The First World War, and especially the latest one, largely

In the blood-soaked soil of Europe, where the earth trembled beneath the weight of great empires and kingdoms, there came a moment—a cataclysmic moment—when the old order was shattered, and the forces of change swept through the land like a cleansing wind. Emily Greene Balch, a wise and compassionate observer of the world’s great struggles, captured this in her words: "The First World War, and especially the latest one, largely swept away what was left in Europe of feudalism and of feudal landlords, especially in Poland, Hungary, and the South East generally." These words are a testament to the deep, irreversible transformation wrought by war, a transformation that turned the old world upside down, leaving in its wake both destruction and the seeds of a new era.

The First World War was, in many ways, the death knell for the feudal system, that ancient social order where power, land, and privilege were concentrated in the hands of a few. It was a system that had governed the lives of millions for centuries, binding peasants to the land and keeping the nobility in positions of unquestioned dominance. But with the rise of industrialization, with the growth of nationalism, and most tragically, with the outbreak of total war, the foundations of this old world began to crumble. The war itself was not just a battle between armies, but a battle between the old world and the new. As the guns fired and the trenches filled with blood, the very fabric of feudalism was torn apart, its grip weakening in the face of modern forces.

In the aftermath of the war, as nations bled and empires fell, feudal landlords—those who had once ruled with an iron fist over the peasants—found their power greatly diminished. Poland, which had long been under the control of foreign powers, emerged as a new and independent nation, and with that independence came the opportunity for profound social and economic reorganization. The old noble families who had ruled vast estates found themselves losing their wealth and land, unable to retain the power they once wielded. The people, long oppressed, now sought a new order—one that would not be governed by hereditary privilege but by the will of the people themselves. Hungary, too, was forever altered by the forces of change unleashed by the war. The once-feudal society began to dissolve, making way for new forms of governance, though not without great struggle.

This transformation was not without its cost. The feudal landlords, though their power was largely dismantled, did not disappear without a fight. In many cases, they clung to their wealth and influence, attempting to retain control over their lands even as the winds of change blew through the region. But the old world could not endure. Just as the Roman Empire fell to the tides of barbarian invasions, so too did the feudal system fall to the tide of modernity, brought on by the devastating forces of war and revolution. The old feudal lords, once the pillars of society, were swept away, and with them, the old world they represented.

The lessons of this great upheaval are profound and timeless. From the ashes of the old order, new societies arose—ones that valued equality, democracy, and the rule of law, rather than the inherited privilege of the few. The First World War, though a tragedy of unparalleled scale, was also a catalyst for change, a force that brought the old world to its knees and made way for the rise of new ideas and ideals. It is a stark reminder that war, though it may bring suffering and death, can also be a crucible in which societies are remade, for better or for worse.

What lesson, then, can we take from this moment in history? The lesson is clear: nothing is permanent. The old powers that seem so solid, so unyielding, are often more fragile than we realize. The feudal system, with its rigid hierarchies and privileges, seemed eternal, but it was swept away by the forces of modernity. Just as the feudal world gave way to new forms of governance, so too can the systems of privilege and inequality that we see today be challenged and transformed. It is a reminder to us all that we should not blindly accept the world as it is but strive to build a future that is just, equal, and fair for all.

In our own time, we must ask ourselves: What systems of oppression and privilege still linger in our world today? What structures of power are holding us back from a more just society? And what can we do to challenge and dismantle those systems, as the forces of change did with feudalism in the past? Just as the people of Poland, Hungary, and the South East rose up to dismantle the old world, so too must we stand ready to tear down the walls that divide us and build a world where all people are free, equal, and united in their common humanity. The lesson of history is this: change is possible, but it requires courage, vision, and the willingness to stand against the tides of oppression.