1940s

The 1940s decade ran from to.

Events and trends


The 1940s were seen as a transition period between the radical and the conservative, which also leads the period to be divided in two halves:

The first half of the decade was dominated by, the widest and most destructive armed conflict in human history. So consequential was this event and its brutal aftermath that it laid the foundation for other major world events and trends for decades to follow. This war was also the first modern civilian war.

The second half marked the beginning of the East-West conflict and the, together with major social upheaval caused by the destruction of the war, the large number of refugees, and soldiers returning home and demanding government recognition for their sacrifice, especially in colonies of European countries, many of which gained independence.

, then president of publicly speaks out against Soviet leader Stalin and Soviet imperialism, the only president to do so.

Technology
The first is built and tested in.
 * First, the (in  or ), and the first , the  (kin ) are invented.
 * , the world's first totally electronic and digital computer is built in.
 * , a pilot, breaks the  in the  rocket-powered aircraft in.
 * discovered in by Dr., Dr. , , , and.

War, peace and politics

 * 's 1940 calls for an autonomous Muslim state, eventually leading the formation of  in the.
 * loses the
 * invades, , , , and the from -.
 * The enter  after the  on,.
 * Germany and Japan suffer defeats at, , and in  and.
 * escapes from house-arrest and founds the in . The INA made of Indian POWs held by the Japanese accompanies the Japanese to the borders of India. However, Axis defeat results in the annihilation of the INA and suirrender following Nethaji's death in 1945.
 * surrenders ,
 * ( and, ); Japan surrenders on.
 * officially ends on,.
 * The (the )
 * established in
 * In, former British PM Winston S. Churchill gives his famous "" speech with US President Harry S Truman present.
 * Beginning of the (generally thought of as somewhere from -)
 * for some former (including  and  in,  in , and  in )
 * The becomes a republic in
 * founded in
 * The ends in victory for the  in . The  government retreat to.
 * The in.
 * period in begins
 * is created.
 * Soviets test their first nuclear bomb in .  This is seen by some as the beginning of the.
 * is created.
 * Soviets test their first nuclear bomb in .  This is seen by some as the beginning of the.

Art
There were many changes in film when it came to the 1940s. More women showed up in films, and better storylines and plots began to show up. This also lead into more women turning their interests toward fashion, or at least the women who could afford it. People who had exceptional riches often showed up in films, because they were the ones who actually watched them most regularly. Thus, people who were not rich viewed the films as an amazing treat.

Film

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Fashion
Many fashion houses closed during occupation of Paris during, including the Maison Vionnet and the Maison Chanel. Several designers, including Mainbocher, permanently relocated to. In the enormous moral and intellectual re-education program undertaken by the French state couture was not spared. In contrast to the stylish, liberated Parisienne, the promoted the model of the wife and mother, the robust, athletic young woman, a figure who was much more in line with the new political criteria. Germany, meanwhile, was taking possession of over half of what produced, including high fashion, and was also considering relocating French haute couture to the cities of  and, neither of which had any significant tradition of fashion. The archives of the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture were seized, most consequentially the client list. The point of all this was to break up a monopoly that supposedly threatened the dominance of the Third Reich.

Due to the difficult times, the number of models in shows was limited to seventy-five, evening wear was shortened and day wear was much skimpier, made using substitute materials whenever possible. From 1940 onward, no more than thirteen feet (four meters) of cloth was permitted to be used for a coat and a little over three feet (one meter) was all that allowed for a blouse. No belt could be over one and a half inches (four centimeters) wide. Despite this, haute couture tried to keep its flag flying. Humor and frivolity became a way of defying the occupying powers and couture somehow survived. Although some have argued that the reason it endured was because of the patronage of the wives of rich Nazis, in actuality, records reveal that, aside from the usual wealthy Parisiennes, it was the wives of foreign ambassadors, clients from the black market, and a whole eclectic mix of people who carried on to frequent the salons, among whom German women were but a minority.

In spite of the fact that so many fashion houses closed down or moved away during the war, several new houses remained open, including Jacques Fath, Maggy Rouff, Marcel Rochas, Jeanne Lafaurie, Nina Ricci, and Madeleine Vramant. During the Occupation, the only true way for a woman to flaunt her extravagance and add to color to a drab outfit was to wear a hat. In this period, hats were often made of scraps of material that would have otherwise been thrown away, sometimes incorporating butter muslin, bits of paper, and wood shavings. Among the most innovative milliners of the time were Pauline Adam, Simone Naudet, Rose Valois, and Le Monnier.

Paris's isolated situation in the 1940s enabled the Americans to exploit the ingenuity and creativity of their own designers. During the, presented co-ordinates in plain, simply cut outfits and also introduced innovations to men's work clothes. transformed boots into a major fashion accessory, and, in 1944, started to produce original and imaginative sportswear. ,, and formed a remarkable trio of women who were to lay the foundations of American sportswear, ensuring that  was not simply thought of as second best, but as an elegant and comfortable way for modern women to dress.

Among young men in the War Years the (and in  the  suit) became popular. Many actresses of the time, including, , and , had a significant impact on popular fashion.

The couturier Christian Dior created a tidal wave with his first collection in February 1947. The collection contained dresses with tiny waists, majestic busts, and full skirts swelling out beneath small bodices, in a manner very similar to the style of the Belle Époque. The extravagant use of fabric and the feminine elegance of the designs appealed greatly to a post-war clientèle and ensured Dior's meteoric rise to fame. The sheer sophistication of the style incited the all-powerful editor of the American, , to exclaim 'This is a new look !'.

Literature
-Orson Welles

People

 * President
 * Prime Minister
 * Prime Minister
 * President
 * President
 * Governor
 * President
 * President
 * Prime Minister
 * Chancellor
 * Prime Minister
 * Prime-Minister
 * General
 * Governor-General

Entertainers




Musicians