Chapter 21 The Collapse and Recovery of Europe

When reading about World War I, also known as the "Great War" I realized how much of an impact the war had on the contries of both sides of the battle field. Germany and Britain were both deeply effected by the war they engaged themselves in. The war was "Great" because it took on immense power because the ally system that was created to maintain peace between the great nations of the world backfired to back up the opposing sides in World War I. The people back home in their contries believed the war would be over soon and their men would be home before Christmas, but were only left to keep hoping as the war trudged on for four years. There was little advancement in the war because of the system "trench warfare" that left millions dead in fights that only moved enemy lines a few yards. The impact the war had on its homelands led to "total war" in which the participation of the people at home in the nations at war was required to help support the troops. The poster shown at this part in the chapter shows the propoganda used to encourage women to join in the working class in factories to produce the supplies needed by their troops. Women on both sides of the war took over the jobs their men had left behind as their efforts to support their nations. I found it interesting that this part in the book did not speak more about the role women played in World War I. Women were the diving force tat supplied te products needed such as uniforms and artillery. In the time of the Women's Suffrage Movement, these women were finally given a chance to work in the factories that were previously limited to men. Women were able to experience the liberty of working for themselves and feeling that they too could be an important part in the fight for their countries even if they were not allowed on the battlefield. This movement ultimately led to the increase in jobs for women and was unintentionally a big step in their movement towards equality.