1914-1945

Stalin's purges, the Great Depression, the Chinese Civil War, the Holodomor, The Indian Famines, the Armenian Genocide

Not fun at all

Personally, I think the darkest period in human history is now, and it's only going to get darker, but regarding the time span of 1914-1945 I think 1940 was probably the most suspenseful. The French were supposed to have the most invincible army in the world, and the Germans rolled them up like a carpet. Very dark days.

We are descending into Globalism.  One world.  One government.  One religion.

idk the middle ages during the black plague could've possibly ended civilization as well.

Maybe not right on schedule, but it's happening.

Nationalism is rising across the world. The UN is a largely inefficient organization... It won't happen in my lifetime. 

Except for the one religion part, that sounds awesome and great. Too bad it isn't even remotely going to happen.

The Black Death killed over half of Europe. IIRC, it killed 10k/month in Constantinople, over 300 people per day. And considering how many were sick + dying at any given time, I can't imagine they even had the labor to move the bodies.

There were also periods in history where civilization was wiped out by climate change and disease, wars and pillaging followed which only made it worse. Going by memory but I think 1300-1100 BC was one such period.

Native Americans had cities larger than Europeans cities at the time of Columbian contact but were wiped out by disease.

China went through some very tumultuous times from Mongol invasions to rampaging disease after European contact (diseases went both ways).

So no, I don't believe this is the darkest period in human history but it is well documented and now that we are bombarded by bad news 24/7 our subconscious interprets the world as more dangerous.

Those wars didn't destroy civilization, quite the opposite, they advanced technology and resulted in a population boom.

Now imagine life is humming along, metal technology has advanced, your country and neighbors are trading, times are prosperous then you have a few dry years with reduced harvest. No biggie, you just import more from your neighbors and they are glad to sell it. Things are so good that you travel farther for trade but bring home a nasty bug. People start dying and those who tend the sick or move bodies also die so bodies start piling up. A few dry years turn into a few dry decades, neighbors get stingy and trade stops. Economies collapse and wealth dries up. Education and public services stops. Cities shut their gates to outsiders but can't feed themselves. People riot and governments collapse. Even more disease spreads and populations starve. Surviving governments attack neighbors and take their resources. Scavenger groups that would normally only be a nuisance sack weakened cities. Entire populations become illiterate, knowledge and technology are forgotten, and survivors exist as nomads or are sold into slavery. Within a single generation cultures died forever, the only remains are pottery and clay tablets. And the world is thrown into a dark age. That was the end of the bronze age. And that was just regional climate change, the concern today is global.