Chapter 21: The Collapse and Recovery of Europe (1914-1970s)

Though both World War I and World War II brought depression, death, and defeat, women were given more rights in the result of the war. It may seem hard to believe, but there can be some good in the result of war…besides winning against the opponent.

During the “Great” War, many men were sent to fight in the war. Because of this, the women were sort of forced into work. “In factories, women replaced the men who had left for the battlefront, while labor unions agreed to suspend strikes and accept sacrifices for the common good (630).” As the caption for the image on page 630 mentions, women were indirectly contributing to the war like manufacturing war munitions. After the Great War, women continued to be “free”. Young women showed up at nightclubs engaging in dancing, drinking and smoking. They cut their hairs shorter than what was the norm, and wore more revealing clothing. Probably the most important part however, is that women gained the right to vote. Though the Great War was not so great (positively), without the occurrence of this war, I would not have the right to vote.

[Why was World War I referenced as the “Great” War? The word great, I think, denotes positivity, as a synonym for awesome…the “Awesome War”.]

The section about the Great Depression kind of scared me, just because the situation during this time is similar to what is going on today. This contributes to the infamous quote about how history tends to repeat itself. Of course, I hope for the betterment of the economy, but I could not but help notice the similarities. Right now, the unemployment rate in the United States is roughly about 10 percent. According to the graph on page 635, the highest rate of unemployment during the Great Depression was between 1932-1933 around 30%. “Vacant factories, soup kitchens, bread lines, shanytowns, and beggars came to symbolize the human reality of this economic disaster.” It’s rough knowing that the current situation is much better today. Many people have been laid off, business are going out of business, and people cannot afford as much as could/used to. It’s funny though, I admit, my spending habits are still the same, but maybe it is because I haven’t been directly affected.