20TH CENTURY: A TIME FOR CHANGES

POLITICAL FACTS 1901

Queen VICTORIA (reigned between the years 1837-1901)

Victoria was born in London, on 24 May 1819 and she became Queen at the age of
18.
The Victorian era of Great Britain is considered the height of the British industrial
revolution and the apex of the British Empire. At her death, it was said, Britain had a worldwide
empire on which the sun never set. The Victorian era was followed by the Edwardian period, also
known as Post-Victorianism.

Edwardian period
The Edwardian period or Edwardian era in the United Kingdom is the period of
the reign of King Edward VII. It succeeded the Victorian period and is sometimes extended
to include the period up to the sinking of the RMS Titanic in 1912, the start of World War I
in 1914, or even the end of the war in 1918.
Perhaps because of the King's fondness for travel, the period was marked by an
enthusiasm for the art and fashions of continental Europe.

Class and society

Socially, the Edwardian era was the period during which the British class system
was at its most rigid, although paradoxically, changes in social thought, particularly the
rising interest in socialism, attention to the plight of the poor and the status of women,
expressed in, for example, the issue of women's suffrage, together with increased economic
opportunities as a result of rapid industrialisation, created an environment in which there
could be more social mobility and people would become more liberal. This change would
be hastened in the aftermath of the First World War
The upper classes embraced leisure sports, which led to rapid developments in
fashion, as more mobile and flexible clothing styles were needed. The corset was modified;
its everyday wearing was gradually abandoned.

The Edwardian Period was also known as the Belle Epoque - meaning beautiful era.
Art Nouveau was a huge influence during this time on the whole of everyday life. Art has
never dominated the aesthetics of an era as thoroughly as it did during this time. Despite the
relatively short duration of the period, it is characterized by its own unique architectural
style, fashion of dress, and even way of life.
The theatre is marked by the rise of the New Drama, with plays by George Bernard
Shaw and Continental imports by Henrik Ibsen and the continued popularity of music hall
performance.
 In fiction, some of the best-known names are H.G. Wells, Joseph Conrad and E.M.
Forster. Apart from these famous writers, this was a period when an enormous amount of
novels and short stories were being published and consumed, and a significant distinction
between highbrow literature and popular fiction was emerging.