WORLD WAR I: Consequences (2024)

The First World War 1 Consequences shattered empires, birthed a slew of modern nations, sparked independence movements throughout Europe’s colonies, drove the United States to become a global power, and paved the way for Soviet communism and Hitler’s ascent. Diplomatic connections and commitments established during WWI, parts of the Middle East, resurfaced a hundred years later to plague Europeans. The equilibrium of strength approach to global affairs has been shaken but just not completely broken. It required the Second World War to mobilize enough political factions to begin on a radical fresh method to inter-state interactions.

Causes and Consequences of World War I

There were several battles between European states in the backdrop. As a result of the tensions and suspicions that existed among nations, nations banded together to create military cooperation. The following are the world war causes:

• Imperialist countries at odds: Germany’s ambitions

The conflict between traditional imperialist countries (e.g., the United Kingdom and France) vs emerging imperialist countries (Eg: Germany).

Imperator is a German ship.

From Berlin to Baghdad, Germany has a railway connection.

• Nationalist Extremism

Russians, Poles, Czechs, Serbs, Bulgarians, and Greeks are all part of the Pan-Slav movement.

There is a pan-German movement.

• Military Cooperation

Germany, Italy, and Austria-Hungary formed the Triple Alliance and Central Powers in 1882.

Britain, France, and Russia formed the Triple Entente or Allies in 1907.

NOTE: In World War I, Italy was part of the Tripartite Pact with Germany and Austria-Hungary. As other countries joined the war, those alliances were restructured and enlarged: Italy, Japan, the United States joined the Allies, whereas the Ottoman Empire & Bulgaria entered the Central Powers.

• International Anarchy

Britain and France have a hidden arrangement. Enabling the United Kingdom to rule Egypt and France to rule Morocco Germany was against, but an agreement was reached with a portion of the French Congo.

The Hague Conferences of 1882 and 1907 were unsuccessful in establishing an international institution.

• Balkan Wars

Turkey ruled over many Balkan countries, including Serbia, Bulgaria, Albania, Greece, and Montenegro. During the First Balkan War, they beat Turkey. The conflict that followed was fought between the Balkan countries themselves, such as Serbia vs. Bulgaria.

Defeated nations such as Turkey and Bulgaria wanted German assistance.

• Alsace-Lorraine

Alsace-Loraine was given to Germany by France after German unification. France sought to reclaim Alsace-Lorraine from Germany.

• Immediate Cause: Assassination of Francis Ferdinand

A Serbian native murdered Austrian Archduke Francis Ferdinand (in Bosnia). On July 28, 1914, Austria declared war on Serbia. [Cause for murder: Austrian occupation of Bosnia-Herzegovina, in violation of the Berlin Congress of 1878]

Consequences of the war

The following are the World War 1 Consequences:

1. Economic consequences: Germany and the United Kingdom spend over 60% of the income made by respective economies on war-related items.
2. Political Consequences: The United Kingdom and France assumed charge of nations in the Middle East after World War I.
3. Social Consequences: After the war, several countries granted women new rights, including the opportunity to vote. Young men and women from the middle and lower classes desired a say in how their nation was formed after the war.
4. Treaty of Versailles: With the signing of the treaty of Versailles on June 28, 1919, World War I concluded. The Treaty of Versailles attempted to save the world against going to war again.

After World War I, treaties were made:

1. The Treaty of Paris was signed with Germany.
2. St.Germain Treaty – with Austria
3. The Treaty of Trianon was signed with Hungary.
4. Neuilly Treaty – with Bulgaria
5. Sevres Treaty – with Turkey

Effects of World War

1. During WWI, four monarchs fell: Germany, Turkey, Austria-Hungary, and Russia.
2. People became more receptive to various ideologies as a result of the World war 1 consequences, including the Bolsheviks’ coming to prominence in Russia and fascism’s success in Italy and, subsequently, Germany.
3. As people became more patriotic, one country after the other began colonial uprisings in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. WW1 mainly signaled the end of colonialism.
4. The war altered the world’s financial equilibrium, dumping European countries deeply in debt and establishing the United States as the world’s dominant economic powerhouse and lender.
5. In most nations, inflation soared, and also the German economy was severely harmed by the need to make reparations.
6. With troops going all over the continent, influenza spread quickly, resulting in a pandemic that murdered over 25 million individuals globally.
7. With all of the new weapons deployed, WW1 irrevocably transformed the face of contemporary combat.

Numerous more impacts may be attributed to WW1, but the truth is that the globe would never be the same after this catastrophic conflict. Many historians feel that WW1 established an environment that permitted the Nazi Party to ascend to power and the outbreak of WWII.

Conclusion

World War I, often before the First World War or even the Great War, had been an international war that lasted from 28 July 1914 to 11 November 1918. It was shortened to WWI or WW1. This was fought throughout the Middle East, Africa, and portions of Asia, and engaged most of Europe, also Russia, the United States, and Turkey. About 9 million people were murdered in warfare, while over 5 million perished as a result of the siege, bombing, famine, or illness. This was one of the worst conflicts in history. Numerous millions more died as a result of the Ottoman genocides and also the 1918 Spanish flu virus, which was transmitted by the movement of fighters throughout the conflict.