IMPLICATIONS OF MODERNITY

The First World War opened the eyes of the world to the dark side
of modernity and progress. War was waged not between armies
but between peoples. New means of communication and new
forms of propaganda enabled the warring powers to mobilize
entire nations within a matter of days. Moreover, military forces
had access to new weapons of mass destruction, such as machine
guns and poisonous gas grenades. Aircraft were used for aerial
reconnaissance and as aids in locating the enemy. Some ten
million people from 32 participating countries lost their lives
during this war.