18781926

18781926 refers to the period spanning 1878 through 1926, a span that covers the late 19th century and the early decades of the 20th century. It is characterized by rapid industrialization, social change, and shifts in political order that helped shape the modern world.

Technological and economic developments define the era. The late 19th century saw the Second Industrial Revolution with widespread electrification, steel production, rail expansion, and steam navigation. In the early 20th century, communication and transportation accelerated global integration—telephones and telegraphs spread, automobiles entered mass production with Ford’s Model T in 1908, and aviation began with the Wright brothers’ first flight in 1903. Urbanization and new consumer goods transformed daily life, work, and the structure of economies.

Global politics and conflict also define the period. European empires and expanding global networks connected economies and societies, while rivalries and alliances grew. The outbreak of World War I in 1914 reorganized borders and power relations. The Russian Revolution of 1917 led to the emergence of a Soviet state. The war ended in 1918, with the Treaty of Versailles in 1919 and the creation of the League of Nations in 1920, signaling attempts to prevent future conflicts, even as tensions persisted.

Society, science, and culture evolved as well. Advances in physics, notably Einstein’s work in the early part of the century, reshaped scientific understanding. Medicine saw significant milestones, including the isolation of insulin in 1921–22. The era also witnessed the growth of mass media, education, and new forms of artistic and cultural expression.

By 1926, the world stood in the early interwar period, facing ongoing economic and political changes that would influence the remainder of the decade.