A New Europe 1918-1923

The First World War profoundly reshaped East-Central Europe. On the ruins of four collapsed empires, a dozen new states emerged, and almost all borders were redrawn — often through continued military conflicts lasting until 1923. Despite severe human and material losses, societies across the region began rebuilding, modernising, and creating new political and social structures. It was a turbulent and dynamic era, crucial for understanding 20th-century history.

In this lesson you will find teaching resources for history educators that help students explore the key developments of the post-war period:

• Catalogue After the Great War — a comprehensive overview of the era, including the consequences of the war, new borders, elections, plebiscites, social relations, and diplomacy.

• Children’s Perspectives — a set of five thematic modules examining how the First World War affected children’s lives. This resource highlights how the turbulent post-war years shaped young people, using a wide range of historical sources, mainly photographs and documents.