The 20th century brought two devastating world wars and then a period of extraordinary change. From the trenches of World War I to the creation of the NHS, from the end of empire to the Troubles in Northern Ireland, modern Britain was forged in this era.
Key facts
- World War I (1914–1918) was triggered by the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Around 2 million British casualties resulted.
- World War II (1939–1945) saw Britain fight against Nazi Germany. Winston Churchill was Prime Minister during most of the war.
- The Battle of Britain (1940) was a pivotal air battle in which the RAF defended Britain against the German Luftwaffe.
- D-Day (6 June 1944) was the Allied invasion of Normandy, a turning point in the war.
- After WWII, the welfare state was established based on the Beveridge Report. The NHS was founded in 1948.
- The process of decolonisation saw many former British colonies gain independence in the 1950s and 1960s.
- Migration from the Commonwealth, including the arrival of the Windrush generation from the Caribbean in 1948, helped shape modern multicultural Britain.
- The Troubles in Northern Ireland (late 1960s–1998) ended with the Good Friday Agreement (Belfast Agreement) in 1998.
In depth
World War I broke out in 1914 and lasted until 1918. It was a devastating conflict that killed millions across Europe. Britain and its allies fought against Germany and the Central Powers in brutal trench warfare. The war ended on 11 November 1918 - now commemorated as Remembrance Day. Just two decades later, World War II began in 1939 when Germany invaded Poland. Winston Churchill became Prime Minister in 1940 and led Britain through its darkest hours. The Battle of Britain, fought in the skies over England, prevented a German invasion. D-Day on 6 June 1944 saw Allied forces land in Normandy, beginning the liberation of Europe.
After the war, Britain was transformed. The Beveridge Report laid the foundations for the welfare state, and in 1948 the National Health Service (NHS) was created to provide free healthcare for all. The same year, the Empire Windrush brought workers from the Caribbean to Britain, symbolising the beginning of large-scale Commonwealth immigration that would make Britain the diverse country it is today. The British Empire was gradually dismantled as colonies across Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean gained independence. In Northern Ireland, decades of sectarian conflict known as the Troubles were brought to an end by the Good Friday Agreement in 1998.
Fix the dates firmly: the First World War ran from 1914 to 1918 and the Second World War from 1939 to 1945, with Winston Churchill leading Britain through much of it. After 1945 came the National Health Service (founded 1948), the welfare state, immigration from the Commonwealth, and Britain joining and later leaving the European Union.