The end of the belle époque
The end of the belle époque

Summary/Abstract: The first belle époque preceded the First World War. It took place when, after the end of the French-Prussian war in 1871, European states experienced an extraordinary economic and cultural boom. The telephone, the automobile, as well as the aeroplane were the great inventions of the belle époque which defined our understanding of the comfort and progress of the 20th century. Thanks to these three inventions, as well as peace and prosperity, the Third French Republic and Imperial Germany were able to increase their might and thus rapidly developed. The term West meant “Western European states” for the last time in history. The First World War and its continuation, the Second World War, could not have been concluded without the US’s involvement. After 1945, the political West was rebuilt with the US playing a leading role.

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