Question

Explain the impact of the First World War on European society and polity.

Answer 1

The First World War left a deep imprint on European society and polity. It had a devastating impact on the entire continent which is stated in the following points
(i) Soldiers were ranked higher than civilians in the society. Trench life of the soldiers was glorified by the media.
(ii) Politicians and publicists laid great stress on the need for men to be aggressive and mascline.
(iii) Aggressive war propaganda and national honour occupied center stage in the public sphere.
(iv) People's support grew for the recently established dictatorships. Democracy as a young and gragile idea could not survive in the instabilities of inter-war Europe.