The Impact of the First and Second World War
Name
Institution
Two of the deadliest human conflicts in human history were the First World War and World War Two. Apart from the significant loss of lives that resulted from the wars, there were also fundamental changes in the economics, political, and social systems of the world. In assessing the effect of the two conflicts, one can assert that the First World War, despite causing fewer deaths, had a bigger impact on the course of human history when compared to World War 2.
World War 2 had a catastrophic effect on Europe and the rest of the world. To start with, it was the mass number of casualties that were as a result of the conflict. It is estimated that by the time the battle came to an end, more than 57 million people had lost their lives. Countries such as Russia had the most significant burden given the war left over eight million people dead. There was also the negative effect of the Holocaust, where more the eight million Jews lost their lives (Strayer & Nelson, 2019). Additionally, the conflict increased the agitation for independence among the colonies at the time. For instance, the Dutch and their colonies in Indonesia and the British in India. The agitation for independence was particularly catastrophic in Vietnam and Algeria where the French had to fight prolonged conflict which was marred by enormous losses of life. Just like the Great War, there were modern scientific inventions that came about because of conflicts. To give an example, there was the development of vaccines which led to a decrease in the mortality rates all over the world. Politically, the conflict played a considerable role in the division of Europe. There was the huge iron curtain which divided Europe to Eastern and the Western parts each influenced by the Soviets and the USA respectively. In terms of the geopolitics, the war led to the formation of bodies such as the European Union whose primary aim was to ensure that there would not be other similar conflicts in Europe. That was because of the huge cost that was associated with the war.
However, despite the large number of casualties that were associated with the Second World War, evidence would suggest that the First World War had a more significant impact in changing human history. For starters, the conflict changed the nature of warfare (Strayer & Nelson, 2019). In specific, technology became a huge part of the manner the battles progressed. There was the use of airplanes, submarines, and tanks, all of which played a huge role in the war. In addition to that, there was the advent of mass production techniques for weapons to meet the demands of the war. It was also during this war that Germany started to use chemical weapons. Years later, President Assad is still using chemical weapons in the Syrian conflict, with devastating effects. Additionally, it was during this conflict that the first propaganda films were used in war to get men in the US and allied nations enlist for service. Secondly, modern surgery emerged out of the Great War, whereby different medical interventions were put on trial. As a result of the conflict, many soldiers were left injured, and hence there was the development of skin grafts to treat them. Moreover, it was during the Great War that doctor started to take an interest in the emotional effects of the conflicts as opposed to just looking at the physical impact. Politically, the conflict led to the fall of aristocracy and monarchies as people started to advocate for universal suffrage. In terms of economics, the war led to the establishment of planned economies which were characterized by an increased role of the state, for instance, more control of the banking systems. Over and above much of what is considered normal at the present moment can trace its origins to the First World War.
In conclusion, it evident that the Second World War had a substantial adverse effect on the world, primarily due to the enormous loss of life that was experienced at the time. Even so, as the facts stated above suggest, it was the First World War that had a more significant impact in terms of altering the course of human history. In fact, much of what was used in the Second World War borrowed heavily from the advances that were made in the First World War.
References
Strayer, R. W., & Nelson, E. W. (2019). Ways of the world with sources, volume 1: A brief global history (4th ed.). New York, NY: Macmillan Higher Education.