19301960

1930–1960 refers to a period spanning three decades in world history characterized by economic crisis, global conflict, political realignments, and rapid technological and social change. The decade of the 1930s began with the Great Depression, which devastated economies and reshaped policy. In the United States, the New Deal expanded public works and social insurance. Across Europe, authoritarian regimes rose, culminating in fascist Italy, Nazi Germany, and militarist Japan; the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939) also shaped ideologies and alliances. The late 1930s saw war erupt as Germany invaded Poland in 1939, triggering World War II. The conflict spread worldwide, with major theaters in Europe, the Pacific, and Africa; it ended in 1945 with Axis defeat, the Holocaust, and the first use of nuclear weapons in warfare.

The postwar era redefined international order. The United Nations was formed to foster cooperation and prevent another world war. The Bretton Woods system established fixed exchange rates and laid the groundwork for institutions such as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. Western Europe and Japan experienced reconstruction aided by the Marshall Plan, while decolonization accelerated in Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean. The late 1940s and 1950s saw the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union, the division of Europe, and regional conflicts such as the Korean War (1950–1953). The period also witnessed significant scientific and cultural developments: the transistor enabled advances in electronics, early computing emerged, and space exploration began with the Soviet launch of Sputnik in 1957; consumer society and mass media expanded, while civil rights movements and social changes began to reshape many societies.

By 1960, many nations pursued independence or reform within a bipolar world order that would dominate global affairs for decades to come.