18891948

The designation 1889–1948 refers to a historical span from 1889 through 1948, characterized by rapid industrialization, imperial expansion, and major geopolitical upheavals that helped shape the modern world.

During this period, industrialization and urbanization accelerated in Europe and North America, accompanied by new technologies such as electric power and expanded communications. Colonial empires extended their reach in Africa, Asia, and the Pacific, while global migration produced widespread diasporas and cultural exchange.

The era includes World War I (1914–1918), the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the subsequent formation of the Soviet Union, the interwar period with economic volatility, the rise of extremist movements in some countries, the Great Depression, and World War II (1939–1945), which caused widespread devastation and led to major political realignments and war crimes investigations.

In the immediate postwar years, decolonization movements gained momentum, the Cold War began to take shape, and international norms were reshaped by institutions such as the United Nations, established in 1945, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted in 1948.