Consequences of WWI on Britain and the US: A Comparison - Essay Example

Consequences of WWI on Britain and the US: A Comparison Student’s Name Institutional Affiliation Course Name Date of Submission Table of Contents 1.0 Introduction 3 2.0 Causes of First Word War 4 2.1 Archduke Franz Ferdinand Assassination 4 2.2 System of Alliances 5 2.3 Militarism 5 2.4 Nationalism 6 3.0 Consequences of First World War 6 3.1 Similarities in Consequences of WWI on Britain and the US 6 4.0 Differences in Consequences of WWI on Britain and The US 8 4.1 Political effects 8 4.2 Economic effects 8 4.3 Social effects 10 5.0 Conclusion 11 6.0 References 13 1.0 Introduction The First World War was one of the largest and deadliest wars that have ever been fought. The war began in 1914 and ended in 1918 (Bourke 2008). The war pitted two opposing alliances against each other namely the Allies and the Central powers. WWI was reportedly triggered by the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria together with his pregnant wife Sophie. The assignation occurred in Sarajevo in Austro-Hungarian province and was planned and executed by Serbian terrorist organization called The Black Hand (Kennedy 2004, p. 3). The assassination of Austro-Hungarian province and his wife raised the political tension that had been building in Europe since the early part of the 19th century. The war began on July 28, 1914 following the Austro-Hungarians attack on Serbia for its involvement in the assassination (Cameron 2014). Russia which had been a close ally to Serbia mobilized support for Serbia a move that angered Germany that attacked Luxembourg, Belgium and France. This led to the UK declaring war on Germany. The war soon become a large with the entry of the United States and other countries in was became a war between Allies and Central Powers. The Allies comprises of major powers that included Britain, Russia, the U.S., Japan, Serbia, Portugal, Belgium, Rumania, Italy and Greece. Countries that make the Central Powers included Germany, Turkey, Austro-Hungary and Bulgaria (fig. 1). Bother opposing alliances marshaled troops numbering thousands. The war came to an end in 1918 with Allied victory (Zieger 2001, p. 66). However, both sides suffered serious casualties as estimates indicate that at least 9 million soldiers died in the war while more than 13 million civilians also lost their lives (Mueller 1991, p. 1). Because of epidemics, such as influenza, additional 20 million people are believed to have died, thus bringing total estimate of casualties in WWI to about 40 million people (Mueller 1991, p. 1). Source: Cameron (2014) 2.0 Causes of First Word War World War I is one of the deadliest wars that have ever been fought in the world. As indicted earlier, more than 9 million soldiers and 13 million civilians dies as a result of the direct effect of the war while a further 20 million others died of influenza outbreak that occurred during the war (Bourke 2011). However, like any other war, WWI was caused by multitude of factors some of which were direct while others were indirect. 2.1 Archduke Franz Ferdinand Assassination First, WWI was triggered by the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his pregnant wife Sophie by a Serbian terrorism organization The Black hand in June 28, 1984 (Hossack 2014). Rainey (1983, p. 45) noted that this assassination was the direct cause of the WWI since it was Archduke Franz Ferdinand’s assassination that angered Austro-Hungarians to declare war on Serbia for its role in the assassination. As such, Rainey 1983, p. 46) believes that, were it not for the assignation, probably WWI could not have occurred despite the fact that there had been years of simmering political tension in Europe. 2.2 System of Alliances The existing systems of alliances prior to the war are another factor that greatly contributed to WWI. History shows that, prior to 1914, the main powers in Europe were split into two armed camps that existed in the form of alliances. These included the Triple Alliance that was made up of Germany, Austro-Hungary, and Italy (Porter 1918). The existence of this armed alliance did not go well with Britain, France and Russia (Porter 1918). As such, to counter the threat posed by the Triple Alliance, Britain, France and Russia formed as alliance in 1907 called the Triple Entente (Hossack 2014). The alliances were meant to help in other in the event of war. Therefore, when Austro-Hungary invaded Serbia that Russia supported, this forced the Triple Alliance members, such as Germany and Italy to supported one of their own Austro-Hungary. As time goes by, other friends of the nations that were involved in the war entered to provide support to their friends and allies, thereby resulting in a full blown world war that now involved even the non-European countries, such as the United States that provided support to the Allied forces. 2.3 Militarism Militarism is another factor that contributed to the WWI. It is noted that, prior to the WWI, all the Great Powers that were involved in the war increased their spending on military significantly. In fact, with the exception of Britain, all had oversubscription. For instance, in 1880, Britain had only 650,000 tons of military shipping while Germany had only 88,000 (Rainey 1983, p. 42). However, by 1910, just prior to the WWI, British military shipping had increased to 2,174,000 while that of Germany had increased to 964,000 (Mueller 1991, p. 3). As such, the race to build a strong army and navy gave the Great Powers the means with which to engage in war. In fact, historians reveal that the 1906 launch of HMS Dreadnought worsened the situation by increasing tension between the two alliances, which eventually resulted in war. 2.4 Nationalism World War I was also greatly caused by nationalism. Nationalism refers to the belief that a country is superior to other. Germany, for instance, had the desire to show the world that it was the world superpower at the time. French, on the other hand, was looking at every mean possible to revenge against Lorraine and Alsace while Britain had a strong support for Imperialism (Bourke 2011). All these nationalism believes resulted in a situation that made war inevitable. In fact, a country like Germany welcomes the war as it thought that it would win the war within a very short time as it believed that it had superior weapons and military personnel. For instance, when the WWI began in 1914, people in Berlin, Paris and Vienna greeted it with cheering (Harris 1993, p. 343). However, they did not know that it would take a couple of years for the war to come to an end. 3.0 Consequences of First World War 3.1 Similarities in Consequences of WWI on Britain and the US Britain and the United States were some of the two Great Powers that participated in the WWI and both belonged to the Allied camp and fought side by side to defeat the Central Powers. However, it is notable that the two countries suffered similar consequences in many ways. The first similarity in the consequences of WWI on Britain and the U.S. is that both lost many soldiers in the war. Reports indicate that, out of 8.9 million troops mobilized by Britain to participated in WWI, about 3 million casualties were recorded with about 908,371 soldiers killed, 2 million wounded and approximately 191,652 others were either help as prisoners of war or missing (Braybon 2004, p. 38). The United States, being a participant in the war also suffered similar consequences. According to reports, out of the 4.3 million soldiers that the U.S. sent to the WWI, about 323,018 casualties were reported. Of these casualties, about 116,516 US soldiers were killed, 204,002 wounded and 4,500 reported missing or help as war prisoners (Braybon 2004, p. 38). In this respect, it becomes apparent that, as much as Britain suffered greater casualty that the U.S., both suffered similar consequence. Second, the WWI had similar consequence in Britain and the U.S. in the sense that it resulted in the development of the rights of women. Prior to the WWI, women were not seen as important people to the society as they were only expected to stay at home and cook or nurture children (Goldstein 2003, p. 11). However, both in Britain and the U.S., the importance of women in the society was made apparent by the work that women did during WWI period. In Britain, after men had been left their jobs and recruited to go overseas to fight in the WWI, women had to replace the men, where they worked in weapon factories, ammunition factories and as conductors on trams and buses, in hospitals as nurses, in farms and as secretaries and assistances among other sectors of the economy (Goldstein 2003, p. 11). Because of their immense contribution during the First World War, the UK House of Commons had no option but to recognize women’s political rights by passing the Representation of the People Bill’s women’s suffrage clause that effectively gave their the rights to vote. The same was seen in the United States where Senators recognized the rights of women through women suffrage that effectively gave them the right to vote because of their immense contribution in the First World War. 4.0 Differences in Consequences of WWI on Britain and The US 4.1 Political effects The first and most recognized effect of the First World War on Britain and the U.S. is with regard to how the war affected the two great powers politically. Politically, WWI impacted negatively on Britain politically. Simmonds (2013, p. 32) notes that, prior to the WWI, Britain was a great imperial power a position that it had held for more than two centuries. During the time, Britain was seen as the superpower in Europe and the world at large. However, the WWI exposed Britain’s weaknesses and badly destroyed it global pre-eminence says Simmonds (2013, p. 32). By contrast, the United States was the greatest gainer from the WWI as far as politics is concerned. The strong intervention and the military might that the United States showed during the WWI that resulted in the defeat of Central Powers led by Germany left America as the world’s superpower. Mueller (1991, p. 14) noted that it was the United States military might that swung the balance against Germany. Besides, it was President Woodrow Wilson’s ideas that defined peace during the WWI. The political gains achieved by the U.S. during the First World War is still being felt today as it is recognized as the world’s superpower, a tag that it never had before WWI. Because of this, the United States has a voice in almost all political, economic and social matters affecting all nations of the world. 4.2 Economic effects The effects of WWI were also felt by countries that were involved in economic realm. World War I only took about four years but its consequences of the economies of most European nations were grave. Britain is one of the countries that WWI has serious negative impacts on its economy. Before 1914, Britain was an economic giant in Europe (Broadberry and Harrison 2005, p. 22). However, British economy was collapsed in a matter of four years. It is noted that the British debt level rose significantly during the war since the country has borrowed over £900 million from the United States that it was required to repay immediately (Fraser 2011). The war wiped out Britain’s enviable global investments coupled with the collapsed of its cotton and coal export markets. Additionally, because the UK government focused its resources on the war, this resulted in increased inflation and unemployment rates. Crafts (2014) reports that the rates of unemployment started rising immediately with the entry of Britain in the war and by 1921, the rate of unemployment in Britain had reached an all time high of 11.5%. the high rates of unemployment was particularly triggered by the collapse of British key industries, namely coal and cotton industries, as well as the fact that the country had diverted all its resources to the war (Harris 1993, p. 345). Unlike the Britain whose economy suffered because of WWI, the United States economy experienced a boom. Economists argue that unlike most European countries, such as Britain and Germany, the U.S. economy was not in any way affected negatively by the war as seen with its factories and countryside that went through the period unharmed. Instead, the U.S. factories and other sectors of the economy performed better during the WWI period better than before the war. Fraser (2011) noted that the events of WWI sped up the U.S. industrial production, which resulted in economic boom that lasted until the 1930s Great Depression. The U.S. economy also benefited from the loans that it had lent out to Allied forces, such as Britain. The rate of unemployment and inflation rate also remained low throughout the WWI period and thereafter because of the economic boom experienced during the war period (Broadberry and Harrison 2005, p. 26). 4.3 Social effects The Great War is regarded as one of the wars that had huge social impacts on both British and American society. First, in Britain, the war WWI has a huge effect on the class system. In this regard, it is noted that the WWI brought British people to work together and pursue a common goal. This implies that WWI acted as a unifying factor for the British people. For instance, the war reportedly resulted in the enactment of some reforms that leveled classes (Mottram 1930, p. 27). At the same time, the wartime scarcities made luxury unfavorable and impossibility for the Britons. Additionally, WWI has profound effect on the position of women in British society. Before 1914, British women did not occupy a respectable place in the country. However, because of WWI and their contribution during the event, women got recognized and were allowed the legal right to vote (Grayzel 1999, p. 64). In this respect, it is noted that most of the restriction s that had been placed on the British women disappeared during WWI. For instance, it became acceptable for women whether young, old, single, or employed to own apartments, smoke in public, go out without chaperones and dress as they so wished without restrictions. The United States, on the other hand did not experienced much social changes because of WWI. The notable social impacts in America related to the position of African Americans in the society. The first notable social effect of the war that differs from that experienced in Britain is that African Americans were discriminated against in recruitment. According to Reynolds (2013, p. 24), a week after President Wilson had declared war; people from African American community were stopped from volunteering to join other American soldiers in the war because the country had filled quotas for blacks. Besides, unlike in Britain where people of all races were given equal opportunity to participate in the WWI, the United States continued discriminating against African Americans as blacks were not allowed to serve in Marines as they were only allowed to serve in menial positions, such as Coast guard and Navy. Additionally, as much as African American brought their culture, such as jazz to the Europeans, they did not gain civil rights. 5.0 Conclusion World War I has been one of the deadliest that the world has ever experienced. As described in the report, the war began in 1914 and ended in 1918 following the victory of the Allied forces led by Britain and the United States. WWI was a kind of war that pitted the Allies against the Central powers. Allies comprises of a number nations that included Britain, Russia, the U.S., Japan, Serbia, Portugal, Belgium, Rumania, Italy and Greece while the Central Powers were made of Germany, Turkey, Austro-Hungary and Bulgaria. Although WWI was triggered by many factors that included system of alliances, militarism, and nationalism, Archduke Franz Ferdinand assassination was the direct cause of WWI. However, it is disgusting that a lot of soldiers and civilians died in this war that could easily be avoided if proper structures to deal with conflicts were in place. As indicated in the report, the war resulted in the death of more than 9 million soldiers and 20 million civilians. Other than the casualties the war had implications on Britain and the United States, including political, economic and social implications. In Britain, WWI had more negative impacts compared to the U.S., where the war had mostly positive consequences be it politically, socially or economically. Nonetheless, world leaders, particularly Britain and the U.S. should not accept to be dragged in such wars again. To prevent such wars, there is a need for world leaders to create strong and effective dispute resolution mechanisms, such as making the UN more effective in dealing with issues that might force countries into war. Additionally, such wars can be avoided if all countries avoid engaging in issues that can provoke other nations. 6.0 References Bourke, J 2008, First World War: Another battle front, The Guardian, 11 November, viewed 22 June 2016 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/nov/11/first-world-war-changing-british-society Bourke, J 2011, Shell Shock during World War One. 10 Mach, viewed 22 June 2016 http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwone/shellshock_01.shtml Braybon, G 2004, Evidence, history, and the Great War: Historians and the impact of 1914-18. Berghahn Books, Los Angeles. Broadberry, S., & Harrison, M 2005, The economics of World War I. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, MA. Cameron, F 2014, The impact of the First World War and its implications for Europe today, 08. July, viewed 22 June 2016 https://www.boell.de/en/2014/07/08/impact-first-world-war-and-its-implications-europe-today Crafts, N 2014, Walking wounded: The British economy in the aftermath of World War I, 27 August, viewed 22 June 2016 http://voxeu.org/article/walking-wounded-british-economy-aftermath-world-war-i Fraser, R 2011, Overview: Britain, 1918 – 1945, viewed 22 June 2016 http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/britain_wwtwo/overview_britain_1918_1945_01.shtml Goldstein, J. S 2003, War and gender: How gender shapes the war system and vice versa. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, MA. Grayzel, S. R 1999, Women's Identities at War: Gender, motherhood, and politics in Britain and France during the First World War. UNC Press Books, New York, NY. Harris, B 1993, “The demographic impact of the First World War: An anthropometric perspective,” Soc Hist Med., vol 6, no. 3, pp. 343-366. doi: 10.1093/shm/6.3.343 Hossack, A. R 2014, A history of the First World War in 100 moments: An eye-witness account of the first gas attack. The Independent 27 April, viewed 22 June 2016 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/world-history/history-of-the-first-world-war-in-100-moments/a-history-of-the-first-world-war-in-100-moments-an-eye-witness-account-of-the-first-gas-attack-9294510.html Kennedy, D. M 2004, Over here: The First World War and American society. OUP USA, New York, NY. Mottram, R. H 1930, Three men's war; the personal records of active service. Harper & brothers, London. Mueller, J 1991, “Changing attitudes towards war: The impact of the First World War,” British Journal of Political Science, vol. 21, issue 1, pp 1-28. Porter, W. T 1918, Shock at the front. The Atlantic monthly press, Boston. Rainey, J. W 1983, “Ambivalent warfare: The tactical doctrine of the AEF in World War I,” Parameters: Journal of the US Army War College, vol. 13, pp. 34-46. Reynolds, D 2013, The long shadow: The Great War and the twentieth century. Simon and Schuster, Oxford. Simmonds, A. G. V2013, Britain and World War One. Routledge, London. Zieger, R. H 2001, America's Great War: World War I and the American experience. Rowman & Littlefield, Mason, OH. Read More