18861945

1886–1945 refers to a historical span that encompasses late 19th‑century modernization, the upheavals of two world wars, and the dramatic social and political changes that reshaped the modern world. It begins in the era of industrial expansion and imperial competition and ends with postwar restructuring that laid the groundwork for the contemporary geopolitical order.

In political and military terms, the period witnessed the intensification of European power politics and global conflicts. The First World War (1914–1918) destroyed old empires and produced new nation-states and borders. The Russian Revolution of 1917 introduced a communist state and inspired global ideological conflicts. The interwar years were marked by economic instability, political extremism, and militarism in several countries. The Second World War (1939–1945) involved most of the world and ended with massive civilian and military casualties, the defeat of fascist regimes, and the reconfiguration of international power structures, including the founding of new international institutions in its aftermath.

Social and economic changes accompanied political shifts. Urbanization accelerated, education expanded, and mass media transformed public life. Technological advances in electricity, transportation, aviation, radio, and cinema reshaped economies and culture. The period also saw significant social reforms, including movements for suffrage and greater civil rights, alongside reevaluation of colonial relationships and global trade.

Culturally and scientifically, the era reflected rapid modernization. Modernist movements in art and literature challenged established norms, while advances in physics, chemistry, and medicine expanded the boundaries of knowledge and capability. By the mid-1940s, medical breakthroughs such as antibiotic developments and the emergence of a global security framework culminating in the United Nations helped define the postwar world.