The Immediate and Long-Run Historical Consequences of World War I
Lenin and Stalin, 1923 The conflict was “the first calamity of the 20 th century, the calamity from which all other calamities sprang.” Fritz Stern, German-American historian. Cited in The Economist, “ Still In the Grip of the Great War, ” March 27, 2014 . IMMEDIATE CONSEQUENCES The immediate consequence was a war that mobilized over 60 million troops, caused 20 million military and civilian deaths and 21 million wounded. The European order of Bismarck and other conservatives was shattered, replaced by chaos and violence. If the importance of an historical event is judged by its consequences, then World War I may be the most important historical event of the twentieth century. Its immediate aftermath included: the elimination of four monarchies, including the Ottoman Empire. revolution in Russia, ending in a Communist government, civil war and invasion of Poland. the breakup of the Austro-Hungaria...