Can someone vividly describe what the first half of the twentieth century (1900-1950s) was like?

Question

I'm writing an essay about George Orwell, and a descripiton of this time period would make my intro more interesting....I think.

Answer 1

I think a key thing is to focus on Orwell's formative experiences -- he witnessed British imperialism in Burma, saw the Spanish Civil War first hand, and lived among the poor in Paris and London.
He was also a journalist during the Second World War and a close observer of the ideological struggles within European Socialism and Communism.

Vivid is an interesting word.....
Guernica by Pablo Picasso is a vivid image of the Spanish Civil War:
http://gblx.cache.el-mundo.net/elmundo/imagenes/2005/12/20/1135098273_1.jpg

George Orwell on being shot during the Spanish Civil War:
http://www.rjgeib.com/thoughts/soldiers/george-orwell-shot.html

Here is a good site on War Correspondents. Check out Edward R Murrow, Ernie Pyle and Robert Capa -- three of the greatest reporters of all time:
http://www.pbs.org/weta/reportingamericaatwar/reporters/capa/photo2.html

Answer 2

World War I
The Great Depression
World War II
start of the Cold War

Answer 3

It had everything imaginable in it!

And it was and still is one of the most interesting action filled periods of all time!

Political intrigue and an assiniation lead to World War I (1914 - 1918)- Which was responsible for deaths of untold millions and the increase and importance of Air travel!

l917 the Russian Revolution took place deposing their Czar and replacing it with a fom of Socialist Communism as well as changing the face and politics of Europe for the next 80 years! -

Automobiles became the mode and choice of transportation systems around the world along with the building of roads etc that expanded our trade and intercourse with other peoples and nations and also made Oil more important in our economy and our society as a whole!

The Panama Canal as well as the Suez Canal were put into operation linking the worlds economies like never before!

The US Stock Market went through the roof and produces multi-millionaires by the dozens - then on 10/29/29 had its "Black Friday" and Crashed causing investors to lose Billions of Dollars, etc. which put Millions of Americans out of work which was the forerunner of our Great Depression of the 30s.

And in the 30s America as well as Germany went through a recession with America having its "Great Depression" which we did not come out of until the war years of the 40s.

In the 30s Hitler and the Nazi party came to power in Germany and ended up attacking Poland on 9/1/39 which was the prelude to World War II. The Nazi party was responsible for murdering millions of people in eastern europe - especially the Jews -( who as a result of this ended up with their own country - Israel in l947).

6/6/44 The greatest Armada the world has ever known attacked by invading and storming the beaches of the Nazi forces in Normandy France which led ultimately to Germany being defeated shortly thereafter.

Thanks to the Germans late in WW II Jet air planes came into existence and Jets are used today in 95% of all air lines.

World War II came to an end on 8/8/45 with the Allies Russia, England, and America being victorious by America dropping two Atomic Bombs on Japan killing hundreds of thousands of people there.

The peace lasted about five years.

The Korean war started in l950 and continued until l953.

So much for History!