2.4 Results of World War I

Results of World War I
In the five years from when the war first started in 1914 to the finalization of the peace treaties in 1919, many things had changed in Europe. War had carved Europe up, causing changes in politics, societies and in the economies of many countries.

Political:
The geography of Europe was redrawn in 1919. Because of the collapse of several European states, many new successive states had emerged. Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Austria and Yugoslavia are some of the 9 states that had become independent. The emergence of these new states disrupted the balance of power held in Europe and instead created a power vacuum in which many ethnic groups sought their own independence.

The collapse of certain states within Europe also saw the fall of imperial monarchs. Russia and Germany were both major powers going into the war. By the end of the war, both of these countries had lost not only the war, but also their original governments. The tradition of having an imperial monarch as the ruler of the country became replaced with the rise of the republican. The Tzar of Russia and the Kaiser of Germany were replaced with movements fueled by the people. Eventually, the people took over with communism in Russia and fascism in Germany.
In contrast, the victors did not experience as much change in government. Understandably, Britain and France kept their style of governments and policies remained unchanged.

As outlined within Woodrow Wilson's 14 points, the League of Nations was created as an international system of diplomacy that would solve large conflicts. Britain and France, as major powers of the world, quickly became the cornerstone for the organization. USA, although their President was the one who proposed the league, chose not to join due to the isolationism that citizens wanted.


Economic:
The obvious effect of any war would be the costs put into the effort. In a war this large, every participant needed to massive amounts of money. Countries who participated in the war even required loans to help pay for the war. After the war they were all required to repay the loans and this created a tough economic situation where inflation occurred and jobs were lost. Many of these countries took their loans from the US, who entered the war a few years later. While countries needed a strong economy in order to thrive, the US became an economic superpower as others had to repay the US. Furthermore, money was also needed to repair the physical damages left by the war. The loans, additional payments for repairs and the loss of trade and investments over the span of the war left Europe facing a potential economic crisis.

Social:
The unethical issue of any war would be the cost of human lives. 8 millions soldiers were lost in the war, leaving behind their children, spouses and friends. 5 million civilians died as a result of disease with an additional 15 million deaths caused by the flu epidemic of 1918-1919.
Workers that remained could be granted greater influence within society and politics given the heavy reliance upon the industry during the war. Workers were able to gain better pay, work conditions and those who had become unemployed after the war were given social insurance benefits for them and their families.
Women also gained an improved social status as the demands of the war had given women employment opportunities while the men fought in the war. Traditionally male dominated jobs had to be given to women. This increased confidence felt by the women and led to demands for more opportunities in the future. The impact of women on society grew further as they were given a say in politics, through voting, as well as new professions such as lawyers.