19251968

1925–1968 denotes a continuous historical span that encompasses the late interwar era, World War II, and much of the early Cold War. It is characterized by rapid political, economic, and social change that reshaped large parts of the world.

During the 1920s, modernization and cultural change progressed in many regions, while the 1930s brought economic hardship and the rise of totalitarian movements in several countries. The Second World War (1939–1945) redrew borders, toppled regimes, and led to the creation of a new international order, including the United Nations in 1945 and a global security framework anchored by Western and Soviet blocs.

Postwar reconstruction and development defined the late 1940s and 1950s. The Bretton Woods institutions established a liberal financial system, NATO and the Warsaw Pact formalized military blocs, and regional integration began with initiatives such as the European Economic Community in 1957. Decolonization accelerated after 1945, as many colonies gained independence in the 1950s and 1960s, reshaping global demographics and governance.

Technological and social change accompanied political developments: mass media, consumer society, advances in medicine and industry, the space race beginning in the late 1950s, and the emergence of civil rights and liberation movements in various countries during the 1950s and 1960s. The year 1968 stood for widespread protests and social unrest in several nations, marking a peak of student, labor, and antiwar activism in many parts of the world.

Overall, 1925–1968 was a period of transformation that established many patterns of the late 20th century, including new international institutions, decolonization, and social movements that continued to influence global affairs in the decades that followed.