To What Extent Was World War 1 A Tragic And Unnecessary Conflict

Modern World History
Mr Brian Horneck
May 25th, 2014
World War I: A tragic and unnecessary conflict
The first half of the twentieth century was deeply scarred by two world conflicts that changed the course of humanity forever. The First World War, also known as “The Great War” was an unnecessary conflict which created great suffering and destruction all throughout the world. The assassination of Austria’s Archduke Franz Ferdinand, wrongly claimed to be the main cause of the conflict, was just an excuse used by power craving European countries to solve years of tensions caused by unjust alliances and previous conflicts. The murder of the Archduke could have been solved in a diplomatic way, and the global war could have been avoided. However,
this spark fired destruction and tragedy which ended the lives of around 22 million humans, affected the world’s economy and politics, and modeled a new less benevolent view of humanity. It also did nothing to lower tensions among nations. Moreover, its out comings just cleared the path for future and more destructive conflicts, and left an inheritance of resentment and racial hatred. Rather than helping the world solve its problems, World War I left it in ruins.
In the political aspect, the Treaty of Versailles, signed after the end of the War, did not grant a long term peace.
As French soldier Ferdinand Foch said after the signing of this treaty, "This is not a peace. It is an armistice for 20 years." (Ferdinand Foch). The Treaty severely punished the losing countries. The Central Powers lost territories, and many new nations were formed from them. In the countries which lost territories and power, a feeling of rancor grew against the Allies, as well as a desire for vengeance. Moreover, the aftermath of the war led to questioning of the political models which had governed Europe up to that point, in particular imperialism. The end of the war also marked the disappearance of European empires like the Austro-Hungarian, Russian and
Ottoman and led to the rise of extreme nationalistic movements in some countries.
At the economic level, the total war policy left many nations in crisis with their economies devastated. The war also led to an incredible material destruction. Crop field, railroads, factories, buildings and many other infrastructures were destroyed. The cost of reparation was extremely high. To finance this reconstruction, many European countries asked the United States and other nations for money, and eventually fell into big debts and inflation. Germany’s economy was particularly affected after World War I. After forcibly signing the Treaty, Germany accepted the “War Guilt” clause, which blamed the whole war on the country. Germany was forced to pay more than 33 billion dollars for the damage caused, give their land, and reduce their army. This punishment would only lead to more resentment and a desire of revenge. Adolf Hitler himself admitted this when saying “It cannot be that two million Germans should have fallen in vain . . . No, we do not pardon, we demand—vengeance!”
The social aspect was, by far, the most affected during World War I.
The lives of millions of soldiers, civilians and innocent people changed drastically in every aspect. Trench warfare and new machine guns took the lives of more than ten million men, and even more were killed due to starvation and diseases that spread across the globe. An entire generation of young men was lost or injured in the war, leading to a decrease in the birth rate and to the aging of the population. On the home front, almost everyone lost a loved one. The events of World War I left a more pessimistic view of the future. The excitement with which society had received the war soon changed into disillusionment and fear, for since the first battles it was proved to be incredibly destructive. The soldiers who were not killed on the battlefield came to be known as the “Lost Generation” because they would never recover from the psychological trauma. Pain and loss filled the
world.
World War I was an unnecessary conflict with terrible consequences. It affected every aspect of life, economy, and politics. It changed the glorified perspective, society had, of war and even of life itself. As Professor of European Studies Tony Judt stated in his article “The End of the World”,
The world that died in the fields of Europe, along with more than nine million men in the course of just 52 months of fighting, was something beyond the sum of its stricken parts. The new world of Europe that would emerge from the experience was quite different: darker, more violent, more polarized, more cynical, less sure of itself and less given to confident assertions of its own superiority and prospect.
Death, destruction, hatred, and desire for vengeance were the legacy of the first, but not last, world devastating conflict. As the saying goes, “Humans are the only animals that trip over the same stone twice”. Soon, the world would face another and more destructive World War.

Works Cited
Dobado Gonzalez, Rafael. "La Primera Guerra Mundial." Historiasiglo20.org. Instituto De Tecnologías Educativas, 2010. Web. 25 May 2014. .
Judt, Tony. "The End of the World." Nytimes.com. N.p., 27 June 1999. Web. 25 May 2014.
Karpilovsky, Suzanne, María Fogel, and Olivia Kobelt. "Silvapages." Effects of WWI. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 May 2014. .
Keegan, John. "Chapter One." The First World War. New York: A. Knopf, 1999. N. pag. Print.
Lozano Cámara, Jorge Juan. "La Primera Guerra Mundial." Claseshistoria.com. N.p., 2004. Web. 25 May 2014.