Abstract
We study the local legacy of the WW1 mortality shock and its effects on British soldiers’ behaviour in WW2. Using parish-level data we show that localities suffering more losses in WW1 also experienced more deaths in WW2. We then turn to individual level data from military records to show that WW2 soldiers born in these locations were more likely to die earlier and to be awarded a gallantry award. These effects are larger in parishes that have built a listed memorial, suggesting that the remembrance and commemoration of fallen soldiers prompts recruits to fight more aggressively and take additional risks in the battlefield. We confirm the robustness of our results using an instrumental-variable strategy based on the timing of soldier deaths during WWI.
Invited by: Enrico Cantoni
Local Organizer: Margherita Fort