The 20th Century was a period that saw more scientific discoveries and inventions than any other period in time. The century started with steam-powered ships being the height of technology and ended with a constant human presence in space, moon landings and a world-wide network of computers and global distribution of information. The world has never shrunk so much as during the 20th Century, the Internet would give instant communication to anywhere on Earth and civilian aircraft gave people unprecedented levels of transport. With the mass production of the automobile humans gained a high level of personal mobility and had truly made the switch from relying on animals and nature to relying on machines and industry.



While Europe and much of the world would end the 20th Century at peace the first half of the century was scarred by two world wars. The rise of Japan, China and the United States as new economic powers would cause tension among the more traditional European super powers at the start of the century. With the assassination of Franz Ferdinand in 1914 a number of international alliances and conflicts were ignited and within months almost all of Europe was at war. Dubbed at the time The Great War, World War 1 would see Britain, Russia and France fight Germany and Austria-Hungary, with the United States joining Britain and her allies later in the conflict.

The First World War was characterised by the use of 20th Century technology and 19th Century tactics. Much of the war was fought in trenches with neither side able to make any significant advantages. Often the only method of making an advance was to go over the top, this method would lead to an incredible amount of casualties, even leading to a French mutiny in 1917. Many of the generals would not know how to deal with tanks, machine guns and the deadly gasses used. Troops returning from the war would often suffer from shell shock and post-traumatic stress disorders. The Great War would also see large advances in communication technology and aircraft, both vital for their respective war efforts.

In 1918, a year after the USA joined the war, Germany surrendered and ended the conflict. In the aftermath of World War 1 Germany were forced to sign the Treaty of Versailles and accept responsibility for the war. They were forced to pay large reparations, much of the German population was left disillusioned after the war, angry at being blamed and upset at being declared defeated when they did not think they had lost. Much of this feeling would carry over into the 1930s and give rise to fascism and later naziism. After the war the Austro-Hungarian empire was broken up and the new nations of Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia were created along with the League of Nations, designed to stop future world wars from happening.