The Relationship Between Modernity and the First World War

The First World War, also known as the Great War of 1914-1918, is not an event that manifested overnight; it was the result of ever growing tension among European nations. This conflict was brought about by factors such as, nationalism, militarism, and the Alliance system. An upheaval such as the First World War was witness to the emergence of the glorification of war, struggle, despair, destruction and immense loss of life. The First World War brought about a defining moment in the history of the modern consciousness. The modern world was born anew with a self-conscious awareness of plight and modern society. This awareness has been characterized by a profound sense of the differences between past and present. The process of modernity†¦show more content†¦The effect the war had on both the political and economic sector was so significant that the First World War marks the commencement of the modern era. Socialist thought emerged due to revolutions in Russia, and imperialism lost its appeal. A desire to avoid further conflict also arose at the culmination of the First World War, and individuals hoped that this war would be the war to end all wars, which encouraged many nations to resolve disputes with one another. The societal structure of every European nation that participated in the war changed irreversibly. The war not only facilitated change, it played a powerful role in molding its quality and strength. This view of the war suggests its pivotal role in directing the destinies of the contemporary world – it is in this sense that the war was possibly a â€Å"turning point.† The class system in Britain was changed and lower class consciousness grew. New nations were formed in Eastern Europe, and a new identity was to be formed in Germany, an identity without imperialistic values and goals. Though, not only did European nations change, so to did warfare. The advancements of the industrial age were applied to weapons and eventually to tactics as well, changing the face of warfare perpetually. The year 1914 signaled the conclusion of a rather peaceful century on the European continent, with unparalleled invention and new scientific developments. The vision of a future filled with peace, nourished by greater thanShow MoreRelatedT. S. Eliot The Waste Land Essay1551 Words   |  7 PagesProgressivism as a Project of Humanity: Roosevelt, Wilson, the Great War These fragments I have shored against my ruins Why then Ile fit you. Hireronymo’s mad againe. Datta. Dayadhvam. Damyata. Shantih shantih shantih --T.s. Eliot, The Waste Land (1922)[1] I. THE AFTERMATH of the Industrial Revolution revealed new realities born of the marriage between technology and capitalism. 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