socio-eonomic effects of the first world war

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food and fuel shortages.

The exceptionally cold winter of 1916-17 was a big contributor to the severe food and fuel shortages in the cities. It was nicknamed the "turnip winter" as the lack of potatoes meant they had to rely heavily on turnips, which were normally used for animal fodder.  

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civillian deaths

The number of civillian deaths from starvation and hypothermia increased from 121,000 in 1916 to 293,000 in 1918.

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infant mortality

The number of deaths of children under the age of one year increased by over 50 percent in the course of the war years.

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the influenza epidemic

In 1918 Europe was hit by the "spanish flu" which killed between 20 million and 40 million people - a figure higher than the casualties of the first world war. It had been cited as the most devastating epidemic recorded, probably because peoples resistance was lowered by the decline in living conditions.

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inflation

Workers were forced to work even longer hours, but their wages fell below the inflation rate. Average prices doubled in Germant between 1914 and 1918, whereas wages only rose by 50-75 percent.

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casualties

About 2 million Germans where killed with a further 6 million wounded, many suffered disabilities. The emotional trauma for all these soldiers and their families was not so easy to put into statistics.

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evaluation

Social discontent grew in the final two years of the war. Anger was expressed to the so called "sharks" of industry, who had made vast profits from the war. Resentment grew within the middle class as they felt their social status had lowered as their income declined. Opposition began to grow against the political leaders who had urged total war (involves the whole population in war, economically and militarily). With the worsening situation on the domestic front and the liklihood of defeat on the front General Ludendorff and Hindenburg recognised the seriousness of Germanys position and decided to seek peace with the allies.

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