AP EURO UNIT 14: 1894-1914 AGE OF ANXIETY AND NEW IMPERIALISM

-Relativity Theory

The theory of relativity is a theory created by Albert Einstein that states that space and time are relative to the observer. This means that depending on where you are in the universe, space, distance, and duration can change, for example when in a moving car you are still in relation to the car, but going multiple miles per hour in relation to the ground. This theory led to more intellectuals trying to understand the irrational parts of the universe, and unlocking certain ideas of the world that had not been explained yet in a rational way.

-Revolutionary Socialism

Revolutionary socialism was a new branch of socialism that, similar to communism, wanted revolution and an overthrow of the upper class. However, it didn't want a classless society quite like communism, but wanted revolutions to be inspired across Europe. Because nationalism always came before socialism, this couldn’t be done as there wasn’t a Europe wide socialist force, rather small socialist parties in each nation.

-General Strike

General strike was an idea of revolutionary socialism created by Georges Sorel. He believed that a socialist society could be created by a general strike, where the working class across Europe would be inspired to overthrow the capitalist upper class and install a socialist society as one. However, this wasn’t very likely because many placed nationalism before politics, keeping socialist parties separate from each other by nationality.

-Social Darwinism

Social Darwinism was the applying of Darwin’s theory of evolution to humans. Europeans argued that in Darwin’s theory, white eurocentric humans were the superior race, and would outlive the non-white races. It also justified European’s racism towards other races, implying that because they were the superior race, they must dominate the other races, allowing them to treat them as less than human.

-Volkish Thought

Volkish thought was the idea of the superior Aryan, or German race. Inspired by propagandists like Stewart Chamberlain, Germans believed that they were the true descendants of the Aryans, the origins of Western culture, leading them to deem Jews, Negroes, and Orientals as lower races. Jews were especially the main target for German racism.

-Anticlericalism

Anticlericalism was the movement against the Catholic church in the late nineteenth century. Mostly by liberal groups, the church faced backlash against their education system, and other ideologies that had been questioned by the rise of rationalism and scientific discovery. People began becoming less religious, especially when the church rejected modern ideas.

-Modernism

Modernism was a new religion that produced a new perspective of Christianity including modern ideas. Instead of disregarding scientific progress or rational thought, modernists applied the Bible in a moral sense, encouraging changes in society and making the Church more of a community. Modernism was completely rejected by the Catholic Church and was discontinued by WWI.

-Post Impressionism

Post Impressionism was an art style similar to it’s predecessor, Impressionism. They were alike in their trait of burryness, however Post Impressionism was a little less extreme, though it still had no definite lines. Certain paintings even used tiny dots to create the image, making an undefined but clearer image.

-Cubism

Cubism was a new art style that was characterized by geometric shapes. It had harsh, sharp lines that created shapes in the image of whatever subject it was trying to depict.

-Abstract Painting

Abstract painting was a new art style that wasn’t like any art style before it. It didn’t have a specific subject, instead it could be interpreted as the viewer saw it. The style is focused on expression, with bold colors and strokes that convey whatever feeling or concept the artist wants to show.

-Political Democracy

Political democracy was a liberal political principle that believed that every citizen should be able to vote in a legislature. Women also fought for their right to vote in the form of the Suffragists. Many liberals in the nineteenth century believed that to have a fair government that represented the people, each and every citizen should be able to vote. This led to groups like the Suffragists to protest and fight for reforms that allowed universal suffrage, or right to vote for all.

-Suffragists

The Suffragists were a movement dedicated to women’s rights, most importantly their right to vote. They believed that women needed full citizenship, and with that came the right to vote. First using peaceful means like marches and meetings like Seneca Falls, their protests became more and more radical as men refused to listen. Suffragists would chain themselves to government buildings, burn houses, ruin businesses, and in Emily Davidson’s case, even throw herself in front of the king’s horse during the Epsom Derby leading to her death.

-Anti-Semitism

Anti-semitism was the movement against the Jewish race. Though they were accepted in places like France and other European countries, they were completely persecuted in Germany and Austria. Jews were blamed for the tarnishing of Aryan or German culture, leading a part of German nationalism to be the rejection of Jews. This hate for the Jewish was adopted by Adolf Hitler, leading to the horrible events of the Holocaust.

-Pogroms

Pogroms were planned massacres of Jews in eastern Europe. Especially in Russian Jewish areas, pogroms happened in many villages, killing hundreds of thousands of Jews. This led to Jewish mass emigration to escape pogroms and anti-semetic actions, going to the US, Canada, or Palestine.

-Zionism

Zionism was a Jewish nationalist movement in Palestine, where the Holy Lands are. Jews wished to find their home where they wouldn’t be persecuted for their race, leading them to seek refuge in Palestine, though the Ottoman Empire was against their immigration.

-Transformism

Transformism was the use of bribery in the political scene to create alliances between political groups. By creating these alliances, a larger new party in the government could be formed. This was used by liberal prime minister of Italy Giovanni Giolitti, creating a corrupted Italian government.

-New Imperialism

New imperialism was the European colonial expansion into Asia and Africa past the 1880s. Economically, European countries were competitive for sources of raw materials, having control of these resources creates more profit compared to buying it from a foreign power. It also allowed them another place to sell their own finished goods. With new weapons due to industrialization, European powers also wanted a way to test out their tanks, gasses, and machine guns, choosing to do it on native populations they colonized, as they saw them as less than human. Their sense of nationalism also created a thirst for more land and power, along with religious motivation to convert “ignorant” people who didn’t know about God.

-Economic Imperialism

Economic imperialism was the expansion of one’s country through economic means. By investing in the places that produced the most profit of raw materials, a country could create a large capital. European powers were competitive for sources of raw materials, having control of these resources creates more profit compared to buying it from a foreign country. It also allowed them another place to sell their own finished goods.