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1880–1959 denotes the span from the 1880s to the end of the 1950s. It was a period of rapid industrialization, urbanization, and global political realignments. The era saw European empires expand, new nation-states emerge, and sweeping changes in science, technology, and culture. It laid foundations for modern international relations and the social and economic structures that shaped the later 20th century.

Political and military developments dominated much of the period. The late 19th century featured intensifying imperial competition and modernization of states. World War I (1914–1918) redrew borders and brought geopolitical upheaval. The Russian Revolution of 1917 transformed governance in Russia and inspired movements worldwide. The interwar years were marked by economic volatility, social unrest, and the rise of totalitarian regimes in some countries. The Great Depression of the 1930s deepened hardship and chipped away faith in existing systems. World War II (1939–1945) ended with Allied victory and a reshaped global order.

Postwar reconstruction and diplomacy led to new organizations such as the United Nations and a formalized Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union. The late 1940s and 1950s saw decolonization begin in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, alongside rapid economic growth and modernization in many economies.

Technological advances reshaped everyday life: widespread electrification, mass production, aviation, radio, and cinema. Scientific breakthroughs in physics and medicine, including relativity, quantum mechanics, and vaccines, altered knowledge and health. Social change included women's suffrage, labor rights, and shifts in urban culture and education.

Overall, 1880–1959 was a transitional era that set the stage for postwar geopolitics, decolonization, and the technological and cultural developments that defined the late 20th century.