The Twentieth Century: An Age of Extremes

British historian, Eric Hobsbawm, labelled the twentieth century as “the age of extremes” (Hobsbawm). Few centuries seem to have such diversity of science, technology, arts, and engineering from the start of the century to its end. Beginning in 1901 and ending in 2000, the twentieth century is an example of man’s ingenuity and devastation. Starting with the first flight of a controlled plane in 1903 and ending with computers that could be held in your hand giving access to almost instant world-wide knowledge, man had come a long way. Pluto was discovered in 1930. Man was walking on the moon in 1969 and launching reusable space shuttles by 1981. Music included flappers in the 1920s, jazz and blues in the 1930s and 1940s, the birth of rock-n-roll in the 1950s, disco in the 1970s, big hair, rock bands of the1980s and hip hop/rap in the 1990s. All these changed the world, but three events of the twentieth century are most world-changing: World War I (1914-1918), the Great Depression (1929-1939) and World War II (1939-1945). World War I, also known as the Great War, began in 1914 and ended in 1918 with the Treaty of Versailles, signed on June 28, 1919 (history.com editors). What began with the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria by a Serbian nationalist would grow to a war across Europe that involved most powerful countries of the world. The technological advances made earlier in the century would make this one of the bloodiest and most destruction ever experienced. According to history.com, more than 16 million people, both soldiers and civilians, died and 21 million more were wounded during World War I. Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire were known as the Central Powers. Great Britain, France, Russia, Italy, Romania, Canada, Japan, and the United States were the Allied Powers and eventual victors.

The United States entered the war in April, 1917, when President Wilson asked Congress to declare war with the words; “The world must be made safe for democracy” (Hindley). This was the first time the US had entered a war not on its own soil or of its own making. This started a precedent the US still follows. New methods of warfare caused World War I to also be referred to as “the first modern war”. These included what’s now known as trench warfare with the first widespread use of poisonous gases, military tanks, German U-boats and the first use of planes for warfare. World War I changed the political landscape forever. Life in the United States changed greatly too. Women were now used to being in the workplace instead of staying at home. Both black and white Americans served in World War I for the first time, but not together. Many believed this would be “the war that ends all war,” but, unfortunately, it was not. A second major event in the twentieth century is the Great Depression. Beginning in 1929 and ending in 1939, the Great Depression was a time of very high unemployment and poverty for Americans and European countries as they tried to recover economically from World War I. The New York stock market crashed in October 1929, when stocks lost 85% of their value from 1929 to July 1932 (Field). This led to almost half of US banks failing which forced the closing of businesses and massive unemployment. Unable to work, people lost their homes and their possessions. European countries had borrowed a lot of money from US banks to finance their World War I recovery and were now also out of money. World War I soldier returned from the war to find the US government could not pay them and there were few, if any, jobs available. Making matters harder, a drought was happening in much of the Plains that made jobs in agriculture even harder for those already there and those migrating west looking for work.

By 1932, twenty-five percent of American workers were unemployed, and thousands were homeless (loc.gov). President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal expanded the US government’s care of American citizens with programs like welfare. Suicide rates rose as men were unable to provide for their families (Konkel). Divorce rates rose. The turning point for the world economy was, unfortunately, a second World War. Globally, economies became stronger as countries prepared for war. The third life-changing twentieth century event is World War II. Basically, every part of the world was involved in World War II at some time between 1939 and 1945. The main countries involved were the Axis powers of Germany, Italy, and Japan against the Allied powers of Great Britain, France, Russia, Poland, and the United States. Estimated deaths of 40,000,000-50,000,000 worldwide make World War II the bloodiest and longest war in history (Hughes). This war changed history in the number of lives lost as well as the political landscape that still exists today. The German leader, Adolf Hitler, and his Nazi party would lead their allies in a war that included new levels of destruction like Panzer tanks, blitzkrieg or “lightning war” and advanced plane warfare. Other atrocities include the genocide of six million Jews and allies by the Nazi regime. War forced countries to develop more weapons and stronger ones. One example is the development and deployment of the first atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan on August 6, 1945, by the United States. An Allied victory would shape the political powers even today. The warriors of World War II and those who survived the Great Depression are often referred to as “the Greatest Generation” and the sacrifices they made on behalf of the world make them so.

The Twentieth Century was an amazing time of growth, innovation, technology, social and political changes, and at times, devastation. Change was fast and diverse. Our current culture owes much to this one.

Works Cited “Americans React to the Great Depression: Great Depression and World War II, 1929-1945: U.S. History Primary Source Timeline: Classroom Materials at the Library of Congress: Library of Congress.” The Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/classroom- materials/united-states-history-primary-source-timeline/great-depression-and-world-war- ii-1929-1945/americans-react-to-great-depression/. Field, Anne. “7 Causes of the Great Depression, and How the Road to Recovery Transformed the U.S. Economy.” Business Insider, www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/what- caused-the-great-depression. Hindley, Meredith, and Tom Christopher. “World War I Changed America and Transformed Its Role in International Relations.” The National Endowment for the Humanities, www.neh.gov/humanities/2017/summer/feature/world-war-i-changed-america-and- transformed-its-role-in-international-relations. Hobsbawm, E.J. The Age of Extremes: The Short Twentieth Century, 1914-1991, Abacus, 1995. Hughes. “World War II.” Encyclopedia Britannica, www.britannica.com/event/World-War-II. “Life for the Average Family During the Great Depression.” History.com, www.history.com/news/life-for-the-average-family-during-the-great-depression. World War I: Causes and Timeline.” History.Com,www.history.com/topics/world-war-i.