What did Europe look like after world war 1?

Answer 1

The fighting of WWI officially stopped when the armistice began at 11:00 am GMT on November 11, 1918. Although some fighting, particularly in eastern Europe, continued until about 1920, the war was largely over at this point. The allied naval blockade on Germany remained in effect until the treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28th, 1919. The treaty, signed between Germany (which was forced to sign) and the allies (The UK, France, Italy, and others), provided for the Germany having to accept responsibility for provoking the war and pay heavy reparations to the allies. In addition, the treaty established the league of nations, which the United States senate refused to ratify because of its largely isolationist policies. The United States drew up a separate peace agreement with Germany that was signed in August of 1920.

Just as the war ended in 1918, the Spanish Influenza epidemic ravaged the world, particularly war-torn Europe. Although the virus was known during the war, most deaths were during the year 1918, when over 50 million people died worldwide.

One of the most important changes after WWI was the dissolution of the German, Russian, Austro-Hungarian, and Ottoman Empires. The Ottoman empire had joined the war on the side of Germany, and loosing the war was the final nail in the coffin for this decaying empire, which split into many of the current Middle-Eastern countries. The Russians had withdrawn from the war in 1917, when the Romanov dynasty was toppled by the Communists led by Vladimir Lenin. The new country that was formed (The USSR) did not receive any reparations as it left the war before it was over, by signing the Brest-Litovsk treaty with Germany (exchanging Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Ukraine for Peace). The German and Austro-Hungarian empires were fractured into small countries that would later have huge social and other unrest (such as Czechoslovakia).

After the its post-war revolution, Germany became the Socialist Weimar republic. Germany was not present at the treaty of Versailles, but was rather forced into obeying it. The new republic was ordered to pay a staggering 132 billion marks ($31.5 billion), an amount that was not paid off until October 2010. This resulted in huge inflation in the republic, to the point that many of its citizens found it cheaper to use paper money for heating instead of firewood. In addition to the monetary reparations, Germany was allowed combined armed forces of only 100,000, without tanks or an air force. Huge amounts of its former territory were given away to other countries. In fact, so much was given away that many ethnic Germans found themselves in other countries. Due to such unreasonable terms, the highly nationalistic Germans never really accepted the treaty, which in part allowed Adolf Hitler's rise to power.

Of course, changes occurred in the allied countries as well. Britain went from being the world's biggest investor before the war to being in debt after the war, and the pound fell considerably. People in the United states, disappointed by the failure of WWI to fulfill Woodrow Wilson's lofty promises (He had called it "the war to end all wars"), became isolationist. This was one of the major reasons for the Stock Market crash of 1929 which in turn led to the Great depression. Between the end of the war and the depression, however, American money helped revitalize Germany and set it up for it's huge regain of power. France's chief interest after the war was that Germany would not try to avenge itself. France annexed Alsace and Lorraine (which it had ceded to Germany as a result of the Franco-Prussian war), and France decided that the Rhine River would form the border between France and Germany. However, France was unhappy with the final treaty of Versailles, with the (later verified) concern that Germany was left with too much capabilities to rebound and attack. Italy received some territory, but felt angry at Britain and the other allies for not receiving the territory of Dalmatia, which Britain had promised as party of the Treaty of London. This led to intense feeling of nationalism which paved the way for fascism and Mussolini's rise to power.

The war also sparked many social changes. Such an unprecedentedly horrible war caused widespread social distress as well as the destruction of the optimism of the early 1900s. The social distress of the early 1900s itself sparked many changes, including a polarization of people towards or away from nationalism (Internationalism and Pacifism vs. Fascism and Militarism). The European sentiment was generally one of disillusionment and cynicism. Of course, these feelings were even stronger in areas directly affected by the war.

Answer 2

Germany was occupied by France, Britain, Russia and the United States while reparations were made, people fed and treated for medical problems, temporary housing set up and a democracy was put into place in the western half of Germany. In Eastern Europe the USSR turned them into communist countries belonging to USSR, including the Eastern half of Germany. In western, southern and Northern Europe the repair work went slowly. People had to be relocated and Jews were sent to Israel and the United States (and other countries). The countries which needed new governments were set up with democracies. They received aid from the United States. The allies began the United Nations.

Answer 3

They looked like omg xd

xoxoxox