WWI took place in parts of Europe.
Europe . Between the 16th and 20th centuries , European powers controlled at various times the Americas , most of Africa , Oceania , and the majority of Asia . The Industrial Revolution , which began in Great Britain at the end of the 18th century , gave rise to radical economic , cultural , and social change in Western Europe , and eventually the wider world . Both world wars took place for the most part in Europe , contributing to a decline in Western European dominance in world affairs by the mid-20th century as the Soviet Union and the United States took prominence .