Abstract
In the First World War (WW1), different types of injuries became both political and
economic factors for the main belligerent countries. This work illustrates the special
role facial injuries played during and after the war and the profound impact they
had on the field of Plastic Surgery in Britain and Germany.
This is a historical work based on primary and secondary sources. English and German
material was used to compile an overview of the development of Plastic and Reconstructive
Surgery as a specialty during WW1 and up to the Second World War (WW2).
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery had the task of reconstructing male beauty and
personalities, restoring the most intense, disfigured reminders of a terrible war
in homes and the public. Looking at the significant role the specialty played during
the war, remarkably, most of the contributors struggled to find financial support
to develop designated specialized departments in the inter-war period. The specialty's
connection to the emotional subject of facial disfigurement did not work in its favor
at a time when people wanted to forget the horrors of the war.
The developments in Britain and Germany during the WW1 were less isolated than often
described and the inter-war period saw much effort for international collaboration.
The different developments of WW2 further illustrate how essential the efforts of
a strong group of individuals and support from authorities were for the evolution
of Plastic Surgery as a specialty.
Keywords
facial reconstruction - war medicine - history of surgery
