Discuss the state of Europe after the war, and describe the effects the war had in dispelling nationalism's influences.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Answers will vary. At the end of the war, devastation was the norm. Millions had died not only in war, but also in the outbreak of disease, including influenza. The demographic losses alone meant a reconfiguration of Europe was in order. Many women, forced into the workplace during the war, remained at work as the sole supporter of their families. The imperial governments that had dominated the last half of the nineteenth century were gone because the empires of the Ottomans, Russians, Germans, and Austrians were gone. Political radicalism took root in many areas, particularly in eastern Europe. In psychological terms, the ideas of nationalism seemed hollow, as did any hope for the future. An incomplete peace accord at Versailles really did not put an end to the roots of discontent, but merely postponed them.