AllMovie

Each episode of When the Century Was Young offers a broad commentary on the issues that faced the world at the dawn of the 20th century. The turn of the century was a time of transition; monarchies slowly lost their grip on power, the great era of colonialization slowly ground to a halt amidst war and bloodshed, and the growing effects of modern technology made the citizens of the world's developed nations unsure of their positions. Each of these films is intended for use in high school history or government classes. This episode addresses the ill-effects of European colonial empires that became apparent as nations spent more energy on trying to control and mollify their colonial subjects.