Just a few years before the outbreak of World War I, the world is alive with revelry. Entertainment, consumerism, and sports sweep people into a frenzy of possibility—a world where everything seems achievable, except collective downfall.

In Vienna, merchant Emil Storch establishes one of the first comprehensive mail-order businesses, earning him the title of an early Jeff Bezos. Yet, the exuberance proves to be a dead end. Overextended, Storch loses everything in the postwar inflation. Similarly, the fate of daring cycling pioneer Cenzi Flendrovsky is equally tragic. Her passion for promoting the sport captivates the masses, but her life is cut short at just 28 by the consequences of a cycling accident.

The prewar years bring the world its first taste of a globalized abundance society. Yet, this euphoria is short-lived. The outbreak of World War I catches Austria's peace-loving society off guard. Overabundance gives way to scarcity, and the dividends of peace quickly evaporate. As history shows, war and prosperity have always been incompatible.