"Contemporary history, in English-language historiography, is a subset of modern history that describes the historical period from approximately 1945 to the present."
The study of events from the mid-20th century to the present day.
The Enlightenment: A philosophical movement that challenged traditional authority and emphasized reason, science, and individual rights.
The French Revolution: A major turning point in European history that led to the overthrow of the monarchy, the rise of democracy, and the emergence of modern nationalism.
The Industrial Revolution: A period of rapid technological and economic change that transformed Western societies and brought about new modes of production, urbanization, and social inequality.
Imperialism and colonialism: The expansion of European empires overseas, the exploitation of non-European societies, and the emergence of anti-colonial movements.
World War I: A global conflict that shattered the old world order, led to the collapse of empires, and paved the way for the rise of new nationalist movements and ideologies.
The Russian Revolution: A social and political revolution that transformed Russia into the world's first socialist state, inspiring similar movements around the globe.
The Great Depression: A worldwide economic crisis that deepened social and political divisions, triggering a wave of authoritarian regimes and fascist movements.
World War II: A conflict that engulfed the globe, resulted in the deaths of millions of people, and led to the rise of the United States and the Soviet Union as superpowers.
The Cold War: A prolonged period of geopolitical tension and rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union, which shaped global politics and saw the rise of numerous proxy wars.
Decolonization: The process by which former colonies gained independence, often resulting in political instability, economic underdevelopment, and ongoing conflicts.
The Civil Rights Movement: A major social and political campaign for racial justice that challenged discrimination and inequality across the United States.
Feminism: A broad movement for gender equality that emerged in the late 19th century, encompassing numerous strands of activism, theory, and practice.
Environmentalism: A global movement for the protection of natural resources, wildlife, and biodiversity, which gained momentum in the 20th century.
Globalization: The process by which economic, cultural, and social interactions have become increasingly global in scale, leading to new opportunities and challenges.
Terrorism: The use of violence and intimidation for political purposes, which has become a major concern for policymakers and security agencies around the world.
Political History: Political history explores the political developments, including government policies, political parties, and leaders that have had an impact on a nation.
Social History: Social history examines the everyday lives of people, their customs, cultures, and how their social structures have evolved over time.
Cultural History: Cultural history highlights the cultural movements and developments of a people, including art, literature, music, and film.
Economic History: Economic history analyzes a nation's economic system and its evolution over time, as well as its economic policies regarding trade, industry, and labor.
Military History: Military history examines a nation's military strategy and the role of its military in conflicts throughout history.
Environmental History: Environmental history explores how human activity impacted the natural environment, including its flora and fauna, and how environmental changes have influenced human history.
Diplomatic History: Diplomatic history studies a nation's international relationships, including treaties, alliances, wars, and diplomatic negotiations.
Intellectual History: Intellectual history traces the development of ideas, values, and beliefs that have contributed to the shaping of a people's culture and society.
Gender History: Gender history explores the experiences of women and men, LGBTQ+, and how gender roles and identities have changed in different societies.
Ethnic History: Ethnic history examines the experiences of different ethnic groups within a nation, including their traditions, cultures, and struggles for equality and recognition.
"Contemporary history is either a subset of the late modern period, or it is one of the three major subsets of modern history, alongside the early modern period and the late modern period."
"Contemporary history is politically dominated by the Cold War (1947–1991) between the Western Bloc, led by the United States, and the Eastern Bloc, led by the Soviet Union."
"The confrontation spurred fears of a nuclear war."
"Both sides intervened in the internal politics of smaller nations in their bid for global influence and via proxy wars."
"The Cold War ultimately ended with the Revolutions of 1989 and the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991."
"The latter stages and aftermath of the Cold War enabled the democratization of much of Europe, Africa, and Latin America."
"Decolonization was another important trend in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Africa as new states gained independence from European colonial empires."
"The Middle East also saw a conflict involving the new state of Israel, the rise of petroleum politics, the continuing prominence but later decline of Arab nationalism, and the growth of Islamism."
"The first supranational organizations of government, such as the United Nations and European Union, emerged during the period after 1945."
"Countercultures rose and the sexual revolution transformed social relations in western countries between the 1960s and 1980s."
"Living standards rose sharply across the developed world because of the post-war economic boom."
"Japan and West Germany both emerged as exceptionally strong economies."
"The culture of the United States spread widely, with American television and movies spreading across the world."
"Globalization led to the emergence of new financial and industrial centers in Asia."
"The Japanese economic miracle was later followed by the Four Asian Tigers of Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan; and later China after its economic reform."
"Science made new advances after 1945: spaceflight, nuclear technology, lasers, semiconductors, molecular biology, genetics, particle physics, and the Standard Model of quantum field theory."
"The first commercial computers were created, followed by the Internet, beginning the Information Age."
"Living standards rose sharply across the developed world because of the post-war economic boom."
"The latter stages and aftermath of the Cold War enabled the democratization of much of Europe, Africa, and Latin America."