Major transformations of the twentieth century in world history

The twentieth century does mark a dramatic departure from previous historical periods. Politically speaking, the rise of the modern nation-state as the geo-political entity dismantled some of the outmoded models of governance, particularly in Europe. The age of colonization was drawing to a close, as independence movements also coincided with the social and political changes taking place throughout the world. As the Industrial Revolution gave rise to new transportation, communications, and military technologies, the nature of global warfare also changed, leading to the dramatically deadly “total war” concept and the potential for weapons of mass destruction to obliterate large swathes of the human population in a relatively short period of time (Marks, 162). Social norms and values perhaps changed even more dramatically, proving the political underpinnings for many of the transformations taking place in human societies around the world. Secularization and globalization had taken root, even as the polarization of world power during the Cold War also changed international relations. Although globalization had dominated the economic landscape of the world for centuries, the twentieth century economic marketplace showed just how interdependent the world had become. The Great Depression affected multiple countries simultaneously because of the interconnectedness of the global market economy (Marks, 162). New technological advancements in communications and transportation enhanced global economic interdependence. Likewise, the discovery of oil and the development of fossil-fuel dependent industrial and transportation technologies changed the global economy and altered the nature of all life on earth. Fossil fuel discoveries in the Middle East has led to power struggles and imbalances, as well as the global issues related to pollution and climate change. Decolonization was also one of the most important trends of the twentieth century. Whereas the imperialistic powers of Europe had competed for access to the natural and human resources from exploited territories, the ethically driven independence movements of the twentieth century revealed the problems in the old model of colonization (“Africa: States of Independence”). The creation of new nation-states occurred at a relatively rapid pace in the years following the Second World War, with India and Israel being among the most notable new nations that impacted global politics. After the devastating effects of both World War One and World War Two, Europe started to recognize the value in forging strategic political alliances based on mutual economic interests rather than on contests of power. With the emergence of the United States and the Soviet Union as the two global superpowers, a new world order prevailed. The world became increasingly dependent not just on fossil fuels, but also on rapid resource sharing. Yet it also seemed that the vestiges of colonialism still did impact global social, political, and economic realities. The communist revolutions taking place throughout the world as a result of the Russian Revolution at the beginning of the twentieth century seemed to pit capitalism against socialism (Marks, 179). It soon became apparent that both capitalists and communists sought power in a realist worldview. Formerly exploited colonies in Africa and Latin America became exploited nation-states, some of which were beholden to the Soviets and others to the Untied States during the Cold War. With the end of the Cold War, another new world order took root. One of the definitive eras in modern world history, the twentieth century is characterized by major changes to the mode of globalization, technological advancements, political alliances, and social norms. Although some of the residual effects of the previous era of colonization remain, generally the twentieth century revealed the many problems with the colonial model of oppression. The Vietnam War, for example, revealed how the nations of the world needed to forge alliances for mutually beneficial goals rather than continue to rely on bellicose means of resolving conflicts or access to resources.