Social Effects of WWI
Mr. Baker
Social Effects During the War - Disillusionment
Most had gone to war in 1914 believing in heroism and nobility
Trench warfare and the wartime experience changed these feeling to anger and disbelief
A mood of desolation and emptiness prevailed at the end of a war where great sacrifice had brought little gain
Church attendance dropped during and after the war
Social Effects During the War - Disillusionment
The anger of the soldier-poets was directed against those who had sent them to the war, not their enemyGeneration Gap - The generation conflict was also widened by the war as Veterans' disillusionment fed off of anger towards the older generation for sending them to the trenchesBritish poet, Wilfred Owen, who was killed in 1918 was transformed from a young romantic into a powerful denouncer of those who had sent young men off to war
Social Effects During the War –Artillery and DisillusionmentArtillery killed more people than any other weapon between 1914-18. The biggest guns used in the Great War could fire shells as large as a soldierThe troops were terrified of them. Men watched their fellows being blown apart or dreadfully wounded by shrapnelGenerals ordered artillery to bombard enemy trenches for hours on end before sending their own troops 'over the top' to attack. The idea was that the artillery would:
Kill many enemy soldiersTerrify othersDestroy barbed wire defensesDestroy machine gun positions
Social Effects During the War –Artillery and Disillusionment
In fact, enough enemy machine guns usually survived to mow down the infantry when they finally attacked
In many ways, artillery fire made it even harder to attack enemy trenches as it destroyed all cover and created the famous barren landscape of blasted trees and shell holes that was known as 'no man's land’
Many soldiers ended up with Shell Shock
Social Effects During the War – Technology and Disillusionment
Zeppelins and bombers were developed and began dropping bombs on towns, but only 1,500 died from this
Tanks were also being developed, but broke down quite often
Gas warfare was used but was unreliable; caused much fear
Very little damage was done to the homefront since this technology was in its infancy
Social Effects During the War - Schlieffen Plan & Disillusionment
In theory, it would allow Germany avoid a two-front warMost of the fighting would be against France in the beginning, then once they are defeated they would throw all their resources against RussiaThe Germans would go through neutral Belgium to reach France to avoid the Maginot LineGermans officials put all faith into this plan and had no other alternative
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Social Effects During the War - Technology and DisillusionmentArms races developed & arms manufacturers became major enterprises
Were too big and imperfect to end the stalemate
Generals were reluctant to discard old ways of thinking (importance of the machine gun and trenches)
All this caused the countries on the defensive to have the advantage
There were many deaths and little gains to be had
Social Effects – Class System
The result of working together for a common goal seemed to be unifying European societies:
All belligerents had enacted some form of a selective service which leveled classes
Wartime scarcities made luxury an impossibility and unfavorable
Reflecting this, clothing became uniform. Europeans would never again dress in fancy, elaborate costumes
Social Effects – Women
Became more of a part of society than ever
They undertook a variety of jobs previously held by men
They were now a part of clerical, secretarial work, and teaching
They were also more widely employed in industrial jobs
Social Effects – WomenBecause of their efforts, it was only a matter of time before women received the right to vote in many belligerent countries
Many restrictions on women disappeared during the war. It became acceptable for young, employed, single middle-class women to:
Have their own apartments
Go out without chaperones
Smoke in public
Women's skirts rose above the ankle permanently
Social Effects - African AmericansOne week of Wilson’s declaration of war, the War Department had to stop accepting black volunteers because the quotas for African Americans were filledBlacks could not serve in the Marines, and could only serve limited and menial positions in the Navy and the Coast GuardBy the end of World War I, African Americans served in cavalry, infantry, signal, medical, engineer, and artillery units, as well as serving as chaplains, surveyors, truck drivers, chemists, and intelligence officersThey introduced their culture, especially jazz, to Europeans, but gained no civil rights
Social/Economic Effects – Labor Unions
Employers fought to keep union organizers out of their plants and armed force was often used against striking workers
The universal rallying of workers towards their country at the beginning of the war led to wider acceptance of unions
A long war was not possible without complete cooperation of the workers with respect to putting in long hours and increasing productivity
Social Effects – Restriction of Rights
Governments took on many new powers in order to fight the total war. War governments fought opposition by increasing police powerAuthoritarian regimes like tsarist Russia had always depended on the threat of force, but now even parliamentary governments felt the necessity to expand police powers and control public opinion
Social Effects – Restriction of Rights in Britain
The Defense of the Realm Act authorized the public authorities to arrest and punish dissidents under martial law if necessaryLater acts grew to include:
Suspending newspapersUse of lights at homeFood rationingBar hours limitedStrikes made illegalRunning of factories and railroads
Police powers tended to grow as the war went on and public opposition increased as well
Social Effects – Restriction of Rights in France and Germany
The government cracked down on:Anyone suspected of supporting a compromise peace, giving military secrets, or airing dangerous opinionsCensorship of newspapersCensorship of personal mail
In Germany, laws were passed requiring males ages 17-60 to work in the factoriesThey also imported workers from occupied France and Belgium
Social Effects – Restrictions of Rights in the U.S.
Espionage Act of 1917 – Made it illegal to make any criticism of the government, interfere with the draft, or to encourage disloyaltyRed Scare of 1919-1920
A strike and 38 mail bombs set off the scareJune 1919 – Palmer’s home was bombedAttorney General A. Mitchell Palmer suspected almost anyone of being communist; many innocent people were deportedMay 1920 – Palmer announced the threat of large Communist riots on May 1st of 1920 (the Socialist Labor Day), but none materialized. This ended the scare
Social Effects - Propaganda
Propaganda tries to force a doctrine on the whole people. They influenced people:
To enlistSupport the war
Plant gardensConserveJoin workforceBuy bonds
Instill fearDon’t tell secretsRation or elseHuns/barbarians
Social Effects During and After WWI - Armenian GenocideIn 1908, the Young Turks led a revolution and seized power from the sultanThe new rulers, who had promoted a platform of equality and constitutionalism, quickly turned to extreme nationalismThey were afraid of conquest by another nation or ethnic group, so they drummed up support for an entirely ethnic Turkish stateThe Armenians were seen as an obstacle to their goal
Social Effects During and After WWI - Armenian Genocide
1915-1923, 1.5 million Armenians were killed
After WWI, 400 Young Turks were arrested and tried
Most were sentenced to death, but fled the country – other countries, including the new Turkish government, did not pursue them
Killings resumed
With the Ottoman Empire being renamed Turkey, a new republic was declared and the Turkish-Armenian issue was forgotten
Encouraged Hitler to start the Holocaust
Social Effects During and After the War - Influenza
In 1918 and 1919, the so-called "Spanish flu" killed an estimated 20-40 million people worldwideThe strain of influenza virus that caused the 1918 global epidemic ("pandemic") was exceptionally aggressiveIt was brought back to the homefront by the soldiers and was spread among civiliansLife expectancy was lowered and caused countries to have further economic problems due to a lack of workers