns, heavy artillery and mustard gas.
- Progress of science and technology:
- Many scientific inventions were made in the field of gases, bomb, tanks, aeroplanes, submarines etc due to feeling of scientific competitions.
- Rise of labour and trade union:
- The labourers made many weapons and other products required during the war. By their efforts, they had achieved a prominent position in politics. After war, they put up their demands before government to provide them with political status and necessary facilities.
- Although the trade union movement had been started before the war yet the labourers directed their full energies for making this movement successful after the war.
- Labour party of England succeeded even in capturing powers in a capitalistic country.
- Impetus to socialist ideas:
- The development of socialism was gift of war. It included nationalisation of industries.
- It increased significance of labour class.
- Consequently, the facilities of housing, medical care and education were provided by the state. The right of forming trade unions and to strike was also conceded. ©crackingcivilservices.com
