THE IMPACT OF WW1 ON THE

UNITED KINGDOM
- GLAVAN MIHNEA -
 DEATH TOLL

FOLLOWING WORLD WAR ONE, THE BRITISH ISLES ALONE SUFFERED CLOSE TO
A TOTAL OF 1 MILLION DEATHS, AND ENCOMPASSING THE ENTIRE BRITISH
EMPIRE, CLOSE TO 1.25 MILLION PEOPLE DIED. CONSIDERING THE WAR WAS
HAPPENING AS THE SPANISH INFLUENZA WAS SPREADING IT IS BELIEVED A
LOT MORE THAN THIS NUMBER ACTUALLY PERISHED DURING AND AFTER
COMBAT.
 TERRITORIAL CHANGES

WITH THE CAPITULATION OF GERMANY AND THE FINISHING OF THE TREATIES AND
AFTERMATH, THE BRITISH EMPIRE REACHED ITS LARGEST EVER TERRITORIAL
EXTENT IN 1920, OWNING 35.5 MILLION KM^2 WHICH ROUNDED UP TO ABOUT 26.35%
OF THE ENTIRE WORLD (A SIZE THAT WAS COMPARABLE TO THAT OF THE MOON, 37.9
KM^2). ALTHOUGH, SOON AFTER THE APOGEE OF THE EMPIRE, IT STARTED GOING
DOWNHILL, AS THE LOYAL OF ITS SUBJECTS AND DOMINIONS SLOWLY FADED AWAY,
MOST NOTABLY IN IRELAND WITH THE IRA THAT WAS DEEMED AS A TERRORIST
ORGANIZATION AND WHICH EVENTUALLY WON THE INDEPENDENCE OF IRELAND IN
1922. DISLOYAL SENTIMENTS ALSO ROSE IN INDIA, AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND,
CANADA, SOUTH AFRICA AND EGYPT, AFTER THE MILITARY DISASTERS THAT
OCCURRED DURING THE WAR AND THE MASSIVE LOSS OF LIFE FIGHTING FOR WHAT
WAS SEEN IN MOST OF THEM AS A FOREIGN OCCUPIER.
GENERAL VIEW OF BRITISH SOCIETY

WORLD WAR ONE WAS THE END OF VICTORIAN SOCIETY AND THE BEGINNING
OF WHAT WE NOW CALL MODERN BRITISH SOCIETY, IT BEING SEEN AS A
"TOTAL WAR" IT CHANGED THE PERCEPTION OF THE PUBLIC AGAINST THE
GOVERNMENT, SOLDIERS COMING BACK FROM WAR SUFFERED FROM PTSD,
THERE WEREN'T MANY AVAILABLE JOBS, CRIME RATES ROSE AND WITH THE
UPCOMING 1929 GREAT DEPRESSION EVERYTHING ONLY GOT WORSE.
 AFTERMATH

THE END OF WW1 ALSO SAW THE END OF BRITISH DOMINANCE IN THE WORLDWIDE
ECONOMY, BEING EVENTUALLY PASSED BY THE UNITED STATES MAINLY DUE TO THE
ECONOMIC IMPACT ON THE COUNTRY AND AMERICA'S PROFITS MADE FROM SELLING
EQUIPMENT. DISLOYALTY TO THE GOVERNMENT ONLY GREW, THERE WAS EVEN MORE LAND
TO MANAGE AND THE RIGHT GRIP OF BRITAIN ON ITS COLONIES WAS VISIBLY FADING, THIS
BEING VISIBLE IN THE TURKISH WAR OF INDEPENDENCE WHERE IT LOST ITS OCCUPIED
ZONES IN ANATOLIA AND CONSTANTINOPLE, GIVING RISE TO A STATE THAT ECONOMICALLY
SURPASSED ITS PREDECESSOR, THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE. OTHER EVIDENCE OF THE WEAKENED
BRITISH DOMINANCE AROUND THE WORLD WAS THE LEAGE OF NATIONS, THE BRITISH
HAVING TO SHARE THIS ORGANIZATION WITH THE AMERICANS AND FRENCH, AND EVEN SO
IT FAILED ITS ULTIMATE GOAL TO MAINTAIN THE PEACE, THE IRISH WAR OF INDEPENDENCE,
THE GIVING AWAY OF RIGHTS TO THE COLONIES, SUCH AS CANADA, INDIA, AUSTRALIA AND
NEW ZEALAND, SOMETHING THAT ONLY MADE THEM MORE DISLOYAL.
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

• HTTPS://BRILLIANTMAPS.COM/BRITISH-EMPIRE-MOON/
• HTTPS://HISTORICENGLAND.ORG.UK/RESEARCH/INCLUSIVE-HERITAGE/DISAB
ILITY-HISTORY/1914-1945/WAR/
• HTTPS://EN.WIKIPEDIA.ORG/WIKI/LIST_OF_LARGEST_EMPIRES
• HTTPS://EN.WIKIPEDIA.ORG/WIKI/WORLD_WAR_I_CASUALTIES