Western Civilizations – Chapters 22 & 23 (1870-1914)

Vocabulary flashcards summarizing key terms and themes from Chapters 22 and 23, covering modern industry, mass politics, women’s suffrage, science, culture, and European imperialism between 1870 and 1914.

Modern Industry and Mass Politics (1870-1914)

Period when rapid industrial growth, urbanization, and new forms of mass political participation reshaped European society and governance.

New Technologies and Global Transformations

Innovations such as electricity, internal-combustion engines, telegraphy, and steel that accelerated globalization, trade, and communication.

Labor Politics

Movements in which industrial workers organized trade unions and socialist parties to demand better wages, hours, and political representation.

Mass Movements

Large-scale social or political campaigns—including socialist, anarchist, and nationalist groups—mobilizing millions through rallies, strikes, and party systems.

Suffrage and the Women’s Movement

Campaigns led by suffragists and feminists to secure voting rights, legal equality, and expanded educational and employment opportunities for women.

Liberalism and Its Discontents

Debates at the turn of the century over classical liberal ideas of free markets and limited government versus calls for social reform and state intervention.

National Politics at the Turn of the Century

Rise of mass political parties, expanded electorates, and intense nationalist rivalries shaping domestic agendas in Europe c. 1900.

The Science of the Modern Age

Advances in physics, biology, and chemistry (e.g., relativity, quantum theory, germ theory) that challenged traditional worldviews.

The Soul of the Modern Age

Intellectual and spiritual responses—such as psychology, existentialism, and new religious movements—to the disorienting effects of modernity.

The Culture of Modernity

Artistic and literary innovations (Impressionism, Symbolism, Modernism) that broke with classical forms to express modern life’s dynamism and alienation.

Imperialism and Colonialism (1870-1914)

Late-nineteenth-century expansion of European powers into Asia, Africa, and the Pacific, driven by economic, strategic, and cultural motives.

Imperialism (General)

Policy of extending a nation’s authority by territorial acquisition or by establishing economic and political dominance over other nations.

Imperialism in South Asia

British consolidation of power in India, economic reorganization, and social reforms that sparked both collaboration and resistance.

Imperialism in China

European spheres of influence, unequal treaties, and conflicts like the Opium Wars that undermined Qing sovereignty.

The French Empire and the Civilizing Mission

France’s justification for colonial rule by claiming to spread Western culture, education, and religion to ‘civilize’ indigenous peoples.

The "Scramble for Africa" and the Congo

Rapid partition of Africa by European powers (1880s-1914), highlighted by King Leopold II’s brutal exploitation of the Congo Free State.

Imperial Culture

Metropolitan fascination with exotic colonies shown in exhibitions, literature, and consumer goods that reinforced imperial ideologies.

Crises of Empire at the Turn of the Twentieth Century

Anti-colonial uprisings, Boer War, Boxer Rebellion, and increasing costs that exposed vulnerabilities of imperial regimes.

Ecological Consequences of European Migrations

Environmental changes resulting from settler colonization—deforestation, species exchange, and altered agricultural landscapes across the globe.