Everything Everywhere Daily

Episode: The Year 1925
Host: Gary Arndt
Date: October 13, 2025

Overview

This episode of Everything Everywhere Daily takes a sweeping yet focused look at the immense social, political, technological, and cultural changes that occurred between 1900 and 1925. Host Gary Arndt outlines how the first quarter of the 20th century was a period of upheaval, innovation, and transformation worldwide, with the events of World War I acting as a catalyst for even more dramatic shifts. Rather than the usual geographic "trip around the world," Gary synthesizes changes in society, tech, and politics, giving listeners a high-level understanding of how the world of 1925 was unrecognizably different from that of 1900.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Stage: Why 1925 Is a Pivotal Year

• Gary explains that the early 20th century is unique for its accelerated pace of change, with "decades where centuries happen."

  “The first 25 years of the 20th century was one of the most intense periods of change in history.” (03:00)

• Focus is placed on regions experiencing rapid change (primarily Europe, North America, Japan), as much of Africa, Oceania, and the Caribbean were still under colonial rule and would see their transformations later in the century.

2. Political Upheaval & New States

[04:20–07:25]

• China: End of the Qing Dynasty (1911), brief Republic led by Sun Yat Sen, followed by the warlord era.

• Japan: Rises as a global power; defeats Russia (1905), annexes Korea (1910), gains territory after WWI.

• Australia & New Zealand: Dominion status and national identities solidified, particularly during WWI at Gallipoli.

• Russian Revolution: Bolsheviks overthrow tsarist Russia, founding the first communist state, repercussions that last the rest of the century.

  “Perhaps the biggest one to come directly out of the war was the Russian Revolution...This would have repercussions that would last for the rest of the century.” (06:12)

• Central Europe: Collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, emergence of Austria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia as separate nations.

• Italy: Post-war unrest enables Mussolini’s fascists to rise to power (1922).

• Germany: Weimar Republic faces chaos—hyperinflation, reparations, weak democracy.

3. Redrawing the World Map

[07:25–09:00]

• Ottoman Empire: Dissolved after WWI, leading to Allied mandates and the birth of modern Turkey under Ataturk.
• Middle East: New nations, mandates; Britain and France acquire new territories; Arabian Peninsula unified by Ibn Saud.
• Ireland: Establishes the Irish Free State (1922), gaining partial independence from Britain.
• League of Nations: Formed to prevent future wars, but hindered by the absence of major powers like the USA and lacks enforcement capabilities.

4. The United States: Roaring Twenties & Economic Boom

[09:10–11:40]

• Post-WWI prosperity, technological innovation, and consumer culture reshape American life.

  “America was in the midst of a decade that became known as the Roaring Twenties—the country was experiencing a post-war economic boom.” (10:12)

• Surge in:

  • Automobiles: From one car per ten horses (1900) to ten cars per one horse (1925).
  • Electrification: By 1925, half of households (mostly urban) electrified; rural areas lag.
  • Appliances: Electric irons, vacuums, washing machines, and radios become common.

5. Mass Media Revolution: Radio & Movies

[11:41–13:15]

• Movies: Rise of Hollywood; popular titles include Ben Hur, The Gold Rush, The Phantom of the Opera.
• Radio: Emerges as a household medium for news, music, and sport; millions of radio sets in American homes by 1925.

  “Radio evolved from experimental wireless telegraphy into mass broadcasting between 1900 and 1925.” (13:05)

• Telephone: US phones skyrocket from ~1 million to over 15 million; Europe’s adoption led by Scandinavia.

6. Technology & Transportation

[13:16–14:21]

• Airplanes: From the Wright brothers’ first flight (1903) to transatlantic crossings (1919); rapid technological advances spurred by war.
• Factory Assembly Lines: Revolutionize manufacturing~ especially Ford’s model in auto industry.

7. Medicine, Lifespan, and Urbanization

[14:22–16:45]

• Public Health: Cleaner water, vaccines, pasteurization, insulin, and public health campaigns increase life expectancy globally.

  “Average life expectancy at birth rose modestly worldwide from the low 30s around 1900 to the mid-30s by the mid-1920s...The United States moved from roughly 47 years around 1900 to the high 50s by the late 1920s." (15:05–15:27)

• Urbanization: Industrial jobs, transport networks, and the lure of city life pull millions from countryside to city; US, Britain, Germany have urban majorities by 1925.

8. Social Change: Gender, Art, and Celebrity

[16:46–19:30]

• Women’s Suffrage & Changing Roles:

  • Right to vote in US (1920), Britain (1918), and beyond.
  • The emergence of the “New Woman” and flapper lifestyle.

• Artistic Innovation:

  • From Art Nouveau to Art Deco.
  • Surrealism emerges (1924), Bauhaus (1919) reshapes design, and the Harlem Renaissance flourishes in America.

• Popular Culture:

  • Jazz, sports radio broadcasts, and the first sports celebrities like Babe Ruth.
  • “The Lost Generation” authors chronicling postwar alienation.

  “The 20s may have been the peak delta in terms of overall societal and technical change in world history. The period from 1900 to 1925 saw more change than the world had seen over centuries.” (19:10)

9. Perspective & Reflection

[19:31–20:00]

• Gary reflects on the whirlwind of these 25 years and how, despite the enormity of change by 1925, the world would undergo another complete transformation by 1950.

  “Yet despite all the change, the world would once again be totally different just 25 years later in 1950.” (19:55)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Rapid Change:

  “There are centuries where seemingly little happens, and then there are decades where centuries happen.” (00:00)

• On the Russian Revolution:

  “Communists successfully revolted against tsarist Russia and ended the Russian Empire, pulled the country out of the war and established the world's first communist state.” (06:14)

• On Technology’s Pace:

  “If you looked at a street in New York City in 1900, there might have been one automobile for every 10 horses. By 1925, that ratio had reversed.” (10:31)

• Personal Note from Host:

  “I've always felt that if I could go back in time, one of the eras I'd like to visit the most would be the 1920s.” (19:08)

Timeline of Key Segments

| Timestamp | Topic/Highlight | |-----------|-----------------| | 03:00 | Introduction—Why 1925 matters | | 04:20 | Social, technical, political overview| | 06:12 | Russian Revolution | | 09:10 | The Roaring Twenties in America | | 11:41 | Rise of mass media (radio and film) | | 13:05 | Proliferation of the telephone | | 13:16 | Advances in flight and automotive | | 14:22 | Medical advances and life expectancy | | 15:40 | Urbanization and demographic shift | | 16:46 | Women’s suffrage and social change | | 17:30 | Modernism, Bauhaus, Harlem Renaissance| | 18:30 | Sports, jazz, and celebrity culture | | 19:10 | Gary’s personal reflection | | 19:55 | Closing perspective |

Tone & Language

Gary Arndt utilizes clear, engaging, and accessible language, making sweeping changes in history easy to follow for a broad audience. His tone is enthusiastic, informative, and occasionally personal, especially when reflecting on the allure of the 1920s as a period of unprecedented transformation.

For Listeners Who Missed the Episode

This episode provides a layered, insightful recap of how the world of 1925 was forged through war, innovation, shifting empires, social upheaval, and the dawn of modern life. It’s both a primer on the 20th-century’s opening act and a springboard for understanding how these changes set the trajectory for the next dramatic quarter-century.