19471991

1947–1991 covers the second half of the 20th century, a period dominated by the Cold War between the Western bloc led by the United States and the Eastern bloc led by the Soviet Union. The era began with widespread reconstruction after World War II and a wave of decolonization, along with the emergence of international institutions such as the United Nations and a liberalizing global economy shaped by aid programs and trade rules. It was also a time of rapid technological change and broad social transformation across many regions.

Key conflicts and political realignments shaped international relations. The Korean War (1950–1953) and various conflicts in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East reflected competing ideologies and superpower involvement. Decolonization accelerated, yielding numerous new states in Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean, including Bangladesh in 1971 and ongoing sovereignty movements through the 1950s–1980s. Economically, Europe moved toward broader integration with the ECSC and the EEC, while the United States and its allies pursued economic stabilization and liberalization within the Bretton Woods framework.

Science, technology, and culture advanced rapidly. The space age began with the launch of Sputnik and culminated with the 1969 moon landing; computing and telecommunications laid the groundwork for the information age, including early packet networks and microprocessors. Social movements expanded rights and representation, with significant civil rights gains in the United States and widespread decolonization efforts worldwide.

The late 1980s saw political liberalization and the collapse of many authoritarian regimes in Eastern Europe, symbolized by the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. The dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 marked a decisive end to the Cold War era, reshaping international relations and contributing to a shift toward new global alignments in the subsequent years.