Surgery in the Past 75 Years

Abstract

The armistice of November 11, 1918, was unfortunately not followed by a lasting peace in Europe. Individual countries were faced with major political and economic problems, which often led to social unrest. Although the United States, after having contributed so much to the Allied Forces’ victory, showed a tendency towards a degree of political isolationism, the American life-style nevertheless began to penetrate Europe. On both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, jazz music, the Charleston and foxtrot, cocktails, the cinema and short skirts were a part of the cheerful life-style of the ‘roaring’ ‘twenties’, which did its best to forget the preceding years in superficial entertainment. More profound social changes resulted from the fading of traditions, the rise of the trade union movement, and, last but not least, the changed position of women, who during the war had acquired a degree of independence they were unwilling to relinquish. Technological developments such as the telephone, wireless broadcasting, the automobile, and even to a certain extent aviation — KLM opened its first regular air service in 1920 — contributed to the development of a way of life sharply different from before the war.