Final answer:
The Second Industrial Revolution ended with the start of World War I, a period marked by profound technological innovations that ceased with the global conflict. WWI redrew national boundaries, altered social norms, and ushered in a new global power structure, fundamentally changing the world and paving the way for future upheavals.
Step-by-step explanation:
The End of the Second Industrial Revolution
The Second Industrial Revolution was a transformative period that lasted from the late 19th century until the outbreak of World War I. This era witnessed major advancements in technology and infrastructure, including the development of steel production, the assembly line, and the harnessing of electricity. Innovations such as the internal combustion engine significantly advanced industrial capabilities and changed the economic landscape.
As the First World War began, the industrial progress and expansion of the previous era came to a halt. The war reshaped national boundaries, social norms, and global power dynamics, and the aftermath set the stage for even further changes, including the rise of communism in Russia following the October Revolution, and the conditions that would later give rise to World War II. This period of intense conflict and change was deeply interconnected with the developments of the Second Industrial Revolution.
Indeed, World War I prompted a great upheaval that ended the previous era's industrial and economic momentum. It involved the entire world, employed industrialized weapons of war, and led to massive human and financial costs. The war's end did not resolve the underlying tensions that sparked it, setting the scene for future conflicts and revolutions around the world.