18891924

1889–1924 denotes a historical span that covers the late 19th century through the early interwar era. It encompasses rapid industrialization, imperial expansion, and the emergence of mass politics, alongside scientific and cultural shifts that transformed everyday life. Scholars describe this interval as a transitional phase between the long 19th century and the more unsettled political order that would follow World War I.

Global politics were defined by competition among imperial powers, rising nationalism, and shifting alliances. The outbreak of World War I in 1914 precipitated a global realignment and the collapse of several monarchies. The Russian Revolution of 1917 led to the creation of the Soviet Union in 1922, while the postwar settlement—including the Treaty of Versailles in 1919 and the founding of the League of Nations—attempted to redraw borders and norms.

Economy and technology advanced rapidly; electrification, mechanization, and new transportation enabled larger markets and military mobilization. The war accelerated industrial capacity and scientific research, while inflation and economic disruption in the early 1920s affected many nations. The Dawes Plan of 1924 aimed to stabilize Germany’s economy and normalize international debt relations.

Culturally, the period saw modernist movements in literature, art, and music, accompanied by social and political reform movements. Advances in science and philosophy, such as early developments in relativity and psychology, influenced public discourse. The era’s upheavals reshaped national identities, class structures, and colonial arrangements, setting the stage for the political crises of the late 1920s and 1930s.