Long+term+effects

The aftermath of World War One is widely viewed by historians to have shaped international relations, trade, and warfare of the 20th century. Through the drafting of treaties, boundaries of countries in Europe completely changed. Entire countries were created, the Balkan region completely changed. Yet while some countries expanded, others were forced to reduce their land ownership considerably. Controversy remains to this day as to whether the Allies were far too harsh on the Ottoman Empire and Germany. It is not an entirely drastic claim that if the [|Paris Peace Conference] had gone differently, World War II may have never occurred.

__**LONG TERM AFFECTS (1919-2010)**__ The Tsarist state in Russia was destroyed after the economy had been depleted beyond recognition and a revolution had been sparked. After Tsarism had collapsed in Russia in 1918, a Marxist revolutionary named took over the nation. Until his death in 1924, Lenin worked towards a socialist economy and political spectrum in Russia (Grenville 129); this included establishing free health care (especially for the living veterans of WWI) and working towards equal rights for women (V.I. Lenin). Had Russia not witnessed the failings of their own Tsar Nicholas II during wartime, Lenin and his small group of supporters would not have been able to overthrow the Tsarist state. The would remain socialist country until 1991.
 * RUSSIA**

Germany was disheveled for most of the time between WWI and WWII. As previously stated, Kaiser Wilhelm was blamed for his belligerence upon entering war. A permanent result of the First World War was that Germany "lost 22% of its national territory, incurred debts equivalent to 136% of gross national product (1/5 owed to foreign powers), then unemployment rose to levels not seen for more than a century” (Ferguson 395). Germany's final payment for the total reparations of the war were not fully paid off until [|October 3rd, 2010]. Economically, Germany was devastated and vulnerable when Adolf Hilter came into the public view. Even more encircled than pre-WWI, Germany was to be the center of another war just two decades later.
 * GERMANY**

Over the entirety of Europe, debt was rampant and inflation was unavoidable (Grenville 121). The United States, a late entry into WWI, experienced a fortuitous economic boom when it came to mass production; automobiles, airplanes, radio, and chemicals had a whole new market driven by industrialization (Schultz). The United States' participation in the great war [|landed them a position in international politics], which would eventually balloon and allow the United States' to become one of the world's great powers in the 20th century.
 * EUROPE AND THE UNITED STATES**

Some countries, specifically France and Italy, were lucky enough to gain land from the Treaty of Versailles in 1919 – however, this addition was land did not remove these countries from the poor economic spectrum. France suffered a great amount of property damage after fighting a war on it's eastern front. The Balkan nations were chaotic for years, a concern of President Wilson (Grenville 131) – and these nations would again be tested and changed post-WWII.

The Great War was the first of it's kind to have such outreaching effects on soldiers and their families. [|Trench warfare] scarred many men who had suffered from intense fatigue, freezing temperatures, rat infestation, wounded/dead soldiers only feet away, and constant illness; German statistics show that 8.6% of the total fighting strength was sick at any point in time (Ferguson 342). Biological Dwarnists, psychologists, and social scientists still marvel at the phenomena of endurance throughout these desperate conditions (Ferguson 343). Today in the United States, still exist for the comforting purpose they served years ago.
 * MENTAL WARFARE**

Related Links: [|Photographic footage of Thiepval Memorial for British WWI fallen – remains the largest British war memorial in the world.] [|Fantastic and detailed description of the trenches.]

Works Cited

Ferguson, Niall. The Pity of War. New York, NY: Basic, 1999. Print.

Grenville, J. A. S. The Collins History of the World in the Twentieth Century. London: **HarperCollins**[|?], 1998. Print.

Lenin, Vladimir. "Women and Marxism - Lenin." Marxists Internet Archive. Web. 16 Dec. 2010. .

Schultz, Stanley K. "H102 Lecture 15: The Politics of Prosperity: The 1920s." American History 102: Oldest American History Site on the Internet -- Established in 1996 --. University of Wisconsin, 1996. Web. 16 Dec. 2010. .