postWorldI

PostWorldI is a historiographical term used to describe the period and set of conditions that followed World War I. It roughly covers the years from the armistice on 11 November 1918 through the late 1930s, though the exact span varies by region. The era was marked by political realignment, economic upheaval, and social transformation as nations reorganized after a war that altered borders and power.

The war's end led to the dissolution of several empires—the German, Austro-Hungarian, Russian, and Ottoman—creating new states and redrawing borders in Europe, the Middle East, and beyond. International diplomacy sought stability through instruments such as the League of Nations, though its effectiveness was limited by competing national interests and later withdrawal by major powers. The period also saw the rise of new political movements, including fascism in Italy and Nazism in Germany, as well as the consolidation of Soviet power.

Economically, postwar reconstruction, reparations controversies, and inflation in some countries gave way to cycles of stabilization and downturn, culminating in the global Great Depression starting in 1929. Social change included expanded suffrage for women, shifts in labor relations, urbanization, and cultural experimentation in art, literature, and science.

Its legacy includes reforms in international law, new approaches to statehood and diplomacy, and lasting debates over collective security and economic policy. The era's challenges and responses influenced later policy, diplomacy, and economic institutions.