War, Politics, and Culture in Modern Mass Society - Assignment Example

War, Politics, and Culture in Modern Mass Society Introduction Primary sources are first-hand materials that have not been distorted or altered in any way. In a study of history, a primary source is also called source, or original evidence is an artifact. A war can be as an organized and in most cases lengthy conflict between states, region, groups, or individuals. War in almost all cases is with extreme violence, social, and economic disturbance. Due to the war, the economic development of the countries involved is delayed or slowed down (Lynn-Jones, Sean, pp, 210-217). Politics is the practice of influencing people; it can either be a group, individual or in a global level. Culture in modern mass society is the distinct ways which people who live in the post-medieval Europe or at a global level differently classify and represent their acts and experiences creatively. Therefore, primary sources about Europe from 1871-1939 on war, politics, and culture are the original materials, artifacts, or documents. In this case, the primary sources that leads or related to the first word war and how this has influenced the culture of the mass society to date (Teich and Porter, pp, 307-315). About Europe from 1871-1939: War, Politics, and Culture in Modern Mass Society Europe from 1871-1939 experienced numerous revolutionary events, conflicts and wars and at the peak of it was the First World War between 1914 and 1918. They are several primary sources that relate or lead to this particular war and they are into four categories. The four sources include printed sources, micro format; Personal reminiscences that is letters and diaries and eyewitness statements (Luebke, pp, 92-97). Printed sources are printed documents, newspapers articles, magazines, and journals. In the year 1914, the war was declared on Serbia by the government of Austro- Hungarian. In their statements, they stated that the whole Europe should prepare for war. The Ogden Standard in the same year also reported that Austria had chosen war. The Washington times seconded the report in the same year. It did not take long after the reports when war between these countries started. Micro format sources were also used to report the war in Europe. Micro format sources are types of open source data format that are upon existing and widely adopted frameworks. These micro format records consist of documents from the archives of the German Foreign Ministry that concerned with German involvement in Irish affairs during World War Impersonal reminiscences, on the other hand, give first-hand information on the happenings of the event. Below are a chronological of how war started and its progress in Europe (Lynn-Jones, Sean, pp, 210-217) Politics The primary sources on politics are the political quotes, statements, which amounted or contributed to the start of the World War 1. Very influential people, who included generals of armies and presidents, played the politics. An example is Lloyd George, who now was prime minister of United Kingdom. The politician used his powers to mobilize millions of young men to head to the battlefield. In addition, hundreds of thousands of workers were recruited. These workers were manipulated to power an industrial war machine. As a result, the public was involved in years of hardship and the process resulted too many casualties, which was a sign of victory. The prime minister of Britain David Lloyd also used his powers to support the war. He mobilized energetic youths and invited them to join in the war (Luebke, pp, 92-97). Culture in modern society The primary sources on culture in modern society after the World War One, are the documents, journals that give us information on what has been happening in the post-medieval periods. It also gives a history in relation to the war. The war helped in shaping the culture of the people of Europe. Due to the war, individuals were able to learn lessons from the occurrence that have greatly changed the way people behave. It also helped people appreciate others and make rational decisions. Socialist and especially Communist revolutionary wave occurred in many European countries from 1917 onwards, notably in Germany and Hungary. The happenings were a result of the Russian provisional government's failure to give up territory. The failure to give up territory led to war where German and Austrian forces defeated the Russian armies. The aftermath of the defeat led new communist government to signing of Brest-Litovsk treaty. The agreement included renouncement by Russia regarding allegations made against Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania and Finland. There were various important developments in medicine and technology fields. The development was because the injured people had to be treated and cared for, as humanitarian act requires. In addition, new several illnesses had developed, and the field of medicine had to search for the right medicine and treatment to save the lives at risk. It was also the responsibility of the medicine field to prevent the illnesses from spreading. Women gained the right to vote after the World War I. The right to vote came in, as women had to replace men who were in the battlefield. Previously, voting was categorized as women were denied the right to vote. Women were seen as weak and incompetent and for these reasons could not vote for public or government positions. They also could not vie for public and government positions (Teich and Porter, pp, 307-315). Conclusion In conclusion, by using primary sources to cover the chronological events in Europe from 1871 to 1939 we find accurate and tangible information. It is clear that Austria declared war on Serbia. The declaration was the beginning of the World War I. The primary sources also provide information on the emotional state of the individuals and the difficulties they pass through because of the war. However, primary sources in history may not be thoroughly objective sources hence they may have to take into account others opinions over the same events. Moreover, it is also evident that that those in power influenced the start and ongoing of the war through manipulation of youths. Examples of such leaders include the prime ministers of Britain and the United Kingdom David Lloyd and Lloyd George respectively. The occurrence of the war also played a vital role in changing of the culture of people of Europe and their behavior. Events that took place during the war helped in the definition of territories and development of new treaties that are used to date (Cattaruzza, pp, 194- 215). Works Cited Cattaruzza, Marina. Territorial Revisionism and the Allies of Germany in the Second World War: Goals, Expectations, Practices. New York [u.a.: Berghahn Books, 2012. Print. Luebke, Frederick C. European Immigrants in the American West: Community Histories. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 1998. Print. Lynn-Jones, Sean M. The Cold War and After: Prospects for Peace. Cambridge, Mass. u.a: MIT Press, 1993. Print. Teich, Mikuláš, and Roy Porter. The National Question in Europe in Historical Context. Cambridge [England: Cambridge University Press, 1993. Print. Read More