WW1 Assessed Question Flashcards
Assess the significance of the First World War on civilians and soldiers, 1914-1918.
A good answer will:
Look at a good range of experiences both on the front lines and at ‘home’
Look at a good range of experiences in different countries involved in the war
Use specific examples and details (statistics, anecdotes, events etc.)
Give an overall judgement of how significant and what kind of impact the war had on civilians and soldiers
Introduction
The First World War was an incredibly significant moment in history. It affected many people drastically in many ways across the world, as well as the links between countries. For example, it affected foreigners who had previously lived in a country not being welcome where they lived, because their nationality was that of the opposing country. Many men were sent abroad away from their families to fight for their country, facing harsh conditions, with many not returning home. This essay will delve deeper into the effects that WW1 had on civilians and soldiers
Civilians in Britain
Civilians in Britain were impacted heavily throughout World War 1, including food rationing, foreign people living in Britain, the separation from loved ones, women doing what was stereotypically assumed to be men’s jobs and the overall fear of invasion from the enemy country. Food rationing was introduced since Germany had announced unrestricted submarine warfare, meaning that they could strike down any ship that came in or out of Great Britain and its allies, including trade. Many men had been conscripted to join the army, leaving there to be many open gaps in jobs, which were filled by women. This was significant as it led to women showing what they could do, and promoted the image of equality, which remained in people’s minds even after the war.
British Soldiers on the Western Front
WW1 also had a significant impact on British soldiers on the Western Front. This is because they were subject to harsh conditions, traumatic experiences that could result in shellshock and/or PTSD and attack from the enemy. Overall, WW1 was significant negatively towards British soldiers on the Western front, as there were about 420,000 casualties of British soldiers on the Western Front alone. Many men’s health declined due to the number of diseases and infections that were in the trenches, including lice, trench fever and influenza. These affected up to 97% of all men working in the trenches.
Russian Civilians
The First World War had a significant impact on Russian Civilians, as it contributed heavily to the Russian Revolution. WW1 negatively impacted Russia, as they lost in a string of defeats to Austria, led by the Tsar Nicholas II. Russia was in the Eastern Front, against Germany and Austria-Hungary combined, which was very economically draining for the Russians. Moreover, Russia had had a bad harvest in 1917, and Germany was blocking off trade and shooting ships that attempted to approach or leave Russia. This led to a wide-spread famine in the lower 90% of Russian civilians, creating anger ang kick-starting the idea of communism, leading to rebellion. After communism was instituted in Russia, they exited the war on the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, forcing Russia to give up 1 million square miles of territory, precious industrial materials and 1/3 of its population. This means that Russia was incredibly negatively impacted by WW1.
Conclusion
I think that overall, the First World War negatively impacted civilians and soldiers. I believe this as many civilians were forced to part with their family, and many men were forced to join the war and fight up front. This led to hundreds of thousands of soldiers’ deaths, shellshock, PTSD, permanent injuries and devastated once happy families. Moreover, many people were discriminated against due to their nationality, especially if they lived in the enemy’s country. People from other countries were also negatively impacted by WW1, such as Russian civilians suffering through a famine. However, there were also some positive effects, such as many women were given the opportunity to work in jobs that men usually filled in their vacancy. Moreover, Russian civilians were able to transfer to communism, which allowed them to be a lot fairer to money distribution.
