World War I fundamentally changed the political map of Europe primarily by breaking down large empires into small countries. The war led to the collapse of several major empires, including the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, the German Empire, and the Russian Empire.
In the aftermath of the war, new nations were formed based on national self-determination, and existing borders were redrawn. For example:
- The Austro-Hungarian Empire split into several independent nations, including Austria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and Yugoslavia.
- The Ottoman Empire was dismantled, leading to the creation of modern Turkey and various mandates in the Middle East that would eventually become the nations of Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan.
- The Russian Empire underwent significant change, leading to the rise of the Soviet Union and the establishment of several independent states in Eastern Europe and the Baltic region.
This reconfiguration contributed to new national identities and conflicts in the region, reshaping the political landscape of Europe for decades to follow. The establishment of permanent colonial borders and strengthening of existing monarchies did not occur to the same extent, and the creation of larger unified territories was not a prevalent outcome of the war.