The Economic, Social, and Political Impact of the First World War on Europe

The Economic, Social, and Political Impact of the First World War on Europe

At the end of the First World War in 1918, the economic, social and

political state of Europe was such that the potential rebuilding of

the continent seemed a distant and unrealistic vision.

The war had affected much of Western Europe, in particular France and

Germany, not to mention Belgium, Italy and Austria. In addition vast

regions of Eastern Europe also suffered dearly as Russia’s bloody

involvement in the war took its toll. Consequently over 8 million

people were directly killed in fighting and many more millions were

injured or unaccounted for. It’s no surprise therefore that the

impacts of the war were so strong and far reaching; the majority of

Europeans suffered in one way or another. Geographical borders

changed, industry changed, demographics changed but most importantly,

politics in Europe changed forever. The rise of Hitler and Lenin,

arguably the two most important political characters of the twentieth

century, came as a direct result of the war. Women’s lives across

Europe changed forever as did the economy of the continent.

In no way can the impact of the war be underestimated or tamed. At the

very least it was a major factor in shaping the world that we live in

today.

In purely economic terms, the First World War devastated Europe. In

Germany alone the cost of the war was estimated at $40 billion USD.

When considering the fact that there has subsequently been 87 years of

inflation since this expenditure, in modern terms the figure would be

closer to $1100 billion USD[1]. The cost of the war was equally high

in France and Russia and ...

... middle of paper ...

...se of Germany’, A.

Marwick, Total War and Social Change

· The chronicle of the Twentieth Century

· Facing Total War: German Society 1914-1918, J. Kocka

Word Count: 2,233

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[1] Source taken from internet website:

http://www.schoolshistory.org.uk/ASLevelHistory/week3impactofwar.htm.

Website gives a brief explanation on the impacts of the war in Germany

[2] The Cambridge Economic History of Modern Britain, Roderick Floud

and Paul Johnson. Cambridge publication, Volume II. Chapter 3, How the

economy suffered? (after the First World War)

[3] As Above

[4] Source taken from internet website:

http://www.schoolshistory.org.uk/ASLevelHistory/week3impactofwar.htm.

Website gives a brief explanation on the impacts of the war in Germany