MUST KNOW TERMS (1815-1914)

Industrial

Relating to the large-scale production of goods using machinery and factories.

Agrarian Economy

Economic system based on agriculture and land cultivation, dominant before industrialization.

German Empire

Unified German state established in 1871 under Bismarck, symbolizing nationalism and industrial power.

Continental States

European nations on the mainland, often contrasted with Britain’s island status.

Protective Tariffs

Taxes on imports to shield domestic industries, tied to national economies.

Colonial Conquests

European expansion into Africa and Asia, driven by imperialism and national rivalries.

Patents

Legal protections for inventions, encouraging mechanization and private initiative.

Human Capital

Skills and labor of individuals, vital for industrial economies.

Private Initiative

Individual or business-driven efforts, central to laissez-faire and industrial growth.

Parliamentary

Relating to government systems with elected legislatures, tied to liberalism and popular sovereignty.

Government Sponsorship

State support for economic or social projects, often opposing laissez-faire.

Mechanization

Use of machines to replace manual labor, core to the factory system.

Factory System

Organized production in centralized workplaces, driving industrial economies.

National Economies

Economic systems defined by state boundaries, strengthened by tariffs and industrial growth.

Global Economic Network

Interconnected trade and finance system, expanded by imperialism and manufactured goods.

Volatile Business Cycles

Economic fluctuations of booms and busts, tied to industrial capitalism.

Monopolies

Single entities dominating markets, emerging from industrial consolidation.

Tariffs

Taxes on trade, including protective tariffs, to regulate national economies.

Socioeconomic Classes

Social groups defined by wealth and occupation, reshaped by industrialization.

Social Divisions

Tensions between classes, exacerbated by industrial urbanization.

Benevolent

Charitable or well-meaning actions, often by the bourgeoisie or government.

Social Dislocations

Disruptions caused by industrial changes, like urbanization and factory work.

Birth Control

Methods to limit family size, tied to smaller families and gender roles.

Protective Legislation

Laws safeguarding workers, reflecting social welfare trends.

Smaller Families

Trend toward reduced family size, linked to birth control and wage-laborer lifestyles.

Gender Roles

Societal expectations of men and women, challenged by feminists and suffragists.

Wage-Laborers

Workers paid for labor, central to the factory system.

Urbanization

Growth of cities due to industrial and factory system expansion.

Separation of the Workplace

Division between home and work, a result of the factory system.

Trade Unions

Worker organizations advocating for rights, tied to socialism and protective legislation.

Social Welfare

Government or private aid to improve living conditions, linked to benevolent policies.

Leisure Activities

Pastimes enabled by industrial wealth and shorter work hours.

Sanitary Standards

Improvements in hygiene and public health, addressing urban issues.

Life Expectancy

Average lifespan, increased by sanitary standards and public health.

Self-Conscience Classes

Groups aware of their social identity, tied to class identity and socialism.

Class Identity

Sense of belonging to a socioeconomic group, shaped by industrial society.

Philanthropic

Charitable efforts, often by the wealthy, to address social dislocations.

Consumerism

Focus on purchasing goods, driven by mass marketing and industrial output.

Mass Marketing

Advertising to broad audiences, tied to consumerism and manufactured goods.

Sewing Machine

Invention symbolizing mechanization and consumer culture.

Music Halls

Popular entertainment venues, part of leisure activities in urban areas.

Thermodynamics

Scientific study of energy, underpinning industrial technologies.

Conservatism

Ideology favoring tradition and stability, tied to Metternich and the Congress System.

Liberalism

Ideology advocating individual freedoms and parliamentary rule, rooted in laissez-faire.

Socialism

Ideology promoting collective ownership, championed by Karl Marx and Marxists.

Nationalism

Pride in national identity, driving unification and imperial antagonism.

Utopian

Idealistic visions of society, linked to early socialism and communal living.

Communal Living

Shared living arrangements, part of utopian socialism.

Syndicates

Worker-controlled groups, tied to anarchism and trade unions.

Popular Sovereignty

Rule by the people, a liberal and revolutionary ideal.

Ideology

System of beliefs shaping politics, including liberalism and socialism.

Human Nature

Philosophical view of innate traits, debated in psychology and ideology.

Anti-Semitism

Prejudice against Jews, tied to chauvinism and nationalism.

Chauvinism

Extreme nationalism, linked to imperialism and national rivalries.

Zionism

Movement for a Jewish homeland, reacting to anti-Semitism.

Laissez-Faire

Policy of minimal government intervention, core to liberalism.

Infrastructure

Public works like roads and railways, supporting industrial growth.

Public Health

Efforts to improve population well-being, tied to sanitary standards.

Public Education

State-provided schooling, enhancing human capital and class identity.

Napoleon’s Imperial Ambitions

Napoleon I’s legacy of conquest, influencing Napoleon III and imperialism.

Balance of Power

Diplomatic strategy to prevent dominance, maintained by the Congress System.

National Self-Determination

Right of peoples to govern themselves, tied to nationalism.

Revolutionary Forces

Groups seeking radical change, linked to socialism and nationalism.

Bureaucracy

Administrative system managing states, expanded under industrial and imperial needs.

European Diplomacy

Negotiations among states, shaped by realpolitik and the alliance system.

Realpolitik

Pragmatic politics, exemplified by Bismarck and Cavour.

Diplomatic Intrigue

Secretive maneuvers in foreign policy, tied to realpolitik.

Democratic Mechanisms

Tools of popular rule, like elections, tied to liberalism.

Alliance System

Network of treaties ensuring stability or war, shaped by Bismarck.

Imperial Antagonism

Rivalries over colonies, linked to imperialism and national rivalries.

Congress System

Post-1815 framework for European stability, led by Metternich.

Revolutionaries

Advocates of radical change, tied to socialism and nationalism.

Dual Monarchy of Austria-Hungary

1867 compromise creating a joint state, reflecting national self-determination struggles.

Autocratic Leaders

Rulers with absolute power, resisting liberalism.

Garibaldi’s Military Campaigns

Italian nationalist efforts to unify Italy, tied to nationalism.

Global Destiny

Belief in Europe’s world dominance, linked to imperialism and racial superiority.

Racial Superiority

Ideology justifying imperialism, influenced by Darwin’s theories.

Antimalarial Drugs

Medicines enabling colonial expansion.

Gunboats

Armed ships enforcing imperial control, tied to manufactured goods.

Imperialism

Policy of extending state power over foreign lands, driven by nationalism and industrial needs.

Exotic Influence

Cultural impact of colonies on Europe, seen in art like Impressionism.

National Rivalries

Competitions among states, fueling imperialism and the alliance system.

Manufactured Goods

Products of industrial factories, exported globally.

Western Values

Ideas like liberalism and rationalism, spread via imperialism.

Darwin’s Evolutionary Theories

Natural selection ideas, influencing racial superiority and materialism.

Newtonian Universe

Mechanistic worldview, challenged by the Theory of Relativity.

Theory of Relativity

Einstein’s 1905 theory, shifting scientific paradigms.

Quantum Principles

New physics of subatomic particles, emerging late in the period.

Psychology

Study of the mind, advanced by Freudian psychology.

Philosophy

Intellectual inquiry into existence, shifting toward materialism.

Neurology

Study of the nervous system, linked to psychology.

Skepticism

Doubt toward traditional beliefs, tied to rationalism and cultural relativism.

Cultural Relativism

Idea that cultures are equal, challenging Western values.

Neoclassical Forms

Revival of classical art styles, contrasting with modern art.

Rationalism

Emphasis on reason, core to liberalism and science.

Materialism

Focus on physical reality, tied to socialism and Darwin.

Freudian Psychology

Freud’s theories of the subconscious, shaping psychology.

Conscious vs. Subconscious

Freud’s distinction between aware and hidden mind, tied to psychology.

Abstract

Non-representational art, part of modern art movements.

Expressive

Art emphasizing emotion, seen in Expressionism.