19201929

1920–1929 was the first full interwar decade and marked by economic expansion, social change, and shifting political alignments after World War I. It was a period of reconstruction in some regions and consolidation of new powers in others, culminating in the onset of the Great Depression at its end.

Economic and technological developments: The decade saw rising productivity, mass production, and increasing consumer credit. In the United States and Western Europe, living standards generally improved as industry recovered and expanded. Innovations such as automobiles, airplanes, electricity, radio, and cinema contributed to a more interconnected global culture. In the United States, Prohibition from 1920 to 1933 influenced social life and crime dynamics.

International politics: The League of Nations was established to promote collective security and diplomacy, though its effectiveness varied. Economic stabilization efforts included the Dawes Plan (1924) and the Locarno Treaties (1925), which helped ease reparations disputes and improve relations in Europe. The Kellogg-Briand Pact (1928) sought to outlaw war. Politics at the national level saw dramatic shifts: Italy under Mussolini consolidated a fascist regime after 1922, while the Soviet Union, under Stalin following Lenin’s 1924 death, moved from the New Economic Policy toward rapid industrialization and centralized planning.

Society and culture: The era witnessed the Jazz Age, the Harlem Renaissance, and broader modernist trends in art and architecture, including Art Deco. Women gained or expanded suffrage in multiple countries, and urban centers experienced changes in work, leisure, and social norms.

End and legacy: The decade closed with the stock market crash of October 1929, triggering the Great Depression and reshaping global economics, politics, and culture for years to come.