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The period from 1940 to 1970 encompasses a transformative half-century in world history. It witnessed the final years of World War II, the postwar restructuring of international politics, the rise of new powers, rapid economic growth in the developed world, and sweeping social and cultural change.

World War II ended in 1945, after which the Allied powers established a new international order. The United Nations was founded in 1945 to foster cooperation and prevent conflict. The Bretton Woods system shaped global finance. The Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union defined geopolitics, producing alliances such as NATO and the Warsaw Pact and a spectrum of proxy conflicts. European empires dissolved through decolonization in Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean, resulting in numerous new states in the 1950s and 1960s.

Economically, many Western economies entered a postwar boom, expanding consumer markets, welfare programs, and infrastructure investment. In Asia and Africa, development varied as new states pursued modernization and industrialization. Global migration, urbanization, and demographic changes reshaped societies.

Science and technology advanced rapidly. The space race drove breakthroughs, with Sputnik in 1957 and moon landings in 1969. Electronics and computing laid groundwork for later revolutions. Medicine and agriculture also progressed, with vaccines and agricultural innovations improving productivity.

Culturally, the era saw shifts in art, cinema, and music. Civil rights movements challenged segregation and discrimination. The late 1960s brought student protests and feminist activism that questioned authority and social norms.

The period left a lasting legacy in politics, economics, and society, including sustained decolonization, the maturation of the Cold War, and the beginnings of globalizing processes that continued into the late 20th century.