18571945

1857–1945 refers to a broad historical span that extends from the mid-19th century to the end of World War II. It encompasses dramatic transformations in technology, politics, and society that shaped the modern world. The period includes industrial expansion, empire-building, and rapid social change across continents.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, industrialization and new forms of governance reshaped states. European powers expanded colonies in Africa and Asia; economic integration and competition contributed to geopolitical tensions. The Meiji Restoration in Japan, the unification of Germany and Italy, and modernization efforts elsewhere redefined power balances.

World War I (1914–1918) redrew the global map and toppled several empires. The postwar period saw nationalist movements, revolutions, and attempts at multilateral cooperation, including the League of Nations, but also economic instability and political extremism in various countries.

The interwar years featured economic upheaval, the rise of totalitarian regimes in parts of Europe and Asia, and ongoing struggles for reform and regional systems. The outbreak of World War II in 1939 led to global conflict, the Holocaust, and widespread devastation, ending in 1945 with Allied victory and the founding of new international institutions.

Technological and social currents of the era included electrification, urbanization, advances in communications and transport, medical progress, and evolving social norms. The period set the stage for decolonization and the geopolitical order of the postwar world.