Modernism was a period in literature that was prominent in the early 1900s. So, what happened during this time period? The first thing that comes to mind is the first World War. This affected Modernist writers very greatly, and they wrote about the conflict often. They ushered in a new attitude towards war; it used to be a thing of glory and honor, but now, writers only saw it as a source of devastation and depravity. Late Modernism was influenced by the Second World War. Hope this helps.