Ostfront: The Eastern Front of World War One and its Effects on Germany ​

Cian Riely

Co-Presenters: Individual Presentation

College: College of Liberal Arts

Major: BA.HISTORY

Faculty Research Mentor: Adara Goldberg

Abstract:

The Western Front is by far the dominant front in the memory of World War One in the Anglophone and, more generally, Western World. Comparatively, there is far less focus on the Eastern Front due to historical bias and perspectives. The Eastern Front differed greatly with respect to militaristic and civilian experiences. The front contributed to the fall of the Russian, Habsburg and German Empires, allowing for new nations to take shape across Europe in the interwar period. This research study endeavors to show how Germany was affected by the conflict in the east. Specifically, it asks questions about attitudes toward and inclinations about Slavic people and Eastern Europe; the impact of World War I on ethnic Germans; and Germany's militaristic intentions in the east. Finally, this study explores how the events on the eastern front during World War I influenced Nazi ideology and the Holocaust.