Age of Modernity & Anxiety Key Terms

Dreyfus Affair

Alfred Dreyfus was a Jew & captain in the French general staff when he was found guilty by a secret military court of selling army secrets. He was pardoned from his guilty verdict when there was an insistence for a new trial when they discovered a much more seemingly guilty Catholic aristocrat.
The impact of the affair led to a push for the Zionist movement as well as protection for Jews against Anti-Semitism.

Germany

Under Emperor William II, Germany became the strongest military & industrial power on the Continent. Rapid changes in urbanization led to a society torn between modernization & traditionalism
Industrialization = expansion of the Social Democratic Part, which became the largest part. conservative forces (nobility & representatives of heavy industry) tried blocking democracy & nationalism.

Nationalist tension in Austria-Hungary

troubled by the issue of numerous nationalities. universal male suffrage in 1907 caused more issues because nationalities played no role in the govt but now advocated for autonomy. The threat the nationalities posed to the position of dominant German minority produced backlash in the form of virulent German nationalism.
Social Democrats: Marxist supported govt w/ fear of autonomy.
Christian Socialists: nationalists w/ agitation for worders w/ a virulent anti-semitism.

Industrialization and Revolution of 1905 in Russia

Industrialization: Sergei Witte saw industrial growth as crucial to Russia's national strength. Built 35,000 miles of railroads (+ trans-Siberian line) by 1900. Witte persuaded Tsar Nicholas II to create a system of protective tariffs to help Russian industry= rapid growth of a modern steel & coal industry in Ukraine. But because of the poor living conditions, The Social Revolutionaries worked to overthrow the autocracy.
Revolution: Russian territorial expansion in Asia led to a surprise attack to Japan along with the discontent of the Russian middle & lower class. A procession of workers stormed to Winter Palace & opened fire (Bloody Sunday) & the tsar granted civil liberties & a constitutional monarchy, but it failed at the end.

volatile business cycles

a period when the absolute value of the cyclical component is greater than its standard deviation

women & work in the 2nd ir

largely employed in factory jobs, particularly in the textile industry, often working long hours in poor conditions for low wages, with their most common roles including operating machinery, assembling parts, and performing repetitive tasks;

Workers established labor unions and became more politically involved

During the Second Industrial Revolution, workers formed unions to fight for better wages, hours, and conditions. They also became more politically active, advocating for labor rights and social reforms.

growth of socialist parties

Socialist Parties under Wilhelm L. and August B. the German Social Democratic Party was a mass political party that worked to improve conditions. This happened in France (under Jean Jaures), Belgium, Austria, Hungary, and Netherlands. A Marxist Social Dem. Party also in Russia. Leaders of these parties formed Second International, which had 2 issues. Revisionism (a form of evolutionary socialism by Eduard Bernstein) which emphasized cooperation and evolution instead of class struggle and revolution. Nationalism was another problem because Marx;s idea of men having no country was wrong because people remained tied down to national concerns and issues.

Jewish Emancipation

Abolition of discriminatory laws applied especially to Jews, recognition of Jews as equal to other citizens, and formal granting of citizenship. Major goal of European Jews of the 19th century. Led to active participation of Jews in civil society. Turned to Jewish political movements as in Russia, or were allowed to emigrate to countries offering better opportunities.

Emmeline Pankhurst and the WSPU

-Emmeline Pankhurst created the Womens Social and Political Union in 1903- attracted both working- and middle-class supporters.
-Aim was to attract publicity and put pressure on parliament through attacks on well-known institutions and the distruption of political meetings.
-For example, in 1913 well knwon suffragette Emily Davidson threw herself under the king's horse at the Epsom derby.
-Suffragettes showed modertaon by limiting activity during the First World War.

Anti-Semitism and the Zionist Movement

Anti-Semitism (hostility towards Jews) became increasingly widespread in Europe during the 19th century, especially as nationalism and racial theories became more popular. Jews were often blamed for economic crises, social changes, and political unrest. This period saw the rise of racial anti-Semitism, which framed Jews as an inferior or dangerous race. In response to persistent anti-Semitism, the Zionist movement emerged in the late 19th century, advocating for the establishment of a Jewish homeland in Palestine.

The Shift of Liberalism: Britain

the shift of liberalism in Britain during the 19th and early 20th centuries moved from a focus on limited government and free markets to a more interventionist and socially conscious approach, seeking to address the social challenges of industrial society through progressive reforms.

The Shift of Liberalism: France

The shift in liberalism in France evolved from a focus on constitutionalism and individual rights during the Revolution to a more socially conscious liberalism during the Third Republic, responding to the needs of the working class and advocating for a more active role of the state in addressing social inequalities.

Legal, Economic, Political, & Improved Worker Conditions

Labor Laws: Introduction of minimum wage laws, workplace safety regulations, and the right to unionize.
Labor Movements: Rise of labor unions advocating for workers' rights, including strikes and political activism.
Political Reforms: Expansion of democratic rights, including suffrage and political representation, for marginalized groups.
Socialism & Marxism: The influence of socialist and Marxist ideologies, calling for the redistribution of wealth and power.
Improved Worker Conditions:
Workplace Safety: Emergence of occupational health standards, factory inspections, and reforms after major disasters.
Worker Rights: Legal recognition of the 8-hour workday, overtime pay, and vacation time

Emphasized role of the irrational

opposite of reason; glorified by Nietzsche, Bergson, and Freud; Attack on the idea of optimistic progress; Believe that people were governed by a pleasure principle that made human beings direct their energy towards pleasure and away from pain; Lustful drives and desires and crude appetites and impulses.

Struggle btw conscious & unconscious

the theory explained by Freud where human mind was a battleground among id, ego, and super ego where the ego and super ego tried to repress the id; By making the conscious mind aware of the unconscious and its repressed contents, the patient's psychic conflict was resolved

Social Darwinism and Racial Theories

application of Darwin's principle of organic evolution to the social order; Often used in racist justifications of the social atmosphere; German volkish thought painted out Jews, black people, and Asians as the racial enemy in biological terms and as parasites who wanted to destroy the Aryan race.

Developments in the Sciences: The Emergence of a New Physics

Science supported an optimistic, rational view of the world, offering certainty about the order of nature, especially those whose religious beliefs had faded.

Einstein's Theory of Relativity undermined Newtonian Physics

Space and time are not absolute but relative to the observer, and both are interwoven into what Einstein called a four-dimensional spece-time continuum.

Philosophy: Toward a New Understanding of the Irrational

Friedrich Nietzsche: criticized western society for overemphasizing reason and neglecting emotions, passions, and instincts
Henri Bergson: scientific thought could provide practical knowledge, but not uncover the ultimate truth
Georges Sorel: violent action was the only effective way to achieve socialism