Consequences of the First World War

The war killed about 10 million troops (including about 1 million of those who went missing); up to 21 million troops were injured. Below is a list of countries by the number of deaths in the war.

• German Empire - 1.8 million died,
• Russian Empire - 1.7 million,
• France - 1.9 million
• Austria-Hungary - 1.2 million,
• The British Empire - 950 thousand,
• Italy - 460 thousand
• USA - 115 thousand
• Canada - 60 thousand
• Australia - 60 thousand,
• New Zealand - 16,783 ^[1] .

Each minute of the war took the lives of 4 soldiers, and a little less than 9 people were injured every minute.

About 65 million men were mobilized for the war, which was attended by 34 states with a population of about 1 billion people (67% of the world's population).

• 5 million civilians in war zones died for one reason or another
• at least 6 million people, weakened by the hardships of the war, died after the war as a result of the flu epidemic in 1918-1919.
  

As a percentage of the population, the largest victims were:

• Serbia - 6% of the population died.
• France - 3.4% of the population.
• Romania - 3.3% of the population.
• Germany - 3.0% of the population.

The war delayed the economic and cultural development of a generation. The largest economic losses from the war were:

• Great Britain - 30%
• Germany - 20%
• France - 15%
• USA - 14%
• The territories on which the battles were fought, especially in France, Belgium and Russia, were seriously destroyed;
• During the occupation, occupied territories were looted; the local population was forced to build defenses and dig trenches.

• The end of Europe as the center of the colonial world. The cessation of the existence of four empires: Austro-Hungarian, German, Russian and Ottoman.
• The worldwide spread of communism and the creation of the first stable communist regimes in the territory of the former Russian Empire and Mongolia.
• Beginning of the nomination of the United States of America to a leading position in global politics ^[2]
• The emergence of new sovereign national ^[3] states: Poland , Finland , Lithuania , Latvia , Estonia , Czechoslovakia , Hungary , Austria , the State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs .
• Inhibition of socio-economic processes at the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
• The aggravation of contradictions on a class and ethnic basis, interstate contradictions.
• A significant change in the pre-war international legal order is the creation of a new international legal system.

The consequences of the war were disastrous for the national economy of most countries. Direct military losses of the warring countries amounted to 208 ^[4] billion dollars and exceeded 12 times the gold reserves of European countries. A third of the national wealth of Europe was destroyed. 40,000 enterprises and 13,000,000 employed in the Entente countries, and 10,000 enterprises and 6 million employed in the countries of the Triple Alliance, worked on military orders. Only two countries - the United States and Japan during the war increased national wealth. The United States has finally established itself as a leader in world economic development. Japan established a monopoly on trade in Southeast Asia. Amid the widespread decline in civilian production and living standards, the monopolies associated with military production were strengthened and enriched. At the beginning of 1918, the German monopolists accumulated 10 billion gold marks as profit, and the American monopolies 35 billion gold dollars. Having gained a foothold during the war years, the monopolies increasingly began to determine the paths of further development leading to the catastrophe of Western civilization. Confirmation of this thesis was the emergence and spread of fascism and National Socialism.

During the war years, state regulation was first introduced on the scale of national economies. In almost all countries, a statist system of economic relations has developed. The share of government spending in the economies of most European countries that fought was more than 50%.

The post-war economic development of the countries of the world was determined by the conclusion of a series of treaties that made up the Versailles-Washington system , in which the Treaty of Versailles , which was signed in 1919 by 27 victorious countries and Germany, took center stage.

USA

During the years of World War I, the United States turned into a highly developed industrial power, the most powerful country in the world economy, whose national wealth grew by 40%, where 1/2 of the world's gold reserves were concentrated, and the cost of industrial production increased from 23.9 to 62 billion dollars. The process of concentration of industry and the banking system accelerated. In the early 1920s, 2/3 of industrial production and 50% of workers were concentrated in the largest monopolies. The United States entered the war in April 1917. The status of a neutral country gave them the opportunity to supply countries that fought, military materials, food, and raw materials. Foreign trade doubled, export value tripled (from 2.4 to 7.9 billion dollars).

The United States adopted a system of measures to regulate the economy: it provided state orders and loans to monopolies, directed state investments in industries related to military production, and created a department to control economic sectors controlled by the military-industrial council.

The international financial status of the United States has changed. The country liquidated almost half of the debt, becoming a creditor to many states for a total of $ 15 billion. The United States established its economic dominance in Latin America, trade with whose countries increased by 40% during 1913-1920.

In 1920, the United States, with a population of 6% of the world, produced more than half of the world's industrial output, 1/2 coal, 2/3 oil, 3/5 iron and steel, 85% cars ^[5] .

UK

In the UK, the main indicators sharply decreased: national wealth - by half; industrial production - by 20%; export of goods - twice. Developed industries that worked for the military industry (metallurgical, chemical, weapons). State policy was aimed at forced cooperation of enterprises. Debt to the United States alone amounted to 4 billion dollars (payments amounted to 40% of the state budget for many years). To solve food problems, state purchases of agricultural products from farmers at competitive prices were introduced, and minimum wages for employees were set. This contributed to an increase of arable land by 1.5 million hectares and a third of the grain yield, but the country continued to import food. In 1920, the British Banking Association arose.

According to the Versailles Peace Treaty, Great Britain, as a victorious country, received a significant part of reparations from Germany to cover economic losses, increased its colonies at the expense of Germany and Turkey, whose territory reached 35 million square kilometers and a population of about 450 million people.

France

The total losses of France during the war are estimated at 134 billion gold francs, casualties were: killed - 1.4 million people, crippled - 0.7 million people (more than 10% of the working population). Germany occupied and destroyed the economy of the 10 most developed departments of France. Between 1914-1918, industrial production fell by 40%, agricultural production by one third, and exports by almost half. The lack of fuel and raw materials forced industrialists to intensify production by introducing new technologies and streamlining production. The country imported a significant portion of agricultural products. Huge military spending undermined the stability of the French currency. The country ceased to play the role of a global creditor, especially after the loss of investments (about $ 4 billion) invested in the Russian Empire . The total public debt in 1920 amounted to 300 billion francs, of which 62 billion francs is an external debt.

The Treaty of Versailles strengthened the position of the French economy. Lorraine supplied iron ore as much as the rest of France, and the Saar region provided the country with coal.

Germany's spending amounted to 150 billion marks. Government debt increased from 5 to 160 billion marks. In 1918, compared with 1913, industrial production decreased by 43%, agricultural production - by 35-50%, national wealth was halved. In 1916, famine began. Blocked by the Entente countries, Germany imported only 1/3 of the necessary food products. Wages decreased, the working day was 12 - 14 hours. The state took control of production and distribution. In 1915, the government promoted the formation of syndicates in the coal, cement, aluminum, and shoe industries. In 1916, the Hindenburg program legitimized state intervention in the country's economy. Universal labor service, a card system, and government lending to industry were introduced.

Under the Treaty of Versailles, Germany was obliged to pay an indemnity to the winning countries in the amount of 132 billion gold marks. In 1923, Franco-Belgian troops captured the Ruhr region, which made it possible to export coal and metals from Germany. In connection with the demilitarization, it was forbidden to produce sophisticated military equipment. Entente countries received an unlimited right to engage in economic activity in this state.

November Revolution

In November 1918, a revolution broke out in Germany, the reasons for which were an increase in social tension and the severity of economic life. The revolution led to the establishment in Germany of a parliamentary democracy regime known as the Weimar Republic .

The revolution began with the uprising of sailors in Wilhelmshaven and Kiel, and in a few days swept all over Germany. On November 9, an uprising swept Berlin. The people chanted: “Down with the Kaiser!” ^[6] . Wilhelm II, under pressure from the Chief of Staff Gröner , who considered the continuation of hostilities meaningless, was forced to abdicate and flee the country. Representatives of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) came to power.

Dawes Plan

The situation of Germany has caused concern of the governments of the Entente. That is why the United States, France, England decided to help improve the German economy.

A new reparation plan for Germany was developed by an international committee of experts chaired by Charles G. Dawes on August 16, 1924 at the London Conference by representatives of the victorious countries and adopted by Germany.

The main goal of the plan was to restore the industrial potential of Germany and provide reparations to the victorious countries. The plan provided for the provision of a loan to Germany in the amount of $ 200 million, including $ 100 million allocated by American banks. It was believed that the restoration, economic recovery, financial recovery will contribute to the regular payment of reparations in France and England, which, in turn, will cover US debt.

The Dawes Plan provided that the bulk of German products should be sent to the USSR so as not to displace English and French goods from international markets. According to the plan, the USSR was supposed to supply raw materials to Germany.

The plan established the size of German payments in the first five years at 1-1.75 billion marks a year, and then at 2.5 billion marks a year. To ensure payments, it was envisaged to establish allied control over the German state budget, money circulation and credit, and railways. The control was carried out by a special committee of experts led by the general agent for reparations.

In connection with the adoption of the Dawes Plan, France and Belgium, on the one hand, and Germany, on the other, signed an agreement to end the occupation of the Ruhr basin and withdraw French and Belgian troops from there.

The Dawes Plan was in effect until 1929.

In March 1917, a revolution broke out in Russia, which by 1918 had grown into a civil war .

Russia's participation in the First World War of 1914-1918 deepened the socio-economic and political contradictions in the country. From the beginning of 1917, dissatisfaction with the war and economic difficulties caused a mass strike movement. The strike at the Putilov factory in Petrograd, which began on February 17, 1917 , was a harbinger of mass revolutionary action.

The revolution led to significant territorial losses, most of which were compensated during the civil war.

On March 2, 1917, Tsar Nicholas II abdicated the throne, and on March 3, his brother Michael abdicated. A declaration was published on the program and composition of the Provisional Government, headed by Prince G. Lvov.

On October 7, the October Socialist Revolution took place in Russia. During the revolution, the Provisional Government, which was located in Petrograd, was arrested, and the Bolsheviks seized power in Russia.

On January 27, 1918, Russia signed the Brest Peace Treaty , which officially meant Russia's withdrawal from the First World War.

The Paris Peace Conference adopted the Charter of the League of Nations worked out by a special commission, which became an integral part of Versailles and other treaties.

The main body of this international organization was the annual Assembly, which included all members of the organization, and the Council of the League, where the United States, Great Britain, France, Japan, Italy, as well as five non-permanent members were represented. Decisions on all issues should be made unanimously. States defeated in the war, as well as Soviet Russia, were not members of the League of Nations. The League proclaimed the development of cooperation between peoples and a guarantee of the security of the post-war world. The American Senate, having read the terms of the Versailles Peace Treaty and the charter of the League of Nations, rejected it, and the United States, being the initiator of the creation of this international organization, did not enter it.

The General Assembly of the League of Nations played the role of an international parliament and had the right to make decisions on all international political issues, including measures aimed at maintaining peace.

The League of Nations owned the administration of two territories: Saarland and the city of Danzig . The colonial possessions of Germany and the Ottoman Empire were delegated to the League of Nations - England, France, Belgium and Japan.

The Charter of the League of Nations entered into force on January 10, 1920 . The first meeting of the LN Council took place in Paris on January 16 , and the first session of its Assembly took place on November 15 in Geneva ^[7] .

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