Second Industrial Revolution, Imperialism, and World War I
Second Industrial Revolution
- Population Growth: Migration overseas
- New Sources of Energy: Electricity and oil
- Scientific and Technological Development:
- The transportation revolution
- Science-related industry
- New inventions
- Changes in Business Organization:
- Mergers
- Cartel
- Trust
- Holding
- Monopoly
- Changes in Work Organization:
- Taylorism
- Fordism
- Mass consumption
- Increased international trade and retail sales
Imperialism
Causes
- Economic:
- To find new markets
- Search for raw materials
- Capital investment
- Demographic: New sites for the European population settlement
- Ideological:
- The superiority of the white race
- Civilizing mission of Europe (Social Darwinism)
- Expansion of Christianity
- Policies: Military, international power, and prestige
Division of the World
- Africa:
- Clashes between British and French projects
- Berlin Conference regulates occupation of territories
- Conflicts: Fashoda incident, Anglo-Boer War
- Asia:
- British presence in India
- France colonizes Indochina
- Penetration in China: The Boxer Rebellion
Colonial Administration
- Colonies of exploitation
- Protectorates
- Colonies of settlement: Dominions
Consequences
- In the Metropolis:
- Enrichment of privileged economic sectors
- Heavy burden on the state budget
- In Colonized Territories:
- Economic exploitation
- Acculturation
- Health improvements, infrastructure, etc.
New Empires
- United States:
- Becomes a major economic power
- Starts a new kind of colonialism: Neocolonialism
- Expands to Latin America and the Pacific
- Japan:
- Meiji era (economic modernization and social change)
- Westernization process
- Starts its expansion in Asia
Major European Powers: The Great Causes of War
Imperialism: Rivalry among imperialist powers, aspirations of Germany, Moroccan crises
Nationalism: Dismemberment of the Turkish Empire, Austrian and Russian aspirations, separatist claims of the Slavs, Balkan Wars
Alliances: Triple Alliance (Germany, Italy, Austria-Hungary), Triple Entente (Great Britain, France, Russia)
Rivalries: Franco-German (Alsace and Lorraine), Anglo-German (naval competition), Russo-Austrian (hegemony in the Balkans), Austro-Serbian (Balkan question)
Development of the Conflict
Detonating event: Attack in Sarajevo (1914)
Stages:
- Guerrilla Warfare: The German plan (fast attack on Belgium), Battle of the Marne, Russian offensive on the Eastern Front
- Trench Warfare: Immobilization of the Western Front, Battle of Verdun, Austro-German offensive on the Eastern Front
- Crisis of 1917: The abandonment of war by Russia, the United States enters the conflict, wave of pacifism
- End of the War: Victory of the Allies on the Eastern Front, the Austrian and Turkish empires seek armistice, abdication of the Kaiser, and German armistice
The Victors’ Peace
Treaty of Versailles with Germany (Diktat): Amputation of its territory (Alsace, Lorraine, Eupen, Malmedy, Schleswig, Poznan, the corridor of Danzig, Upper Silesia), reparations, restriction of the army
Other treaties with the rest of the contestants
Creation of the League of Nations
Consequences
Serious demographic losses
End of European hegemony in the global economy
Structural changes and advancement of democracy
Social transformations: New role of women