1880luvun

1880luvun refers to the decade spanning 1880 to 1889, a period marked by accelerating industrialization, colonial expansion, and social transformation in many regions of the world. The era followed the earlier long depression but saw rising urbanization, population growth, and the expansion of global trade and communication networks.

Internationally, imperial competition intensified in Africa and Asia, marked by the Berlin Conference of 1884–1885 that formalized European claims on territories. In Russia, the assassination of Tsar Alexander II in 1881 led to the autocratic rule of Alexander III. In India, the 1885 founding of the Indian National Congress reflected growing organized political activity outside Europe.

Technological and economic change reshaped daily life. Electric lighting and telecommunications expanded in urban areas, rail networks grew, and the decade saw early automobile experiments. The period persisted in the economic downturn known as the Long Depression, influencing policy and labor relations, with notable labor actions such as the 1886 May Day demonstrations and the Haymarket affair in Chicago.

Cultural currents included continuing developments in art and literature, with Impressionism and Realism shaping visual culture, and writers examining modern urban life and social change. Major public works and exhibitions, such as the 1889 Exposition Universelle in Paris, culminated in landmark projects like the Eiffel Tower. The decade also witnessed scientific and medical advances that laid groundwork for further innovations in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.