1940es

The 1940s, commonly referred to as the decade from 1940 to 1949, was defined by World War II and its aftermath. The war involved most of the world, caused vast disruption and human suffering, and ended with Allied victory in 1945. The conflict reshaped military technology, political borders, and social structures, with lasting effects on international relations and global power dynamics.

Following the war, efforts toward reconstruction and the stabilization of international order produced several key institutions and agreements. The United Nations was established in 1945 to promote international cooperation and prevent future conflicts. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights appeared in 1948. Economic frameworks developed at Bretton Woods in 1944 and were implemented during the decade, and the Marshall Plan of 1948 provided substantial aid to Western Europe. The Nuremberg Trials (1945–46) prosecuted war crimes by Axis officials and established norms for international law.

The late 1940s also marked a shift in global power and a wave of decolonization. The wartime alliance of the United States and the Soviet Union gave way to the Cold War, shaping international alignments. Politically, India gained independence and was partitioned in 1947; the State of Israel was proclaimed in 1948; the Chinese Civil War concluded with the Communist Party establishing the People’s Republic of China in 1949. In Europe, Germany was divided into East and West zones in 1949, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was formed the same year.

Social and technological change accompanied these political shifts. Women entered large numbers into wartime and postwar labor markets; advances in aviation, rocketry, and nuclear science influenced science and industry. The decade also witnessed emerging civil rights movements and independence struggles that reshaped many regions in the ensuing decades.