Monopoly, Industrialization, and Imperialism
Monopoly
Monopoly ownership consists of a product exclusively for a single manufacturer or distributor, which imposes prices without any control.
New Leading Sectors
The new leading sectors, driven by new energy sources and technological innovation, were discovering new products or other applications. Uses that had been so limited until then, resulted in the emergence of new productive sectors.
- The siderurgical industry and metallurgy had a big expansion with new automotive and electrical materials. Electricity had a large number of applications.
- The chemical industry also had a big boost with the creation of new products and the development of the pharmaceutical industry.
Industrialized States
New England ceased to represent a third of total world production. In Europe, the main competitor was Germany. Relevant features of German industry were the big companies, new forms of organization, and business concentration.
Unification of Germany
Towards the unification of Germany in 1830, Germany was divided into 38 states, with the presence of two powers: Prussia and Austria. The first step was the unification of the customs union, Zollverein. Bismarck, a Prussian, brought about the unification. Prussia won the war against Austria, resulting in Germany on one side and Austria on the other. The German emperor of this empire (Reich) was William I, and the policy was led by Bismarck.
Unification of Italy
Towards the unification of Italy in 1820, Italy was divided and unequal; some areas were under Austrian dominion. Italy had the possibility of a monarchy or a republic. The Republicans dominated the south, and monarchists the north. The monarchists conquered Rome, but the Pope did not accept having his own country and considered himself a prisoner of the king.
Difference Between State, Nation, and Country
- State: A political organization that has laws, and the territory is bounded by a border.
- Nation: Land, language, culture, and people identified as such. A state can have many nations; for example, a nation could be the Jews.
- Country: A particular geographical area that has an entity.
Birth of Empires
When a state dominated, empires were born. From the last third of the 19th century, industrialized nations began to dominate the world and create colonial empires (England, France, Germany, Japan, Russia, Netherlands, USA, Belgium, Italy, and Spain). Causes of imperialism included:
- Protecting the economy of the state itself (protectionism).
- Obtaining raw materials for industry.
- Producing its own agricultural resources.
- Achieving new markets.
- Establishing new settlers.
- Military prestige.
- Using unskilled labor and low wages.
Types of Colonies
- Colonies of Settlement: Had a strong contingent of European population who emigrated to enjoy the same rights and privileges as the indigenous population. In the metropolis, it was imposed.
- Colonies of Exploitation: Had a low population emigrated from the metropolis and focused on the systematic activity of resource extraction.
The Division of Africa
From the 17th century, Africa had only small countries on the coast. From 1830, colonies of settlement were created in Algeria and Tunisia. At the end of the 19th century, England became interested due to the discovery of diamonds in the South and other valuable resources. The goal was to create a British colonial empire from north to south.
In recent years, the Suez Canal opened, facilitating trade between different parts of Europe, Africa, and Asia. Vessels no longer had to go around all of Africa but could pass through that channel, just along with Egypt, from the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea.
Mercator and Peters Projections
- The Mercator map was created by Mercator in the 16th century. It tends to represent the central areas at the same scale, while the north and south appear smaller.
- Map A. Peters: Circa 1972, Arno Peters devised a system that respects the Earth’s dimensions but represents them in a distorted form.