The First world in Podillya: the peasant dimension

The purpose of the study is to reveal the impact of the First World War on Podillya, trace the perception of thepeasantry at the end of the war from the point of view of their mentality, show the attitudes of the rural population, highlightthe general trends and features of the economic, social, and everyday life of the Podillia village in the specified period. Thescientific novelty of the work consists in the comprehensive analysis of various vectors of the influence of the First World Waron the peasantry through the prism of the peculiarities of the development of the Podillya province.Conclusions. The First World War led to the emergence of crisis trends in the development of the Podillya village, causedthe decline of agriculture, caused acute social upheavals and increased social tension, and at the same time raised nationalconsciousness and led to the beginning of the politicization of the peasantry. His attitudes during the Great War were contradictory, complex and ambiguous. The patriotic upsurge at the beginning of the war, associated with the hopes of improving one’s position, quickly faded under the influence of war realities, weariness from military operations and the deterioration of the economic situation appeared, and enthusiasm was replaced by disappointment and dissatisfaction, and war became a part of everyday life. Mobilization measures, requisitions of livestock and food for the needs of the army, and rising prices for basic necessities made the situation even worse. The lack of workers, the reduction of cultivated areas, the decrease in yield, the increase in the property differentiation of the village, the increase in the number of widows and orphans changed the social structure of the village, and human losses led to tragedies in many families. However, the Podillya peasants became better informed about the political events taking place in the country and the world, as well as about national ideas.