The Russian Revolution's Response To World War I

It was reckless and irresponsible to reason that World War One would surely end mass conflict in the world. The war’s effects were too harsh to suggest that each country involved would live harmoniously for years to come. Millions of soldiers died in the conflict, and many more returned with illness. Unfair treaties, changing social and political landscapes, and exhausted economies were further evidence of a chaotic Europe after the war. Consequently, these harsh effects warranted a response from Europe. World War One was supposed to be “the war to end all wars,” but it rather created three disparate movementsㅡpacifism, communism, and fascismㅡthat further divided European society. These varying responses to World War One were possible because of a changing social atmosphere that occurred
As stated prior, the Russian Revolution became a turning point for communism to become a reality in European countries. However, not everybody embraced communism, namely those who valued their country. Thus, an ideology was necessary to counter communism, and fascism was that ideology. The hatred of communism is signaled in the ideas of the Falange, a fascist Spanish party: “Our spiritual and national sensibilities also lead us to reject Marxism. We shall direct the impetus currently led astray by Marxism, in the direction of demanding their direct participation in the great task of the national state.” In other words, fascists, being nationalist, were appalled by the communist desire for international unity among workers. In the fascist opinion, people were citizens of their own countries above all else, not citizens of an international community. When communism achieved its international goal after the Russian Revolution by spreading to countries like Spain, fascism emerged to counter communism’s international goals with violent nationalism. Not all dissidents to Russia’s communism chose violence,