Specific Effects of World War 1

Specific Effects of World War 1:
The effects of World War 1 are still being felt a century after its conclusion.
It was the deadliest war which involved more countries and was more expensive
than any other war before it.
The weapons used during WW1 were also more advanced than any previous war,
using tanks, submarines, poison gas, airplanes and long range artillery.
The war killed almost 7 million civilians, over 9 million military personnel died
during this war, and over 7 million men were left permanently disabled.
It is not surprising that the effects of WW1 were still evident decades later.
Specific Effects of World War 1:
1. WW1 caused the downfall of four monarchies: Germany, Turkey, Austria-
Hungary and Russia.
2. The war made people more open to other ideologies, such as the Bolsheviks
that came to power in Russia and fascism that triumphed in Italy and even
later in Germany.
3. WW1 largely marked the end of colonialism, as the people became more
nationalistic and the one country after the other started colonial revolts in
Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Africa.
4. The war changed the economical balance of the world, leaving European
countries deep in debt and making the U.S. the leading industrial power and
creditor in the world.
5. Inflation shot up in most countries and the German economy was highly
affected by having to pay for reparations.
6. With troops traveling all over the world, influenza was spread easily and an
epidemic started which killed more than 25 million people across the world.
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7. With all the new weapons that were used, WW1 changed the face of modern
warfare forever.
8. Due to the cruel methods used during the war and the losses suffered, WW1
caused a lot of bitterness among nations, which also greatly contributed to
WWII decades later.
9. Social life also changed: women had to run businesses while the men were at
war and labour laws started to be enforced due to mass production and
mechanization. People all wanted better living standards.
10.After WW1, the need for an international body of nations that promotes
security and peace worldwide became evident. This caused the founding of
the League of Nations.
11.WW1 boosted research in technology because better transport and means of
communication gave countries an advantage over their enemies.
12.The harsh conditions of the Treaty of Versailles caused a lot of dissent in
Europe, especially on the side of the Central Powers who had to pay a lot for
financial reparations.
13.Many historians agree that WW1 created an atmosphere that allowed the rise
of the Nazi Party and the start of WW2.
Effects on Jamaica
1. Jamaica reeled from shortages of food, petrol, manufactured goods and
sharp increases in food prices.
2. Wheat, which was mainly produced by the warring nations, was particularly
hard to obtain, and led to shortages in flour, bread and other basic food
items.
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3. Imports were curtailed and difficulties being experienced by the local
agricultural sector were worsened by hurricanes in 1915, 1916 and 1917.
4. Economic challenges were faced by a majority of the population.
5. Of the contingents of the Jamaican regiment, 1,000 men lost their lives in
service and many more returned home maimed and wounded.
6. The returning soldiers of the British West Indian Regiment (BWIR) were the
worst. Promises of land and jobs used to lure them during the recruitment
drive often did not materialise. Little was done to secure returning soldiers'
welfare, and, therefore, in the post-war years, many were to be found at the
asylums and poorhouses.
7. Many trade unions that sprang up in the inter-war years were also as a direct
result of the organisation of ex-servicemen.
8. The widespread West Indian labour protests of the 1930s can also largely be
accredited to their continued agitation for economic, social and political
reform.
The Birth of the League of Nations

An intergovernmental organization was founded on January 10, 1920, as a result of
the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first
international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace.
Its primary goals as stated in its Covenant included preventing wars through
collective security and disarmament and settling international disputes through
negotiation and arbitration.
The League of Nations was formed to prevent a repetition of the First World War,
but within two decades this effort failed. Economic depression, renewed
nationalism, weakened successor states, and feelings of humiliation (particularly in
Germany) eventually contributed to World War II.
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1. The League of Nations was formed at the Paris Peace Conference to prevent
another global conflict like World War I and maintain world peace. It was
the first organization of its kind.
2. Its primary goals, as stated in its Covenant, included preventing wars
through collective security and disarmament and settling international
disputes through negotiation and arbitration.
3. Unlike former efforts at world peace such as the Concert of Europe, the
League was an independent organization without an army of its own, and
thus depended on the Great Powers to enforce its resolutions.
4. The members were often hesitant to do so, leaving the League powerless to
intervene in disputes and conflicts.
5. The U.S. Congress, mainly led by Henry Cabot Lodge, an American
Republican Senator and historian from Massachusetts best known for his
positions on foreign policy, was resistant to joining the League, as doing so
would legally bind the U.S. to intervene in European conflicts. In the end,
the U.S. did not join the League, despite being its main architects.
6. The League failed to intervene in many conflicts leading up to World War
II, including the Italian invasion of Abyssinia, the Spanish Civil War, and
the Second Sino-Japanese War.
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Moral Suasion
The Rabbit: “My offensive equipment, being practically nil, it remains for me to fascinate him
with the power of my eye.” – Punch, July 28th 1920
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What is the message of this cartoon?
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This cartoon – entitled ‘Moral Persuasion’ appeared in the British satirical
magazine Punch in July 1920. Satire is a form of ridicule, often with the intent of
shaming or exposing the perceived flaws of society into improvement. Satire is
usually meant to be humorous.
The rabbit says: "My offensive equipment being practically nil, it remains for me
to fascinate him with the power of my eye.”
A rabbit, representing the League of Nations. Rabbits are weak, and known for
running away and hiding. The League is weak.
A snake, representing ‘international strife’ (i. e. war). Snakes are powerful and
evil, and they eat rabbits. The League is too weak to expect it to be able to stop
war.
The rabbit (knowing it has no weapons) is preparing to try to hypnotise the snake.
IDIOCY! Snakes hypnotise their prey, and rabbits ‘freeze’ with fear – the rabbit is
going to be killed. ‘Moral persuasion’ will never prevent war, and it will be the
League which is destroyed.
Poland, Russia and Czechoslovakia were at war and the League could not stop it.
This showed the British public’s disappointment that the League seemed unable to
stop war.

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The Birth of the League of Nations

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