The nineteenth century for Europe was a period of economic progress that was most marked by the industrial revolution. During the twentieth century, Europe experienced two major world wars, and the economy at that time was marked by a transition from the laissez-faire system to regulated market systems. Germany's attack on Poland marked the beginning of World War II. Japan joined World War II with its attacks on China and Pearl Harbor. For Japan and Germany, the end of World War II meant defeat. After the Second World War, Europe was no longer in a leading position in the world economy. This role was later taken over by the United States of America, whose industrial production increased sharply. To date, the USA has invested the most resources in the military industry. The current example of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine at the time of writing this paper is still ongoing, and it is only possible to guess how this conflict will end.