The Modern World
Nation-states, ideologies, technology, and globalization—how power, identity, and risk shape life today.
1914 CE → 2025 CE
In one minute..
The mental model for this era
is where history accelerates. Industrial power, mass politics, and global war reshape states; technology compresses time and space; and ideologies compete to organize society. The modern world is defined less by stability than by constant change.. and by debates over who controls it.
Why this era matters
- Most political borders, institutions, and conflicts today are products of the 20th century.
- Mass media, technology, and bureaucracy shape how people think, organize, and mobilize.
- Economic growth and scientific progress coexist with existential risks: climate change, nuclear weapons, and inequality.
- Ideas—not just armies—become decisive forces in global competition.
What to watch for
- How ideology shapes systems: liberalism, fascism, communism, and their hybrids
- How institutions manage risk: welfare states, international organizations, and regulation
- How technology changes power: media, surveillance, automation, and platforms
- Where globalization integrates—and where it fractures—societies
Key transitions
Empire → Nation-States
sovereignty, borders, and nationalism dominate global politics
Elite Politics → Mass Society
voting, propaganda, and public opinion reshape power
Industrial War → Total War
economies, civilians, and ideology become part of conflict
Analog → Digital
computation, networks, and data transform coordination and identity
Where this era is most active
Americas
Region
Industrial power, mass culture, and global influence coexist with inequality and polarization.
Africa
Region
Post-colonial state-building, growth, and constraint unfold under global integration.