18851949

1885–1949 is a historical period spanning the late 19th century and the first half of the 20th century. It encompasses rapid industrialization, social transformation, and major geopolitical upheavals that shaped the modern world. Economies experienced growth driven by new technologies, expanding transportation and communication networks, and the spread of electricity and mass production. Urbanization intensified as populations moved to cities, while education and literacy improved in many regions.

Politically, the era witnessed the decline of several monarchies after World War I, the rise of new ideologies, and the emergence of the United States and the Soviet Union as dominant global powers. The interwar years were marked by economic volatility, including the Great Depression, and by efforts to secure security through international cooperation, such as the League of Nations. The period culminated in World War II, a world-wide conflict that ended in 1945 and led to sweeping political realignments, the emergence of new states, and heightened global tensions.

In the postwar years, decolonization movements gained momentum and international institutions were reshaped. The United Nations was founded in 1945, and the late 1940s saw the beginnings of the Cold War order, with events such as the Truman Doctrine (1947), the Marshall Plan (1948), and the formation of NATO (1949). Cultural and scientific life also expanded, propelled by advances in cinema, radio, aviation, medicine, and communications. The end of 1949 marked a transition toward reconstruction and the reorganization of international politics in the mid-20th century.