The volume provides an overview of the political, social, and economic developments in world history during the 20th century, from industrialization to the present day. The 20th century begins with the inability of European powers to accept the end of expansion possibilities into distant peripheries. The imperialist aggressions that Germany directed against Eastern Europe and Japan against East Asia fail in 1945. The hegemony of the USA is solidified. The Cold War between the Western powers and the Eastern bloc ultimately leads to excessive armament and poses a threat to all of humanity. The attempt to develop a more rational and egalitarian counter-model to capitalism within socialism fails as a dictatorship of a single party and ends in 1990. The 20th century is characterized by diverse emancipations, extraordinary inventions, and a...