IMPACTS OF 1st WORLD WAR ON THE WESTERN WORLD
World war one was a defining moment for the 20th century for most European countries. Its effects were resounding for years in the economic, political and public opinion. In England a lot of changes were spotted like women acquiring the right to vote, working class people were fully employed including the women. The distribution of income moved and it became in favor of the poor. In Germany at the end of the war the social democratic party assumed power after the government collapsed.
World war one had a great effect on the European countries like France, England, Germany, Russia, Austria- Hungary and the United States of America. Before the war England was the centre of the British Empire but afterwards it declined. England was also the greatest creditor of the world they used to provide shipping services and also insurance services. However the war cost the nation a lot of funds and it consumed all of its credits. As a result the nation was indebted to the United States and so the world’s financial centre moved from London to New York. In France on the other hand the nation suffered a lot of property damage as most of the war was on French soil. There were heavy losses in manpower also leading to a loss of an entire generation. Germany was one of the great powers in the war so their defeat was a shock and it came along with a collapse of the economy. The economic difficulties caused hardship and despair and there was an uncertain future for the nation. Austria- Hungary collapsed totally after the war. The war led to the Russian revolution and also a civil war that lasted for three years. The U.S joined the war late and the loss in life was more than 100,000 compared to the other nations that were a small number. The nation emerged from the war as the greatest power and the creditor of the world and the U.S was thrust into a position of world leaders (Coetzee, 2000, p. 50).
Many governmental changes were seen socialistic ideas were experienced in Germany, Austria, and Britain in 1923 and in France in 1924. The form of government that gained a lot of influence though was the republic. Revolution was seen and people desired a better way of living. One other effect of the World War 1 was the treaty of Versailles it was humiliating to the Germans. They were forced to sign and accept responsibility for causing the war one and give large amounts of money to compensate the cost of the war. The nation of Germany was reduced and that of France and Italy was increased.
After the war there was a great economic and technological boost. There was the production of automobiles, chemicals, radios and airplanes these have continued to be used to date. There was use of machinery to perform tasks, implementation of eight hours work hours stimulated the economy in the U.S. in Europe however there was a great loss and debts, more money was printed to pay back the debts this lead to inflation. Socially the war had the same effect as the revolution and there was distrust among the political leaders and the government officials. A feeling of disillusionment spread because the people were bitter that their government did not mind the interests of the people. A lot of people lost their loved ones and one of four young men had lost their lives. The war killed 10 to 13 million people with a third of them being civilians; the future was not very bright for the families that lost members. The period after the war called for readjustments for most nations, their governments the citizens and the economy (Keegan, 1999 p. 45).
How industrialism contributed to social, economic, and political change in the modern West and how it affected the West's relationship with the non-Western world
During the industrial revolution a series of economic changes invoking use of new technologies these begun in England in the late 18th century and by 1914 it had taken root in Europe and other countries like the U.S, Japan, Canada and parts of Latin America. The industrialization altered the human conditions. The English were the first to experience the benefits of the industrialization. That early industrialization had multiple causes like abundant supply of labor, strong domestic and overseas markets, a stable banking system, good transportation, stable government, favorable business climate and great inventions. Industrialization was largely limited to Europe and the U.S the western businesses marketed their products around the world. The industrialization had its effects on the social, economic and political situations in the western countries (Kempt, 1997, p.36).
Socially industrialization meant an appalling price to be paid in human suffering as populations begun moving from the rural to the urban areas. In England millions of persons moved from the agricultural south to the north where there were coal and iron mines. These industrial cities created 3 major issues in living conditions, social structure and working conditions. The living conditions were poor as the cities were built quickly and shoddily. The houses were crammed together on narrow streets, poorly built and extremely crowded. One house could house upto 63 persons in 7 rooms. Sanitation did not exist, clean water was a luxury for the rich people only, there were open sewers running so diseases like typhoid, cholera, typhus and tuberculosis reached epidemic proportions. Other natural outcomes were alcoholism, crime, drug abuse and prostitution (Butler, 2007, para. 4).
Working conditions were also not that good the time could extend to 19 hours a day six days a week. During this time hard, tedious and boring work was done each day. The conditions were hot every time and extremely dangerous. There were no safety devices therefore people lost their fingers to the machines and hurt their hands and arms often. Hundred of people were killed when the mine shafts caved in trapping people within the earth. As much as the conditions were poor many unemployed people waited for the available jobs. The wages were excessively low therefore the women and children were sent to work also.
The social patterns of family were upset by the industrialization. In the industrial cities there was a separation of home and workplace and also in the gender roles. In the middle and low class the men, women and children all went to work these added to the strain that pulled the families apart. The nuclear families left the support network of the villages when they moved to the cities and started living in isolation with little or no support from the neighbors. All was not hopeless as concerned industrialists like Robert Owen and W.H Lever came in and built model communities where the workers could live and work. Together with other politicians they enacted legislation like Factory Act 1850 that limited the workdays of children and women to ten and a half hours and the Factory Act 1833 that limited use of child labor. The standards of living however did improve in the 19th century as the population of Europe rose from 187,000,000 to 4666,000,000. The life expectancy had also risen from 30 to 45 years this was attributed to better living conditions, nutrition, public sanitation and improved medical services (Butler, 2007, para.13)
Economic impact of the industrialization was also noted as there was improved transportation and urban development. There was development in the transport system that was used to get raw materials to the factories and the finished products to the markets. The steam locomotive was a new form of technology and it made transport economical and efficient. Waterwheel technology spread harnessing the power of the tides and winds. Better clocks were developed and they were used to condition the factory workers. The textile industry also improved a great deal the more mechanized hand loom that was cheap and faster. There was accumulation of capital that allowed investment in new technologies. The industrialization process produced a class of people who had money to spend than those who practiced agriculture. They spent it on sugar, tobacco and this created mass markets that merchants exploited.
Politically as the industrial strength increased the electoral reform was necessary to balance the new society’s power structure. Before 1822 only 6% of males could vote by the year 1832 the factory owners wanted to vote this resulted in the reform bill of 1832 and this allowed 20% of the males to vote. The workers were still not represented by the electoral system. There was also introduction of liberalism that emphasized on the importance of individuals happiness. The state had a role to protect the individuals and generally liberalism reflected the views of the middle class persons.
The industrialization led to an increase on the demand for raw materials and this led nations to seek colonies this occurred in Africa. Industrialization in Europe had an effect on the rest of the world.
REFERENCES
Butler C. (2007). The Social Impact of Industrialization. The Flow of History. A dynamic and
Graphic Approach to Teaching History. Retrieved from http://www.flowofhistory.com
Kemp T. (1997). Industrialization in Nineteenth Century Europe. London. Longman
Keegan. J. (1999). The First World War. New York. Knopf.
Coetzee M. S. (2000).World War One and European Society (Sources in Modern History)
Illinois: Houghton Mifflin Company
