I think many here are aware that WW1 was a turning point in European and world history. But i also think many underestimate just how much the western world changed in the wake of WW1 in terms of culture and economics.
WW1 marked the end of the era of classical liberalism. It basically killed the classical gold standard, and showed just how much the government could accomplish if it was in a position to manage large parts of the economy (and society in general). This was even more true for WW2. Without this, would laissez-faire economics continue to dominate the western world? After all, the decades between 1848 and 1914 were an era of unprecedented economic growth, unseen in human history before, and raised living standards in a way previous generations couldn‘t even imagine. Why fix what‘s not broken?
If there are no large scale world wars, and governments are still restrained by a hard gold standard, and no Soviet Union to demonstrate a different economic model, do we ever see governments grow to the extend we have in OTL? Would there be the kind of welfare systems westerners have grown used to over the last seventy years?
I think the lack of an expansive welfare state especially would have huge societal and cultural consequences. For example, being a single mother would be a much worse prospect for women than it currently is, without a welfare system to fall back on. How does this affect relationships and marriage? Are women going to be more ‚choosy‘ when it comes to dating? Are (extended) families going to remain the main ‚safety net‘ for most people? How would this affect the ‚sexual revolution‘, if it ever happens?
And culture and art would surely develop very different in the absence of world wars. It‘s possible that the world remains more nationalistic in general, as well as more monarchist.
Overall i think many seem to take it for granted that modern societies are eventually going to evolve along social-democratic principles similar to our own world, but i don‘t think that‘s necessarily true.
What do you think? Does the age of liberalism and laissez-faire continue in the absence of WW1 and 2? How do you think society in such a world would look like in the 21st century?
WW1 marked the end of the era of classical liberalism. It basically killed the classical gold standard, and showed just how much the government could accomplish if it was in a position to manage large parts of the economy (and society in general). This was even more true for WW2. Without this, would laissez-faire economics continue to dominate the western world? After all, the decades between 1848 and 1914 were an era of unprecedented economic growth, unseen in human history before, and raised living standards in a way previous generations couldn‘t even imagine. Why fix what‘s not broken?
If there are no large scale world wars, and governments are still restrained by a hard gold standard, and no Soviet Union to demonstrate a different economic model, do we ever see governments grow to the extend we have in OTL? Would there be the kind of welfare systems westerners have grown used to over the last seventy years?
I think the lack of an expansive welfare state especially would have huge societal and cultural consequences. For example, being a single mother would be a much worse prospect for women than it currently is, without a welfare system to fall back on. How does this affect relationships and marriage? Are women going to be more ‚choosy‘ when it comes to dating? Are (extended) families going to remain the main ‚safety net‘ for most people? How would this affect the ‚sexual revolution‘, if it ever happens?
And culture and art would surely develop very different in the absence of world wars. It‘s possible that the world remains more nationalistic in general, as well as more monarchist.
Overall i think many seem to take it for granted that modern societies are eventually going to evolve along social-democratic principles similar to our own world, but i don‘t think that‘s necessarily true.
What do you think? Does the age of liberalism and laissez-faire continue in the absence of WW1 and 2? How do you think society in such a world would look like in the 21st century?