AP EURO - Unit 3 Second Industrialization

Mass Society in an Age of Progress (1871-1894)

First Industrial Revolution: Focused on textiles, railroads, iron, and coal between the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
Second Industrial Revolution: Occurred after 1870, emphasizing advancements in steel, chemicals, electricity, and petroleum. Major developments included:
- Germany overtook Britain in steel production by 1910, producing twice as much.
- The United States emerged as the largest global producer by 1980, surpassing both Germany and Britain.

The focus shifted towards heavy industry:
- Steel replaced iron, facilitating the development of lighter and faster machinery.
- Innovations included:
  - Electricity: Enabled the creation of lightbulbs, telephones, electric railways, streetcars, and subways.
  - Internal Combustion Engine: Introduced in 1878, initially limited by the lack of petroleum but eventually revolutionized transportation with automobiles, ships, and airplanes.
- Advancements in manufacturing practices included conveyor belts, assembly lines, and interchangeable parts. Scientific management began to optimize factory operations.
- The rise of mass production exemplified by Henry Ford’s innovations in automobile manufacturing.
Economic Expansion: By 1900, consumer goods demand surged as wages doubled or tripled in leading industrial countries, aided by:
- Decreased food prices due to improved transportation, making goods more accessible.
- Growth of marketing techniques, notably advertising and department stores.
- Implementation of protective tariffs to support domestic industries against foreign competition.

Cartels were formed as groups of independent enterprises collaborating to fix prices and limit production to prevent competition. These were particularly strong in Germany.
The introduction of the assembly line and scientific management transformed factory work, targeting worker efficiency.

The period between 1895 and 1914 was marked by overall economic boom despite periodic depressions from 1870 to 1900.

Germany:
- Embraced change with modern, efficient industries.
- Investments in scientific and technical education through technical schools leading to skilled workers.
Great Britain:
- Struggled with outdated plants and was hesitant to adopt new technologies.
- Lack of encouragement for scientific and technical education stunted growth.

Western Europe: Industrialized with high living standards, modern transportation, and educated, healthy populations (Britain, Belgium, France, Germany).
Eastern Europe: Primarily agricultural with little industrialization, providing raw materials to the west (Southern Italy, most of Austria-Hungary, Spain, Portugal, Balkans, Russia).

Debate on Working Rights: Controversies surrounding women's right to work prompted discussions about traditional domestic roles versus economic necessity.
- The Cult of Domesticity idealized women as caretakers, but economic pressures drove many into the workforce,
- Poor women often worked in sweatshops, facing exploitation for low wages and long hours.
Prostitution: Viewed as a temporary condition yet heavily regulated and exploited. The 1870 Diseases Act in Britain targeted women, reflecting the societal view of women’s roles.
After 1870, new job opportunities arose for women primarily in service sectors, although they still faced challenges such as low wages and lack of upward mobility.

Post-1870 saw growth in socialist political parties advocating for workers’ rights, with Germany leading this movement through the German Social Democratic Party (SPD), founded by figures like William Liebknecht and August Bebel.
International Socialism formed during the Second International in 1889; celebrated May 1 as International Labor Day.
Trade unions gained prominence, particularly in Britain and slower to develop on the continent, advocating for legislative changes and improved working conditions.

Evolutionary Socialism: Eduard Bernstein critiqued traditional Marxist theory, arguing for gradual reform rather than revolution.
Rivalries: Nationalism undermined the sense of unity among workers across different nations, complicating socialist movements, especially during World War I.

Rapid urbanization occurred with significant migration to cities:
- Between 1850 and 1910, population growth stemmed from lower death rates due to medical advancements like germ theory and vaccinations, improved sanitation, and better nutrition.
- Cities saw improvements in living conditions with public health reforms, thanks to urban reformers like Edwin Chadwick and Rudolf Virchow.
Public Health Acts: Laws mandated sanitation improvements in housing and introduced sewage systems and clean water supplies to combat diseases caused by dirt and pollution in urban areas.
Despite advances, rural areas remained underdeveloped, prompting mass migrations for better opportunities.

The demand for skilled workers rose, prompting increased state-financed education, especially focused on elementary schooling for boys and girls.
Mass Leisure: Growth in leisure activities became an escape from work and urban issues, leading to mass consumption patterns influenced by the emergence of newspapers, amusement parks, municipal transportation, and organized sports.

The Paris Commune (1871): A revolutionary government formed after France’s defeat in the Franco-Prussian War, ultimately crushed by the French army, marking a significant moment of workers attempting to seize control.
3rd French Republic: Established in 1875 after difficulty in selecting a new monarch; struggled with various political challenges, including the rise of figures like Georges Boulanger.
Germany under Bismarck: A complex political landscape where Bismarck initially centralized power but later enacted anti-socialist laws in response to the growth of opposition.