19471994

The designation 1947–1994 covers roughly five decades that stretched from the immediate postwar era into the mid-1990s. It encompasses major shifts in international power, economy, society, and technology that shaped late 20th‑century history.

International order and decolonization: In the aftermath of World War II, institutions such as the United Nations and the Bretton Woods financial system were established. The early Cold War framed global geopolitics, with blocs led by the United States and the Soviet Union. Decolonization accelerated across Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean, leading to numerous new nation-states from the 1950s onward. The period also saw regional alignments and conflicts, such as the Korean War, the Suez Crisis, and various regional wars.

Economy and society: The postwar period included rapid economic growth in many Western nations, often called the long boom, followed by challenges in the 1970s from oil shocks and stagflation. The expansion of welfare states, global trade, and rising living standards coexisted with rising inequality and social movements. Civil rights, women's liberation, and later LGBTQ+ rights movements reshaped societies.

Science, technology, and culture: Space exploration, semiconductors, and computing advanced rapidly; communication technologies transformed economies and daily life; popular culture became more global with television, music, and film.

End of era and legacy: The late 1980s and early 1990s witnessed the collapse of communist regimes in Eastern Europe, the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, and a redefined international order. The year 1994 saw events such as the implementation of NAFTA and the first democratic elections in South Africa, while conflicts such as the Rwandan genocide and ongoing regional wars highlighted continuing global instability. The period left a legacy of renewed globalization, technological change, and shifting power relations that shaped subsequent decades.