interwar

The interwar period refers to the years between the end of World War I in 1918 and the start of World War II in 1939. It was marked by reconstruction after a destructive war, redrawing borders in Europe and the Middle East, and the emergence of international institutions aimed at preventing another major conflict, notably the League of Nations.

Economically, the period saw instability including inflation in Central Europe, the stabilization in some countries, and the Great Depression beginning in 1929, which spread globally and worsened unemployment and social unrest. Politically, democracies faced challenges while new regimes emerged: liberal democracies in Western Europe faced pressure from radical movements; authoritarianism rose in Germany and Italy; militarism and expansionism grew in Japan.

Diplomatically, there were attempts at peaceful settlement and arms control, like Locarno Treaties (1925) and the Kellogg-Briand Pact (1928), but these arrangements failed to produce lasting security; collective security often proved ineffective, and appeasement strategies emerged in the late 1930s.

Cultural and social trends included modernization, urbanization, advances in technology, and significant cultural movements in literature, art, cinema, and science. In Asia, Japan pursued imperial expansion, while China was destabilized by internal conflicts and Japanese aggression; in the Middle East, mandates and nationalist movements reshaped borders and governance.

The interwar period ended with the outbreak of World War II in 1939, when aggression by Germany, Italy, and Japan undercut the attempts at stabilization. The era left a legacy of unresolved territorial disputes, economic volatility, and evolving international institutions.