The beginning of Modernization - Essay Example

Chapter 19 The basic features of the new industrial system are the significant improvements in the production of in-demand goods due to advancementsin technology, the development of the railroad system, and the rise of factory systems. James Watt built the steam-powered engine that multiplied the production of cotton mills in the 1760s. Henry Cort developed the puddling system, wherein coke (a derivative of coal) was used to remove impurities in pig iron, which resulted to high-quality iron that was used to produce new machines.

These machines subsequently enabled the development of new industries and businesses. In addition, railroads improved the transport of goods and people, which reduced operational costs and boosted industrial growth. The effects of the Industrial Revolution are changes in work attitudes (i.e. use of rules system to impose new work schedules that changed laidback work attitudes into a more productive-schedule-based thinking), population growth, urbanization (i.e. growth of cities), new social classes (i.e. industrial middle class and the proletariat or working class) and the growth Great Britain (which became the world’s richest and first industrial nation).

The Second Industrial Revolution refers to the Technological Revolution. It is called the Technological Revolution because of innovations in electricity, communication, and steel production. The main ideas of Karl Marx are the concept of the class struggle and its predicted outcomes of open revolution and a classless society. These ideas shaped the politics and the union movement of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century through influencing socialism and the rise of socialist parties (e.g. in Germany) and trade unions (especially in Britain).

Conservatism, liberalism and nationalism shaped Europe. Conservatism supported obedience to political authority, asserted that organized religion was essential to social order, and was reluctant to accept demands for civil liberties and nationalistic aspirations. Liberalism supported the protection of civil liberties through a Bill of Rights, separation of Church and State, right of peaceful opposition to the government, and right to vote and hold office for men of property. Nationalism believed that every nationality should have its own government.

The causes of the revolutions in 1848 were dissatisfaction with their state of civil rights and freedoms and nationalistic endeavors. These revolutions failed because of internal factions within the revolutionaries themselves and support of other nations to countries experiencing revolts (i.e. they crushed the revolution through military power). Cavour and Bismarck undertook several actions to unify Italy and Germany. Cavour pursued economic expansion to finance its unification plans for Italy, while Bismarck went to war on 1866.

War played a role in their efforts through defeating opponents to their nationalistic plans. The general political trends in Western Europe nations were liberalism and nationalism. These trends were also apparent in Central and Eastern Europe nations. The growth of nationalism affected international affairs during the same period by the attainment of independence in Greece, Serbia, and Montenegro in 1878 and the growth of political democracy in Western Europe.