Samuel Bentolila (@samben8.bsky.social)

Scars of War: The Legacy of WWI Deaths on Civic Capital and Combat Motivation (Forthcoming Article) - We study how the legacy of WWI deaths affected British communities and the next generation of soldiers. Our instrumental-variable estimates show that servicemen from localities that suffered heavier losses in WWI were considerably more likely to die or win gallantry medals in WW2. To contextualise these findings, we show that the mortality shock increased communities’ inter-war civic capital as demonstrated by the creation of war memorials, veterans’ associations and charities, and increases in pro-social participation. Our results highlight the importance of past conflicts in fostering pro-social behaviours which, in turn, can shape the motivation of soldiers in future wars. https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/app.20250070&from=f