The World War 1 Generation

The generation that began their lives before the conception of World War I had preconceived notions on the realities of our world that many individuals do not hold today. And in a period of about four years, the perspectives of all future generations were shifted completely. The nineteenth century was honestly convinced that it was on the straight and unfailing path toward being the best of all worlds. Earlier eras, with their wars, famines, and revolts, were deprecated as times when mankind was still immature and unenlightened. But now it was merely a matter of decades until the last vestige of evil and violence would finally be conquered, and this faith in an uninterrupted and irresistible progress truly had the force of a religion for that generation. One began to believe in this progress than in the bible, and its gospel appeared ultimate because of the daily new wonders of science and technology (3). The reason for these states of mind had to do with some of the unique aspects of life during the era; differences in education, religious beliefs, and changes in overall social mindset.

The unique aspects of education of youth during the pre-World War I era include vast differences in fundamental teaching methods. There is also a particular and possibly more important difference not in the education of academic subjects, but of the education in regards to mindset and a child's intellectual and realistic view of the world they live in. Stefan Zweig speaks on the monotonous facets of schooling during this era and their effects on the development of its students. He saw his education as something that lacked freedom, happiness, and independence of his individual education. The Austrian curriculum was not to blame, for it had been carefully remedied throughout the history of the country. However, it is the actual lessons that were formulaic, barren, and lifeless and offered very little motivation beyond what was expected of you as a student.

The schoolhouse facilities also left much to be desired as far as a place that lacked any aide for learning. The question that can be extremely difficult to answer deals with the effect of these conditions on the generation in question; and it is thought to be extensive. This is because of the other unique aspect of education during this period; higher education. There seemed to be a certain class system that emerged from those individuals who had attended them. There was a hierarchy that included these special students and excluded everyone else. Rights were awarded to this group that the other part of the population did not have, and it created a rift and resentment between the classes in the country. This had been in place for centuries but Austria was one of the few countries where it remained in place. Our world today is much more democratic in all aspects of life than a century ago, and its effect is probably less of a sense of entitlement by a higher educated class.

During the pre World War period, I believe that the most fundamental change that occurred in the mindset of individuals dealt with their view of human life. The coming of psychoanalytic theories mainly brought upon the intelligent world by Sigmund Freud, enveloped a new sense of personal responsibility. The path of thought that was pushed aside by this was the old religious doctrine that pointed the blame for problems on the devil, and awarded praise for the good in life to a just and truthful god. While these new psychoanalytic theories brought on the idea that the individual and the individual alone is responsible for his/her actions. Religion should not and does not have any barring on the decision making power of a human. This had an effect on everything in society from social issues to entertainment issues. Prostitutes were no longer thought of as evildoers who were possessed by the devil and were seen as a necessary service and result of a given society. Films now featured complex characters that had been taken out of our social norms by their strange and sometimes multiple personalities. These changes clearly have had a lasting impact on future generations.

The fact that almost the entire mindset of a generation was changed resulted in an overall less cynical and more optimistic view of the forces of change in the world. World leaders were not controlled by good and evil so it was feasible that they could exercise restraint and come together with other countries for the greater good. Zweig states that the people "never hoped more ardently for European unity, never had more faith in its future than then, when we thought we saw a new dawning" (192). People also acted differently towards their well-being than in previous generations; they looked more sophisticated, shaved their facial hair, were healthier because of participation in sports, nutrition, and a general better view of humans' relationship with nature.

It is the idea of a society who acts in this way that we all hope to aspire to. And this is why the execution of war takes so much out of a people; and in its aftermath much time is needed for rebuilding, not just of physical buildings and infrastructure, but of emotional rebuilding of the spirit. As Zweig says on page 198, 'our optimism blinded us to the problem of war with all of its moral consequences¡±. This was the negative result of this generation, an almost furtive naivet' that would eventually create the consequences of a sudden and brutal loss of innocence during the war years that would follow.

Works Cited

"The World of Yesterday" By Stefan Zweig