Effects of War

Question 1

How were women involved in WWI? [4]

Answer 1

• The gov’ employed women almost exclusively in munitions factories to set an example to private companies.
• By 1918 nearly 800 000 some had jobs in engineering industries.
• Women worked as nurses at medical stations near the front lines.
• Overall, heavily involved in war effort, vital role in munitions production.

Question 2

What evidence is there to suggest that WWII changed things for women? [3]

Answer 2

• The women’s auxiliary forces were recognized for their contribution; a permanent force was created in 1949.
• Experiences of women who had done a man’s job arguably had an impact on the younger generation.
• These experiences added weight to the campaign for equal working opportunities and pay for women in the 60s

Question 3

What evidence is there to suggest that WWII did not change things for women? [3]

Answer 3

• Many women were dismissed from their work once peace was declared
• The gov’ had trouble persuading women to stay in work after the war. In 1947 only 18% of married women worked
• Wartime nurseries were closed - women still had the double burden of caring for children.
• New wartime equality was often temporary and society’s attitudes remained largely the same.

Question 4

What were some differences between WWI and WWII with regards to women? [2]

Answer 4

• Eight times as many women took on war work in WWII as in WWI
• The Women’s land army employed 33 000 women during WWI; by 1943 this had risen to 2M

Question 5

In what ways were women involved in WWII?

Answer 5

• 1/4 of a million women were working in the munitions industry in 1944.
• Women also worked as air-raid wardens, fire officers, evacuation officers, etc.

Question 6

What were some of the economic consequences of WWI?

Answer 6

• The war cost Britain alone 34 billion pounds
• The war was funded by loans: during the 20s, B and F spent between 1/3 and 1/2 of total public expenditure on repayments.
• Widespread physical devastation, starvation, and a deadly flu epidemic.
• France had 2 million hectares of farmland rendered unusable.
• Roads and railway lines destroyed.
• Consumer prices rose by over 150% in France and 300% in Germany from 1914-19.

Question 7

What were the political effects of WWI?

Answer 7

• Huge changes in Central Europe:
• Collapse of Russian, Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman empires.
• Former imperial territories declared independence: Hungarians, South Slavs and Czechoslovakians.
• The Habsburg Monarchy collapsed with the defeat of Austria and Hungary, which split into two separate states.

Question 8

What was the social impact of WWI?

Answer 8

• 10 million died in the war
• Soldiers affected by lasting injuries of war: amputation, blindness: a reminder of war suffering.
• Popularity of spiritualism amongst the families of those who had died.
• New art movements such as the Dada group. Many artists eg. Otto Dix and Kathe Kollwitz react to post war horrors/unrest.

Question 9

What was the impact of WWI on Germany?

Answer 9

• Germany was in a state of revolution: witnessed numerous workers mutinies and strikes, notably the sailors at Kiel.
• An independent socialist republic declared in Bavaria.

Question 10

What was the impact of WWI on the USA?

Answer 10

• Boosted the economy, industry and trade.
• took over overseas markets, replaced Germany as the main producer of fertilizer and chemical products.
• Became isolationist, did not want involvement in European politics, feared the spread of communism.

Question 11

What has a historian written about the TOV?

Answer 11

A Lentin - “[The TOV] did not pacify Germany … but left her scourged, humiliated and resentful”

Question 12

What were some of the harsh terms of the Treaty of Versailles on Germany?

Answer 12

• Germany played no role in negotiations, and the TOV hence became known as the diktat.
• Faced with the reparation sum of £6600 million [agreed in 1921], and had to accept sole war guilt.

Question 13

What was the scale of destruction from WWII?

Answer 13

• Almost 40 million people killed, over half of these were Russians.
• 21 million people uprooted from their homes.
• Large parts of Germany, France and Western Russia in ruins - France lost almost 50% of their total wealth.

Question 14

How did WWII bring about the emergence of superpowers?

Answer 14

• The USA benefitted from supplying allies with war materials and food.
• Although weakened, the USSR had the largest army in the world
• Rivalry between the two became the most important feature of international relations for the next half century.

Question 15

What were the territorial consequences of WWII?

Answer 15

• Most major change was to the German and Polish border: Polish borders were redrawn westwards, gaining around 10 000 km sq of German territories
• No major territorial reformations as after WWI, rather the emerging superpower conflict was the development of ‘spheres of influence’.
• Countries liberated by the Red Army, eg. Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, became single party states under Soviet control by 1948.
• Encouraged a movement towards decolonization.