Postponed Power The Rise of China and India

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The World in 1870
The dawn of the Industrial Age: Europe becomes the world's leading producer of wealth. China falls behind and America awakens.

Foto: DER SPIEGEL
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Foto: DER SPIEGEL
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The World in 1950
Two world wars have caused the global balance of power to shift. America emerges as the "master of the universe." Europe is concerned primarily with reconstruction. China and India fall even further behind.

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The World in 1973
Europe after the "Economic Miracle:" The Old World catches up again with America. The Soviet Union struggles to keep up in the competition for wealth. The economic significance of China and India remains nominal.

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Foto: DER SPIEGEL
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The World in 2005
China has risen to the ranks of a global economic power and sets out on a course to surpass other nations in terms of economic might. Russia lags, India starts to develop, even if only gradually.

Foto: DER SPIEGEL
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The World in 2050
The investment bank Goldman Sachs peers into the time machine: China has soared above the United States. Europe, once the motor of industrialization, has fallen markedly behind -- even India is ahead. Resource rich Russia has reestablished itself as a global player.

Foto: DER SPIEGEL