World War 1 and how it impacted the world today Politically,Geographically and Economically - Essay Example

?World War and How It Impacted the World Today Politically, Geographically and Economically The First World War had a series of consequences with some effects having lasting global effects. The global effects based on the aftermath of the World War I were seen and are still being witnessed globally in line with the economy, politics, and geopolitics1 effects. The war that took place between 1914 and 1918 cased immeasurable destruction of human beings, immense loss of properties, as well as impacting heavily on political, social, and economy of the world. It should be noted that the war led to the emergence of the scientific evolution of capitalism and subsequent progress in scientific fields that later led to the introduction and development of information technology concerning war including technologically propelled missiles. In terms of social segregation, it is reported that the First World War that lasted for a period of four years led to the death of eighty lakhs of persons to countless being wounded. It is also noted that between eight and ten lakh of people were missing because of the war. In many counties, this war led to abolishment of monarchies thereby leading to the introduction of the contemporary democratic governments that many countries are still fighting for until to date2. The war led to the understanding of the significance of the human right that initiated to other civil wars. The understanding of the human right led and still leads to the emergence of civil right authorities that are constituted mainly to fight for human rights in places or countries that such are felt to be lacking. Lots of money was spent to facilitate the war and this led to immense deterioration of the world’s economy an effect that is being felt in the form of current global recession. At the end of the war, the prices of articles among other commodities went up thereby leading to starvation that stalked the world since the end of the war. The expensive nature of life made different governments to restrict prices of different commodities. This made some governments richer than others while others were being exploited thereby becoming much poorer3. Moreover, governments imposed huge taxes on their subject. Notably, the effects of the World War 1 led to the great recession that made many nations suffer until to date. There was great demand for food and clothes among other commodities for war, these were never supplied to meet needed demands; therefore, at the end of the war, many factories and mills were established to supply these commodities especially in preparation to any other war since the war led to mistrust between nations. These factories and mills among other industries led to the creation of the workers’ movements that were created to solve problems between the employers and workers. In other words, these movements were recognized to be fighting for the rights of workers. Such movements have lasted until in the contemporary world where they are being recognized as unions of works. 4Currently, these unions are immensely powerful that they can lead to temporary halting of the processes and operation of any organization that grossly infringe or interferes with the rights of the workers. Additionally, the World War 1 burdened many countries that for many years the path of progress of many nations remained impeded. The war led to mistrust between nations making many nations to remain secretive in their operations especially in their security details. Some nations process weapons in the readiness in any war that might have cropped afterwards. Notably, the effects of the world war one led to the Second World War that involved the use of more sophisticated weapons than those in the First World War. For instance, Japan used nuclear warheads in the Second World War and this influenced negatively on human health for generations. It should also be noted that the aftermath of the First World War that led to enmity between the Middle East and America that led to the emergence of terror groups. After some nations, especially that were seen powerful or the super power emerged, they in some ways tried to get into a war with powerless nations in their own interest. It can be stated categorically that the aftermath World War I led to treaties that were not adhered to at some points by the supper power states thereby leading to the Second World War that in turn led to the cold war. The cold war mad nations have a certain alignment, but above all, it led the United States of America to be the world’s super power5. At some points, it appeared that united stated abused its state of military and economic power and wedged war with some small Middle East nations to quench its own interest. Therefore, such like actions of the United States can be blamed for the emergence of the terror groups and series attacks of such groups in the United States among other countries that such groups regard as the United States' sympathizers. The First World War had a series of profound social consequences that progressed mainly in the sphere of women. 6The war led to fighting for the women's rights as well as eradication of inequality and disparity of any kind such racial discrimination among others. Notably, these fights are still in progress with the aim of creating the world a big society of equality. It should be noted that in nations like America, women and blacks were never allowed to participate in any political activities; however, the First World War brought some sense of equality allowing women to participate in elections and run for elective seats. Moreover, Christianity even the European Christianity had no effect on this war and politics was seen to eclipse religion. So to speak, the entire religious dogmas were silenced. However, after the war, a narrowed minded radicalism and a sense of fraternity arose in people. The First World War also led to the beginning of treaties. For instance, the League of Nations emerged to end the First World War and bring the everlasting global peace. The League of Nation was a necessary instrument of globalization. Established in the year 1919, the League of Nations made nations to sign series of peace deals; the phenomena that are being practiced in the current world of politics. This league was equipment that aimed at reducing war equipment and growth of weapons. In the current political and global security scenes, such deals have since been signed between the United States and North Korea as well as between Israel and Palestine with the main aim of regulating the production nuclear weapons or warheads by the republic of North Korea and ending war between Israel and Palestine. Many nations later joined the League of Nations with a promise territorial integrity among member nations. The territorial integrity has sometimes been violated leading nations to war. 7For instance, earlier this year Israel and Palestine went to war based on territorial integrity. The end of the World War I made some nation to gain political independence from their colonizers. For instance, the war marked the end of the predominance of European over the globe, a predominance that had lasted for nearly five centuries. European nations remained meddled in their murderous struggle in order to maintain their colonial power in their previous colonies; however, during the same time, nations in the South and North America, Africa, Asia, and the Australian continents began to restructure their nations. Many nations became independent from European and seized importation of goods among other commodities from the Europe. This led to the emergence of new competitors for both power and business overseas8. Some of the nations that seek power and business opportunities overseas due to the absence of European nations included Argentina, Brazil, New Zealand, Australia, and Canada as well United States and Japan. It was the first time that United States mobilized its industrial potential outside the American continent. Towards the end of the First World War, a radical socialist group apprehended power in Russia and led to a very new transformation of the society phenomena that was lately witnessed in the countries of the Middle East and the North Africa. These kinds of transformation and radical groups have their effects being felt in the contemporary world. Additionally, some of the recently developed nations such as China are looking enormous trading opportunities outside their continents specifically China is currently investing in African Continent heavily. Armies with unprecedented size fought in the first war; however, they never used sophisticated weapons that those that are being used in the current wars. Therefore, machine guns, poison gases, tanks, submarines, and airplanes that are currently used in the wars including nuclear warheads emerged due to the First World War specifically because nations want to protect themselves in case of any war. In addition, during the First World War, civilian populations were the target of the war, for instance, the British blocked and tried to starve the Germans and their allies9. On the other hand, the German submarine cut off the supplies from Britain into the war. These new weapons created a new horror of war that led to death of nearly eight million soldiers who died either in the front line or in the sea. Many of those who were handicapped never overcame the trauma of the war. The same effects World War I defined the experienced and trauma management that the current soldiers are subjected to after the war; example the American soldiers who fought the war in Iraq. In addition, the aftermath of the World War 1 led to the defining of the rules of war and in the current wars, civilians should never be the target of any war as it was the case in the Great War. It should be noted that the aftermath of the war was also evident with many nations aligning with certain nations. Other nations rebelled against others with certain parts of other nations emerging from the main nation10. This led to the creation of other nations thereby leading political-geographical changes. The end of the World War 1 led to dissolution of Germany, Austro-Hungarian, Russia, and the Ottoman empires that created a large empire from numerous small states that were in the Eastern Europe. The then newly formed states had substantial ethnic minorities that intended to unite with other neighboring states especially those that had similar ethnicity. For instance, Czechoslovakia wanted to unite with Germany while Poles and Ruthenians wanted to join Ukrainians, and Slovaks wanted to unite with the Hungarians. It should be noted that the League of Nation under the Minority Treaties sponsored a series of these small states with the aim of helping them solve the minority problems. However, the 1930s decline of the League of Nations led to subsequent declines of theses treaties thereby leading to a massive redrawing of borders that led to immense political changes in the aftermath World War I and subsequent increase in the number of the European refugees. It should be noted that such split of nations is a factor that is still being witnessed in the contemporary world. For instance, some nations have recently split due to inequality allocation of resource to the Minority Ethnic Groups in different parts of such nations. Notably, the republic of Southern Sudan split from the republic of Sudan due to uneven resource allocation by the Sudanese government to the southern people11. Nonetheless, the 1918 ethical minorities created what was referred to frontiers that were generally unstable. Since then, these frontiers have remained unchanged. For instance, Sudeten Germans have recorded a massive increase over time. The military and economic cooperation among these small states was actually poor thereby making them too vulnerable to the Soviet Union and Germany that defeated them most of the time in case of any revolt12. Therefore, Germany and the Soviet Union remained latent towards dominating the region as the United State as remained latent in dominating the world. The geographic changes that were witnessed during the First World War significantly changed large portions of the Eastern Europe leading to the formation of other small states13. Many small states that emerged in Europe due to the effects of the First World War; however, some of the small nations that curved from some large European nations later reunited thereby defining the political geography even further. For instance, as Poland curved from Russia and Germany, Alsace Lorraine reunited with or returned to France, Hungary and Australia separated forming two separate powers, while Finland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia separated from Russian territory forming independent states14. On the other hands, numerous Balkan states did merge to form the present Yugoslavia. The same effects of alignment are presently occurring among states especially the developed nation; for instance, state different economic powers have merged their economic strengths to form a stronger economic and social security power. For instance, the big five is formed in the world security matters while G8 for the economic world power15. Therefore, it is worth noting that the today’s world economy, geographical and political activities and realignments have been shaped and some are still being shaped by the aftermath of the First World War. 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