The impact of the First World War on European society and polity was devastating. Discuss.
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 :
- Soldiers were ranked higher than civilians in the society. Trench life of the soldiers was glorified by the media.
- Politicians and publicists laid great stress on the need for men to be aggressive and masculine.
- Aggressive war propaganda and national honour occupied center stage in the public sphere.
- People’s support grew for the recently established dictatorships. Democracy as a young and fragile idea could not survive in the instabilities of interwar Europe.