Preceden

Europe from 1750 Onward

18th Century

European Imperialism (18th-20th century)

1750 - 1914

Fueled by state rivalries at home and technological innovations from the Industrial Revolution, European powers sought to acquire spheres of influence abroad as symbols of national "Great Power". It was met with cooperation and resistance, negative influences (impoverished communities), and positive impacts on the societies it touched (provided opportunities for social mobility, education, and personal wealth)

Industrial Revolution Begins and Spreads (18th-20th century)

1750 - 1914

The Industrial Revolution changed human culture most fundamentally since the Agriculture Revolution and it created new classes of people in society. Output of goods and services increased greatly. As Europe industrialized, there grew a divide- Asia stayed the same while Europe grew.

Nations and Growth of Mass Nationalism (18th-20th century)

1750 - 1900

The nation became a prominent form of political organization and nationalism made for a keen enthusiasm for European imperialism.

Abolition of Slavery (18th-19th century)

1780 - 1890

A rapid turn in the moral thinking of human kind, even if the lives of former slaves did not greatly improve initially.

Britain's First Industrialization (18th-20th)

1780 - 1914

Held a distinct form of the Scientific Revolution and were luckily sitting on rather large deposits of coal. It was from this country that the Industrial Revolution spread throughout Europe, and then the rest of the world.

The French Revolution (18th-19th century)

1789 - 1815

The National Assembly (the 3rd estate) revolts against the rule of King Louis XVI. It brought about democracy and French modernization under the principles of the Enlightenment, replacing absolute monarchy.

19th Century

Beginnings of Feminism

1800 - 1899

An organized and substantial group of women challenged the subordination of women to men. They pushed for more equal rights in things such as property, marriage, and jobs eventually achieving widespread women's suffrage in the mid 1900's.

The British Aristocracy Declines Slightly in Social Status

1800 - 1899

This happened because of a growing middle class. The aristocrats still remained dominant in British Parliament and retained great social prestige and personal wealth.

The British Laboring Class Generally Suffers From Industrialization

1800 - 1899

They suffered most because of horrible working conditions, long hours, and low wages. This pushed the "urban poor" to try and improve industrial life by forming unions and protesting. Socialist ideas appealed to the working class but didn't take root in Britain. The protests and the immense inequalities between the social classes testified to an unstable society riddled with class conflict.

The British Middle Class Rise Significantly in Status

1800 - 1899

This was a reflection of the success of the Industrial Revolution as it provided opportunities to make substantial urban wealth. The middle class made up 20% of Britain's population by the end of the 19th century

Europeans Invest Heavily Abroad (19th-20th century)

1830 - 1935

Many countries became dependent on European loans and trade hindering any efforts for industrialization.

New Perceptions of the "Other" Start to Form

1850 - 1859

European opinions of other cultures dropped sharply as they produced unsurpassed military power, having created a society of unprecedented wealth via the Industrial Revolution. This helped support racist movements.

20th Century

Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand is Assassinated by a Serbian Nationalist

1914

An accident waiting to happen that showed how rigid the system of alliances in Europe were. This turned into WW1.

World War I

1914 - 1918

It was unlike any war seen before in its global reach, trench warfare, had an astounding number of casualties, and use of new military technology. WWI represented the political collapse of Europe and also introduced the USA as a new global power.

The Fascist Alternative

1919 - 1946

Small fascist movements appeared in many European countries but in Italy and especially Germany such movements achieved prolonged power in major states with devastating consequences for Europe and the world.

Capitalism Unraveling: The Great Depression

1929 - 1946

The failure of the economic system. The instabilities of capitalism rapidly became more evident and devastating than before.

Hitler and the Nazis

1933 - 1945

Taking power in Germany in 1933, they held intense German nationalism in terms of racial superiority, conducted the Holocaust, and ultimately triggered WWII in Europe after invading Poland. The "Nazi Phenomenon" represented a moral collapse in Western Europe.

WWII in Europe

1941 - 1945

The most destructive conflict in world history with about 60 million deaths and this time more than half of them were civilians. Governments made efforts to mobilize their economies, people, propaganda, and women. The Holocaust resulted in the millions of deaths of Jews and others deemed racially inferior. With the end of WWII Europe's dominance in world affairs was finished.

End of British Rule in India

1947

This left India to partition into a Muslim Pakistan and a mostly Hindu India that came about by way of nonviolent confrontation.

Modern Feminism

1960 - 1969

Instead of universal suffrage, which most countries had already achieved, the feminist movement confronted patriarchal dominance and the oppression and exploitation of women.