The short twentieth century

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The short twentieth century, defined by Eric Hobsbawm, a British Marxist historian and author, refers to the period between the years 1914 and 1991.

That period begins with the beginning of World War I, and ends with the fall of the Soviet Union. These events represented such significant changes in world history as to redefine the era.

The term is analogous to the long 19th century, also coined by Hobsbawm, denoting the period 1789 to 1914.

[edit] See also

• The long 19th century
• American Century
• Eric Hobsbawm's The Age of Extremes: The Short Twentieth Century, 1914-1991