World War I's political and economic consequences for Europe

World War I and World War II

The causes of World War II had their roots in the aftermath of World War I. World War I did not settle the issues that had led to it, and added new tensions among and within many countries.

POLITICS

At the end of World War I, Europe saw major political changes. Paradoxically, it led to a rise in both republics and dictatorships. Before World War I, Europe's countries had only three republics but 19 monarchies. Within a few years of World War I's end, ther were 2 monarchies left, and 14 republics (Author not given, 2003). In Russia, the monarchy was overthrown for a Communist government.

HARSH PEACE TREATY

The Treaty of Versailles, signed in 1919, created a climate that would help lead to World War II. 27 victorious countries met with each other (Author not given, 2004), each with its own agenda. The three greatest powers of the time, the United States, Great Britain, and France, could not agree with treaty goals. The U.S. wanted to focus on forming the League of Nations, which could be used to settle disputes before they led to war, while France and Great Britain, who suffered many financial and personal losses from the war, wanted to use the treaty to punish Germany (Author not given, 2003).

The Treaty forced Germany to accept responsibility for the war and required them to pay reparations they were ill-prepared to pay (Author not given, 2003). The size of Germany shrank while Italy and France grew. The Weimar Republic, the 1918 German government, was unpopular and was not able to control the country (Author not given, 2003). The standing army was reduced greatly, wounding Germany's pride (Author not given, 2004). Many ex-soldiers joined a secret army, the Freicorps (Author not given, 2003). All these things raised feelings in Germany that they had been greatly wronged by the other countries (Author not given, 2004).

PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS

World War I had profound psychological effects on Europeans, but especially on Germany, who had fought what it considered a just war, and lost (Author not given, 2003). Optimism was replaced with pessimism. People came to distrust their governments and felt that their governments did not know how to meet their needs. In some parts of Europe, one in four young men were killed in battle, and all together the war resulted in the deaths of from 10 million to 13 million people. As life became unstable, strong Fascist governments that could respond swiftly and decisively to crises looked attractive to many people (Author not given, 2003). This feeling was especially prominent in Germany, where the lives of people were in a desperate situation. The combination of perceived insults to their country not only from defeat but from the humiliating requirements of the Treaty of Versailles, combined with a weak government and economic crisis, made the country vulnerable to a dictator like Adolph Hitler, who reminded them of their great Teutonic heritage and who promised them that they would rise to greatness again.

SOURCE

Author not given. 2003. "The Great War Effects," in IB History Pages. Accessed via the Internet 12/5/04.

Author not given. 2004. "The Causes and Effects of World War I," in World History. Studyworld Studynotes. Accessed via the Internet 12/5/04.