Wars, political uprisings, colonial rule and unrest, and the ebb and flow of economic fortunes all play a part in the literature of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Important cultural issues, such as woman's rights, increased industrialism and mechanization, scientific and technological advances, and the changing political climate were equally influential. Furthermore, the literary, philosophical, and artistic movements of this period directly relate to the literature that appeared. This chapter will outline these contexts and show how Conrad's works both influenced and were influenced by them.

History and politics

Even more than most British novelists, Conrad was affected not only by important historical events in England but also by those on the continent. Given his years in Poland, France, Russia and the Orient, Conrad's experience was far more cosmopolitan than that of most of his fellow novelists in England. In particular, Conrad was significantly influenced by events affecting France, Poland, and Russia during the nineteenth and early part of the twentieth centuries. These events would form the context for Conrad's life and also for much of his fiction.

In the case of France, the influence on Conrad appears in the setting for several of his works and in their effect on Poland's political situation. From the time of his youth, Conrad was especially interested in Napoleonic France. Emerging from the turmoil of the French revolution of 1789, Napoleon Bonaparte came to power shortly after the Brumaire coup of November 1799.