Social, Political and Economic Effects of WWI :: World War I History

Social, Political and Economic Effects of WWIEverywhere in the universe was heard the sound of things breaking. Advanced European societies could not support persistent wars or so many thought prior to World war I. They were effective in a delegacy. The societies could not support a dour war unchanged. The First World War left no font of European civilization untouched as pre-war governments were transformed to fight sum total war. The war metamorphed Europe soci totallyy, politicaly, economically, and intellectualy. European countries channeled all of their resources into total war which resulted in enormous social change. The result of working together for a normal goal seemed to be unifying European societies. Death knocked down all barriers between people. All belligerents had enacted some form of a selective supporter which levelled classes in many ways. Wartime scarcities made luxury an impossibility and unfavorable. Reflecting this, clothing became analogous and uti litarian. Europeans would never again dress in fancy, elaborate costumes. Uniforms led the way in clothing change. The bright blue-and-red prewar French infantry uniforms had been changed by and by the first few months of the war, since they made whoever wore them into excellent targets for machine guns. Womens skirts rose above the ankle permanently and 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 te aching. They were also more widely employed in industrial jobs. By 1918, 37.6 percent of the work draw in the Krupp armaments firm in Germany was female. In England the proportion of women works rose strikingly in overt transport (for example, from 18,000 to 117,000 bus conductors), banking (9,500 to 63,700), and commerce (505,000 to 934,000). Many restrictions on women disappeared during the war. It became acceptable for young, employed, mavin middle-class women t o have their own apartments, to go out without chaperones, and to smoke in public. It was only a matter of time before women received the right to vote in many belligerent countries. Strong forces were shaping the provide and legal status of labor unions, too. The right of workers to organize was relatively new, close half a century. 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 flag at the beginning of the war led to wider acceptance of unions.