Definition of Contemporary History

The Contemporary historyIt is the most recent period in the history of Humanity, occupying the space that goes from the end of the 18th century to the present. The beginning of this historical stage has traditionally been located in the year of the French Revolution (1789), in which Modern History ends. The end of the period known as Contemporary History is not clear since it is considered to have arrived up to the present, although for some thinkers the 21st century has been the beginning of the stage Postmodern.

When defining the world events developed throughout Contemporary History, some elements stand out and give marked specificity to this period. In this regard, we must mention the establishment and consolidation of large-scale phenomena. While the nineteenth century was characterized by the imperialist phenomenon that allowed Europeans to take over all the corners of the planet over which they still did not exercise power, during the twentieth century the process of

globalization that brought the whole planet into an intimate relationship politics, economic, social and cultural.

In Contemporary History, the population reached a number higher than the number of the total world population of all historical periods added together, and this may be closely related to the development of very important technological advances (from of the Industrial Revolution), with the consolidation of the capitalist system that gave the bourgeoisies unique opportunities for growth and wealth and with the advancement of the consumer societies that were able to achieve better living standards for the first time in history (with household appliances, new techniques from conservation food, with the growth of entertainment and cultural variants, etc).

However, Contemporary History has also meant important conflicts and setbacks. It is here that we must mention the phenomena that stained contemporary societies with blood and pain, especially from of imperialism and exploitation of African countries at the end of the 19th century, of armed conflicts such as the two World Wars events in the first half of the 20th century and the Cold War, the development of racist and totalitarian ideologies such as fascism or the Nazism, with the deepening of social differences between those who own the means of production and the working sectors. Finally, the period of Contemporary History also meant the large-scale destruction of nature and the environment, conflict that today is beginning to show its first signs of gravity.

Topics in Contemporary History