The First World War had a devastating impact on communities across Wales as thousands of young men fell in the fields of Flanders.  In addition to the trauma that the Great War had caused, its economic consequences were to plague the lives of Welsh families for another twenty years.

As the demand for coal, iron, steel and tin-plate declined with the end of the War, Wales entered a period of economic slump.  The dominance of a few large industries made Wales particularly vulnerable to such a change in demand, but its effects were made even worse by the global depression of 1929.

The result was a high level of unemployment.  In August 1932, 245,000 out of a total population of 2.5 million were out of work.  Many workers had little choice but to look for work elsewhere and nearly 500,000 moved out of south Wales during the inter-War period.

The effects of depression on the sport and leisure of Wales seemed as visible as on many other aspects of national life.  The national rugby team entered its worst spell in many years, winning only 9 games out of 32 between 1923 and 1930.

The impact of war on the faith of the people of Wales became apparent as the bonds between chapel and community began to weaken and people engaged in recreational activities that were disassociated from religion.

All the while, politicians were concerned about the growing passivity of the people of Wales as they lost interest in constructive communal activities and preferred to sit silently in front of cinema screens.

It was eventually the outbreak of another World War that brought an end to this bleak period in the history of Wales.

What happened next?
Post-war Wales (1945-60)