Scars of war : the legacy of WW1 deaths on civic capital and combat motivation

How does the memory of lives lost in past wars shape communities and the next generation of soldiers? We use newly collected data on geolocated British servicemen to study the legacy of the Great War mortality shock on local communities and the behaviour of soldiers in WW2. We find that community-wide fatalities in WW1 increase the numbers of deaths of the next generation in WW2 and encourage civic-oriented and cooperative behaviours, such as the creation of lasting war memorials, veterans associations and charities, as well as increasing voter participation. Soldiers exposed to WW1 mortality are then more likely to be awarded a medal for bravery or die in WW2. Overall, we present evidence that that one legacy of the Great War runs through and is amplified by civic capital and the remembrance of fallen soldiers.