The story begins with the echo of the , which shattered the "Old Order" of absolute monarchs.

: After the chaos of the revolution, Napoleon Bonaparte rose to power, spreading the Napoleonic Code across Europe. Though he was eventually defeated at the Battle of Waterloo (1815), the ideas of civil equality and nationalism could not be erased.

: Inventions like the steam engine, railroads, and the telegraph turned sleepy villages into massive factory cities.

: A new class of workers (the proletariat) emerged, leading to the birth of labor movements and new ideologies like Marxism (the Communist Manifesto was published in 1848). 3. The "Spring of Nations" and Unification (1848–1871)

In the Russian educational system, the ("Всеобщая история") curriculum typically focuses on the "Long 19th Century" —from the end of the 18th century (the French Revolution) through the beginning of the 20th century, leading up to the outbreak of World War I. The Story of the Modern World (9th Grade Overview)

: This period saw the unification of major nations that would dominate the 20th century: the Unification of Germany under Otto von Bismarck and the Risorgimento (unification) of Italy. 4. The Global Reach: Imperialism and Conflict (Late 1800s)

By the late 19th century, industrialized powers like Britain, France, and the newly unified Germany raced to conquer territories in Africa and Asia to secure raw materials and markets.