What effect did World War I have generally on the world?

Question

Do you have any good and reputible, yet simple websites regarding this question.

Effects can include population decrease, economic, foreign relations etc.

Answer 1

World war one was truly the end of the ancien regime of absolute monarchies - it removed the cobwebs of the power of the royal families that had not been destroyed in the French Revolution.

The war shakes the very foundations of countries with monarchies - it marks the end of the Romanovs and habsburgs, and marks the start of the rise of communism not only in Russia, but as a political phenomenon. The war also marks the rise of nationalist governments has devastation caused by the war leads to widespread discontentment.

People are so sick of war and the deprivations of food stamps and lining up - that the 1920's become the 'roaring twenties' - as people live to enjoy the good times and start spending more. Old moralities and social norms are abandoned. You start to see the rise of Cabaret.

It redrew the balance of power in the world. For the First time, the United States is realising that its policy of isolation is simply not possible - the United States has realised that who holds the balance of power in Europe will affect the U.S as well. The U.S has to play a role in world affairs.

The war weakens the hold of colonial powers. The 1916 protest in Ireland against British rule was brutally suppressed. Throughout Asia and India nationalist independent groups and future leaders are being educated against the evils of colonialism. Indigenous resentment continues to build against the total dominance of their local cultures by white Europeans.

The war revolutionises how war itself is fought and thought of. The disaster of trench warfare will be avoided by all countries in following wars - the use of tanks, air planes, machine guns impacts the efficiency of weapons. These weapons will end the 'trench warfare' mentality of warfare making war more static.

In the first war, we heard the phrase 'total war' - this marks a new and deadly way in which countries will fight war - attacking civilian populations - once seen as cowardly, will now become acceptable practice in war.

There is a lot that the war changes - but generally it prepares the world for the second war - believing the First war was so catastrophic that Europe would not go to war, the major European powers do not see the weaknesses in the balance of power that the Versailles Treaty has left. Society itself is very reluctant to get involved in another war. Does alot to prepare the way for Hitler and Stalin.

Answer 2

The First World War had a number of consequences including but not limited to the following:

1. The Conduct of Warfare
It was the bloodiest human conflict up to the time. WW1 was the first time that mechanised warfare was used: armoured tanks, artillery batteries etc. With that the history of warfare would change for good: Man could inflict much more damage than was previously possible.

2. The Fall of the Great European Empires
WW1 was the immediate cause of the fall of the Ottoman, Austro-Hungarian Empires.

The breakup of the Austro-Hungarian empire resulted in the creation of Yugoslavia. This was unique becauseYugoslavia was at the faultline of three empires: German, Russian and Ottoman. Therefore, the country was made up of Christian Croats, Orthodox Serbs and Bosnian Muslims. The ethnic mix was explosive due to a history of animosity among all the religions. The result: The Bosnian War in the late 20th century.

With the fall of the Ottoman Empire the modern "states" of Iraq, Iran, Lebanon were carved out as European (read French, British) spheres of influence. Furthermore, the modern state of Turkey was born. The consequences of the carve up are still with us today.

The British Empire did not fall until after the Second World War but the First World War dealt it a weakening blow. After WW1 the cost of empire became unbearable for the British. Therefore, it was decided that the colonies be self-sustaining. The result was the amalgamation of peoples with little previous history of co-existence in Africa and Asia. Nigeria, for example, was "created" in 1914 from the Protectorate of Southern and Northern Nigeria simply for the pecuniary interests of the British. The consequence was far-reaching: The new nation states in Africa are still struggling to define themselves in the 21st century.

3. Demoralised Germany and World War II
The Peace of Versailles that ended the war was disastrous from a German point of view. This led to widespread economic breakdown in the German Weimar republic. Consequently, the National Socialist Party (The Nazis) were able to ride this wave of discontent , ascending to power in 1933. Well, the rest is as they say history.

4. The Rise of the United States
WW1 marked the rise of the US as a world power on the international scene. The US played a key role in defeating Germany and its allies in WW1. It is after WW1 that the US increased in stature on the world stage and challenged the supremacy of the European powers. The result: the 20th century was described as the American Century.

Answer 3

The Great War ended the great empires - German, Russian, British, Ottoman. The British Empire took a while to break down, but its disintegration started when the Irish left around 1922.

Paul Fussell writes of the Great War as becoming the prototype of wars, not just for hisotrical reasons but also because ts place in literature and culture.

Answer 4

Paved way for a second WW

Answer 5

The treaty that ended WWI laid thr ground work for WWII.