Historical Connections to the Modern Period

In the first half of the 20th century, Britain faced two devastating world wars, increased growth of its cities, the far-reaching impact of the Great Depression in the United States, and the loss of control over many of its colonies. Despite the dissolution of the British Empire, those who lived in England found a renewed sense of nationalistic pride, although not everyone in Ireland shared the same feelings. As Britain's greatest writers and thinkers strove to make sense of this new, fragmented world, changes in focus and form took place in British art and literature.