Hello,

I am not a doctor nor a psychologist, but there is not a consensual definition of what is a PTSD, to have a general definition we can say that it is a set of symptoms that manifest themselves following a traumatic event, a threat to life or to the physical or moral integrity of an individual.

If there was a lot of case of PTSD, or shell-shock, as it was called at that time, around 500 000 men suffering from it only in the UK, it is hard to say that this represents a significant link towards the rise of fascim in Europe. What we can say however it that the Great War drastically changed the mind of the society, for many reasons, and that what I am going to talk about. (Disclaimer : I wont be exhaustive nor going into full details, thats an introduction to the matter)

War leaves traces on soldiers' mind, often translating by a change of behavior. George L. Mosse, historian, describes the process of "brutalization" of soldiers during the war and its consequences after it. Soldiers, exposed to the brutality of the Great War for years, and being part of this brutality, slowly accepted it and the violence bacame "normal" for them. This acceptance of violence affected every nation, and it is a growing soil on wich fascist parties will thrive.

I will explain how the war changed the mind of societies by using two exemple, France and Germany.

First case, France :

Victory for soldiers while being a relief for the first hours is deeply marked by realization and melancholia. Soldiers rapidly realized how luck played a major role in their survival, and the surviror syndrome quickly took place, soldiers felt guilty of their survival towards those who died. The return into a quiet, slow and peaceful life after the war was difficult for them, and the issue of mourning the deads was something few were prepared to. Worst, they returned into anonymity and felt they did not enjoyed the victory as much as people at home, even if they were the ones spilling their bood for it.

Soldiers returning from the front were axious about their place in society, the were afraid of loosing what they had before, their families, their jobs, etc.. To cope with this feeling, soldiers demanded recognition for their higher sacrifice, their superior morality. But recognition will not always come and thus soldiers felt frustrated.

For most soldiers, the victory was primarly the victory of the deads, and survivors were here to honour their sacrifice. The society's herarchy quickly changed wiht on top the deads, then soldiers and at the bottom, civilians. Soldiers will soon try to impose their rigorous morality and conservatism upon society and especially women, to have recognition of their superior condition. Those who did not participated in the war will often feel a sort of diktat from the soldiers.

This change in morals, and the idea of superiority of those who fought, the mythification of the deads will be the base upon far-right parties will rise in France.

Second case, Germany :

The defeat brought far more changes in Germany than the victory did in France. First, we have to remember some context here. 1918, two revolutions occurs in Germany, the king abdicates, but the defeat is rather a suprise. They were told for four years that they were superior, that victory was sure. German people did not understand the defeat. With the goverment in chaos, it is hard to properly bring the soldiers back home, most of them had to do it on their own, with their uniform and their weapons. Without leaving all their equipment and going through administrative process, they did not symbolically put the guns down and wear civilians clothes, their minds have not totally left the battlefield.

As people did not understand the defeat, soldiers returning home were acclaimed and cheered, they were not responsible for the defeat. Quickly, soldiers were seen as unvanquished heroes, and were mystified by the German people. Soldiers organized themselves as paramilitary groups to "defend" the order in a chaotic society, and they quickly put the blame on Communists because their revolution "caused" the defeat, and Jews because they made "profit" from the war. As explained by the brutalization, the German society became more and more violent, but this violence was accepted, moreover caused by who they viewed as heroes.

What is also interesting in the change of mind in Germany is in the difficulty to mourn the deads, and the response veterans brought to it. As in France, the deads were mythified and the far right movements put another signification on it, the deads have sacrifice themsleves not for the king, not for the honour, but for the German race. And this idea, helped by the popularity of the soldiers will soon make a path to fascism.

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In conclusion, rather than PTSD, the experience, the trauma, the fears of the veterans affected a lot the societies they came back to, and changed their minds into what will be the roots of fascism.