The Edwardian Age saw political and social changes in England. King Edward VII helped negotiate foreign policy and founded the Order of Merit in 1902. The Liberals were elected in 1906 and created welfare programs. This period also saw industrial unrest, with strikes over high prices and low wages, as well as the suffragette movement fighting for women's right to vote. Edward VII was succeeded by King George V in 1910. World War I began in 1914 and involved the Central Powers versus the Triple Entente. "Shell shock" referred to the psychological effects of shell explosions. The U.S. joined the war in 1917. The war ended with the 1918 armistice and 1919 Treaty of Versailles.

1. THE EDWARDIAN AGE
Queen Victoria Edward VII
He was able to assist in foreign policy
negotiations and visit to Paris helped
pave the way for the Anglo French
Entente Cordiale (April 1904).
In 1902 he founded the Order of
Merit to reward those who
distinguished themselves in science,
art or lierature.
In 1906 the Liberals won the general
election and created a welfare state:
national insurance and old-age
pensions were introducted.

2. SOCIAL DISORDER:
The Edwardian period was a time of
industrial unrest, strikes and violences
1.STRIKES​
Meant to be weapons against the
government, were called because of
high prices and low wages.
2. SUFFRAGETTES​
They were educated ladies who had
been arguing in favour of voting rights
for women since the 1860s.
Mrs Pankhurst founded the Woman's
Social and Political Union.
THE EDWARDIAN AGE
1910: succeded by
Where he to be judged by
posterity, he would prove
to be a model monarch by
carring out his royal
responsabilities.
George V

3. Start in 1914
when the Austrian Archduke Franz
Ferdinand was assassinated in
Sarajevo, moreover when Germany
invaded Belgium, a neutral territory, in
order to attack France
The power
that fought the war were the Central
European Powers and the Triple
Entente.
THE FIRST WORLD
WAR

4. Shell Shock
was the term used by doctors to allude
to the psychological effect of shell
explosions.
USA
joined the war on 2/04/1917, to make
the world “safe for democracy”.
Treaty of Versailles
in 11/11/1918, Allied and Germany
leaders signed the armistice, while in
1919 was signed the peace treaty
THE FIRST WORLD
WAR

5. A DEEP CULTURAL CRISIS
(1880 1910)
• The positivistic faith in progress and science had led people to believe that all human
misery would be swept away;
• Stability and prosperity proved to belong only to a privileged class;
• Consciences were haunted by the atrocities of the war;
• Lose of valors;
• An increasing feeling of frustration;
• Dissolution of the Empire into a ‘Commonwealth of Nations’.
FIRST WORLD WAR (1914-1918)

6. A DEEP CULTURAL CRISIS
(1880 1910)
• Nothing seemed to be right or certain;
• New views of man (FREUD) and universe
emerged.
ALBERT EINSTEIN (1879-1955):
• 1905 «Theory of special ralativity»
• Changed the concepts of time and space
ALBERT EINSTEIN

7. Three Essays on the Theory of
Sexuality
● was published in 1905;
● the text changes the way to people
thought;
● the most important is the “The
transformation of Puberty”;
● he discussed sexuality in
Childhood;
FREUD

8. The Psyche
● the ID is the set of instincual
impulses;
● the EGO is the realistic part;
● the SUPEREGO has a critical role;
● he explained the development of
the human psyche;
● he influenced a lot of artists;
FREUD