Outcome of World War I

Overall Effect of World War I

​Political Outcome

• Collapse of major empires

  • Austro-Hungarian, Ottoman, Russian, German empires fell

• New nations formed in Europe

  • Poland, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Baltic states, etc.

• Rise of nationalism & new governments

  • Self-determination movements spread

• League of Nations established

  • First attempt at global peacekeeping organization

Multiple Select

SELECT ALL countries that did not exist before World War I.

• Poland

• Czechoslovakia

• Russia

• Italy

Multiple Choice

Which of the warring nations in World War I lost the most territory?

• Austria

• France

• Germany

• Italy

Multiple Choice

Which of the following best explains a major political effect of World War I?

• European empires expanded their control over colonies

• Several large empires collapsed, leading to new independent nations

• The United States lost global power and influence

• Monarchies across Europe became stronger

Economic Consequence of WWI

• Massive destruction across Europe

  • Farmland, factories, and cities ruined

• Huge national debts

  • Countries borrowed heavily to pay for the war

• Reparations placed on Germany

  • Treaty forced Germany to pay billions

• Global economic instability

  • Inflation, unemployment, and supply shortages

Multiple Choice

How did World War I most impact the economies of European countries?

• It led to widespread economic growth and increased trade

• It caused severe economic damage, debt, and inflation

• It made Germany the richest nation in Europe

• It resulted in nations refusing to borrow money for military use

Social and Human Impacts of WWI

• Enormous loss of life

  • ~20 million dead, millions more wounded

• Psychological trauma

  • “Shell shock” (PTSD) became widespread

• Women's roles expanded

  • Entered workforce, moved closer to voting rights in many nations

• Social unrest & revolutions

  • Russian Revolution, spread of socialist/communist ideas

Massive Social Upheaval Caused by War

Millions of women

entered the workforce
-Supported men who went
to war

-Replaced men who never
came back from war

Women sought equal rights
and the right to vote

Visit the Smithsonian
Online Exhibit to learn

about significant changes
to women’s service during

the Great War

More than 20 million people were killed

-Soldiers Killed ~9 million

-50,000 American soldiers killed in action

-Soldiers Injured ~21 million

-Civilian Casualties ~10 million

Multiple Choice

Not including disease, approximately how many people died in World War I?

• 16 million

• 20 million

• 600 million

• 6 million

Shellshock

-Psychological condition now
known as Post Tramatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) caused by the
brutalities of war

-Fatigue, tremors, confusion, nightmares,
impaired sight/hearing, paranoia, panic
attacks, unable to function

Massive Social Upheaval Caused by War

Spanish Flu - 1918-1920
Spread one of the 20th
century’s deadliest global
pandemic
-Spread quickly in the
United States through
military bases

-This flu killed 20-50
million people worldwide

-This flu killed more people
than the War did

Massive Social Upheaval Caused by War

Military and Technology Outcomes of WWI

• New warfare technologies

  • Tanks, poison gas, machine guns, aircraft, submarines

• Trench warfare lessons

  • Proved costly and ineffective long-term

• Shift toward modern warfare

  • Large-scale mobilization, industrialized war

• Attempts at arms limitation

  • Early disarmament talks (not fully successful)

Chemical weapons and
battle injuries had
severe effects on
surviving soldiers and
civilians

-Led to the signing of the
Geneva Convention in 1925

-Outlawed chemical (gas)
warfare & biological
(disease) weapons

Massive Social Upheaval Caused by War

Multiple Choice

Which statement best describes how warfare changed after World War I?

• Armies returned to older fighting methods and avoided technology

• Nations refused to use new weapons after seeing their effects

• The war introduced new technology and modern military strategies

• Trench warfare remained the main strategy in future conflicts