18641939

1864–1939 is a historical timespan that covers the late 19th century and the interwar period, a window used by historians to discuss broad patterns of modernization, conflict, and cultural change that shaped the modern world. The interval begins in the era of rapid industrial expansion and ends on the eve of a new global conflict, capturing transformations in politics, economy, society, and culture.

Economically, the period witnessed the second industrial revolution, with innovations in electricity, chemistry, transportation, and mass production. Global trade and imperial networks expanded, even as competition and tensions over resources and markets contributed to geopolitical instability. Urbanization accelerated, altering social structures and daily life, while new movements sought social reform, labor rights, and suffrage.

Politically, the era saw the consolidation of nation-states in Europe, the rise and decline of imperial powers, and upheavals that reshaped borders. World War I (1914–1918) redefined national identities and international relations, while the 1917 Russian Revolution produced a lasting socialist state. The postwar era featured experimentation in governance, alongside economic volatility and social change, eventually leading to a charged prewar atmosphere in the 1930s.

Culturally and scientifically, the period fostered major shifts in thought and expression. Advances in science and technology continued to transform everyday life, while modernist movements in art and literature redefined aesthetics and cultural norms.

1939 marks a turning point within the span, as the onset of World War II signaled the end of the interwar era and the beginning of a new, transformative chapter in global history.