Extended Essay
What causes led to England dominating Europe, whilst France struggled to maintain a significant
role in the 1700s
History
Word Count: 2800
Table of Contents:
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
Part 1: The Factors leading to England's Success . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1.1 The Industrial Revolution of the 18th Century . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5
1.2 The Centralization of Government in England . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Part 2: The Causes of the Decline of France . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
1.1 The Decline of the French Monarchy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-9
1.2 The Negative Effects of the French Revolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-10
Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-12
Works Cited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
INTRODUCTION
The research question in this essay is “​What causes led to England dominating Europe, whilst
France struggled to maintain a significant role in the 1700s​?” The British achieved great
advancements within their economy and government, which were unmatched by all other nations
at the time. The rapid development, originating from a rural and primitive society, into a
worldwide empire is astounding and remained unparalleled until after 1850 (Mokyr, Nye). The
small industries which existed in Britain were a perfect foundation for the expansion of these
into massive productions fueling the economy to never before seen levels. The majority of
Europe in the 1700s consisted of rural and primitive states or countries, that used the feudal
system or a monarchy as their main form of legislation(Kemp). In England, however, was the
first nation to shift to a centralized government which allowed a more liberal legislation, thus the
laws and regulations were tailored so that they were accepted by all members of society (Mokyr,
Nye). When analyzing the historical context of the flourishing British Empire, it is often assumed
that the inventions of machines and industrialization were the main causes leading to rapid
growth; however, further investigation is needed to understand that these developments were
much more complex than initially believed. France at this time accidentally reverts some of the
progress, which had been made throughout the previous centuries and the entire country seems to
have an internal struggle, during the 18th century. The french monarchy which seemed to be so
significant in previous years renders itself completely useless and the french economy
experiences barely any growth throughout this time period. The entire system of legislation
seems to be corrupt and the power is only yielded by the aristocrats, whose lives are paid for by
hard working serfs and lower class taxpayers, who provide the state with most of its income.
Although the conditions within 18th century Europe were nearly identical these two nations
became so drastically different due to a few essential factors.
This research question is worthy of investigation, since the 18th century two nations develop
drastically different although most variables are similar. This investigation seeks to identify how
these factors help us understand the outcome of these central European powers.
PART 1: THE FACTORS LEADING TO ENGLAND’S SUCCESS
1.1 The Industrial Revolution of the 18th Century
The most significant factor which led to england’s global domination towards the end of the 18th
Century was the industrial revolution. During this time period, the once rural and primitive
country of england converted itself into the most powerful nation in Europe using a few
scientific ideas. The main scientific advancements made that initiated this revolution were the
discovery of “coke”, which is produced by subjecting coal to “long periods of slow heat”, and
the development of the steam engine (Vialls 14,15). Due to these advancements industrial
processes were made more efficient or automated completely, thus increasing the production
rates. However, what was truly significant about the invention of the steam engine, was that
factories no longer required a constant flow of water, meaning the places where they could be
built were no longer limited. This factor caused factories to appear throughout england and the
once local and feudal industries began to appear nationwide (Mokyr, Nye 52). Mokyr and Nye
also explains that at the heart of this industrialization was the ideology that any previous locally
focused industries could expand much further than expected (52). Although this seems like a
possibility Vialls shows that essentially it was the inventions and advancements made at local
levels which propelled the economy the following years (23). The invention of automated
machines did not solely lead to industrialization, however, the rapid production of these products
increased the market for them thus generating a greater monetary flow into England’s economy.
The economic growth which was induced by industrialization led to Britain becoming the
leading nation within europe. The once rural and localized industries were now operating on a
vast scale influencing almost everyone and everything in britain. Although this economic growth
affected many local markets, which had not been able to scale up their operation were now
struggling to find the necessary sources of income (Mokyr, Nye 53). The exponential increase in
production led to one more significant problem that could stop industrialization in its tracks:
transportation of goods (Vaill 34). A solution was provided by the culmination of the work of
many engineers and architects, allowing the revolution to maintain the momentum of the
revolution (Vaill 33). The main improvements that made transportation much more efficient were
Bridges, Boats, Roads, and waggonways (Vaill 33-34). This resulted in the economy growing at
an even more rapid rate since so many products could be sold without much hesitation, thus
resulting in an immediate revenue gain which contributes right back into the industry.
Throughout history it has been shown that money correlates to power and through this massive
influx of Britain's economy, they became an essential piece of the trading network within Europe
and had monetary control over many markets.
1.2 The Centralization of Government in England
The Centralization of Government in England helped make the nation one of the strongest
powers in 18th century Europe. The Government within England was a system of “incumbent
land powers” based on “feudal customs and traditional arrangements” which had little outreach
outside of their local markets and towns (Mokyr, Nye 53). The economy within England had
been flourishing and growing industries quickly became threatening to these localized
governments (Mokyr, Nye 54). In order to adapt to this rapid change of environment, Britain was
forced to tailor their government, so that it would not impede this rapid growth (Kemp 18-19).
Within England a new “oligarchic regime” appeared which redistributed this wealth to “the
newly rising businessmen” and the “large landholders”, through this they tied these two to a
“centralized government structure” which served the purpose of providing the necessary
resources to keep the country stable (Mokyr, Nye 54). This “centralized administrative structure”
was the parliament; it served the purpose of being the institution which oversees other
institutions creates rules that will keep everything under control (Mokyr, Nye 54). As described
this institution was a fitting concept, however, the only way to actually give it power was to
legitimize it.
Parliament needed to be legitimized and this could only be done if every citizen understood that
they must follow these rules and regulations presented by the british parliament. The previous
“royal prerogative” was deemed a powerless legislation and The Bill of Rights led to the British
Parliament gaining the privilege of governing the people of England (Mokyr, Nye 56). Although
this system was severely rigged it helped establish a central system of which adapted the laws
and regulations so that they provided the civilization with many opportunities in order to grow
the influence of their country within Europe (Kemp 18-19). Through this centralized government
Britain was able to monitor and provide its economy with the means to flourish resulting in
astounding growth in all areas. Due to the new liberal government, it accounted for most of the
population and helped the British middle class to thrive by providing their general population
with regulations that would lead to their support of the Parliament (Mokyr, Nye 56). The
population in England grew quickly and the once rural and widespread England, was now
concentrated into cities and larger towns making it much easier to control and regulate the
industries, which were crucial for maintaining the rise of the economy (Kemp 17-18). The
British Parliament centralized the power of the British government and due to its more liberal
governing allowed the English economy to flourish and solidified its position as a key power
within Europe.
PART 2: THE CAUSES OF THE DECLINE OF FRANCE
2.1 The Decline of the French Monarchy
Previously France had been one of the most influential powers in Europe, however, due to the
seven years war and the terrible governing of the French kings this staple power was declining
quickly. The seven years war seemed to result in almost no progress within Europe; France lost
many men and resources in this war but gained nothing. Once the war finally concluded Louis
XV reigned over the French people; he was no better than his predecessor, letting the french
aristocracy enjoy noble lives whilst the peasants and farmers struggled for every meal (Yonge).
Louis XV imposed excessive taxes on the lower classes, whilst the French nobility paid almost
none and used these taxes to pay for the extravagant lifestyle, which was popular at the time. The
society of France was fairly primitive at the time, since the main source of income was the
agricultural trade and there were still many feudal systems that existed throughout the country.
As Yonge states in his brief History of France, Louis XV governed with the belief that peasants
“​durst not live in any kind of comfort” and used them to support the lifestyle of the aristocratic
party of France. These upper classes would receive all influential positions within the nation and
the lower classes were trapped and had no choice, but to serve their king and his nobles. The
institutions of France had become completely corrupt and the lower classes were suffering
through the consequences; due to this terrible reign the once significant power of France was
making no progress as the other nations within Europe were flourishing (Yonge).
After Louis XV died, his successor Louis XVI took over a country in desperate need of
reform, however, he was in no way qualified to lead his country out of this “deadlock” which had
almost resulted in total bankruptcy (Yonge). Although he attempted to reform the country the
higher classes still “conferred exemption from the basic direct tax” and every attempt to change
this was hopeless (Doyle 27). France was now almost completely hopeless, their economy was
almost non existent, their land was still managed through the feudal systems, and all attempts at
following Britain into the Industrial Revolution had failed, since they were relentless on keeping
their new patents secret (Yonge). Due to the terrible state of the country a Revolution was
inevitable. The lower classes were still struggling to pay for food and the nobility still expected
this fully provided lifestyle without any repercussions; eventually the country was bound to
collapse or to liberate itself from this harmful reign (Doyle 28). Although this rebellion was
inevitable it only occurred once the bread prices were raised and the lower classes actually began
to starve; the struggle which they now faced made clear that something had to change, therefore,
they took action (Yonge). The decline of the french monarchy started due to the terrible system
implemented by Louis XIV. This system had stunted all economic and agricultural growth and
the country was in despair, since France had once been one of the most influential powers and
Europe and now was struggling not to fall into anarchy.
2.2 The Negative Effects of the French Revolution
France was governed by an absolute monarchy and there was a great schism in between social
classes at the time; this form of government made minimal progress and instigated a promising
French Revolution which ultimately led to a decline in power for the french. France had been
struggling for many years and the once so prosperous throne was slowly losing its influence on
the French people (Rose 436). Once the throne had almost lost its influence completely the states
general met in order to determine what to do with this distraught country. Within the court the
nobles had 300 representatives, the clergy also had 300 representatives, and the commoners had
nearly 600 representatives (Issitt). These six-hundred representatives refused to leave until the
legislation had been changed so that it was more fair for the commoners, soon after the tensions
in Paris began to rise and it was unclear what would happen next (Rose 438). At some point it
was reported that a cannon in Bastille had been aimed at France; next the revolution began and
the old castle of Bastille was stormed by commoners (Yonge). Throughout the entire 18th
century Britain had been flourishing and had established itself as the most dominant power in
Europe, while in France everything had spiraled out of control and it was unclear how it could
ever regain the power that it once had. The revolutionaries quickly overtook the nation and
attempted to erase all traces of the institutions, which had held the country in such a helpless
position for so long. They implemented a completely new government and erased the french
monarchy which had once been the cause of a great nation, but now the king was only left with
the power to veto certain decisions made by the governing body; however, they were still seen as
the enemy and had no other power (Yonge). Soon the reign of terror began and any person who
opposed the equality of all citizens was brutally murdered, furthermore, the whole country
plunged into a period of darkness. At the end of the 18th century the consulate was established
and it took several years before France reappeared as one of the significant powers within
Europe.
The revolutionary war inflicted lots of damage on the french economy, however, the most
significant was the overseas trade; at the beginning of the revolution it was one of the most
important pieces of the french economy, but towards the end the atlantic was dominated by the
british navy (Doyle 403-404). The French economy had sustained several blows throughout the
Revolution, and it takes quite a while until France is once again a powerful country; in the
meantime Britain has established itself as the primary power in Europe and due to its early
industrialization it was not going to be rivaled for quite a while (Doyle 403). Throughout the
18th century, it is clear that the french monarchy led to the eventual revolution, however, the
scientific progress was stunted by the inability of the government to provide necessary funding
for these ideas; this would have been crucial for the establishment of a sturdy economy, which
could have led to the issues resolving themselves. Although it would be ignorant to assume that a
sturdy economy is necessary to have a thriving country, it is important that the government
remains aware of the needs and wants of the people.
CONCLUSION:
So “​What causes led to England dominating Europe, whilst France struggled to maintain a
significant role in the 1700s​?” The main causes, which led to England's domination of Europe
were industrialization and centralization of government. Industrialization was a key component
of the progress made by Britain in the 18th century, because it automated and sped up industrial
processes allowing for a more widespread and rapid production (Vaills). The centralization of
government was also an integral part of the expansion of England, since it allowed the economy
to continue its rapid growth instead of impeding its current course (Mokyr, Nye). The centralized
government also allowed for closer moderation of the industries, which were fueling the thriving
economy; this central government was much more liberal than previous legislations, therefore, it
allowed for the laws to be suited for all citizens of Britain. These causes were the main factors
which led to Britain's quick domination of Europe and even several parts of the globe, due to the
extent of their navy. The main causes, which led to France’s struggle to maintain a significant
role are the decline of the french monarchy and the french revolution. The French Monarchy had
been in decline, since Louis XIV established taxes that only applied to the lower classes and
were then distributed to the nobles, who took all influential positions within the state and feudal
systems. This reign continued within France for several years; the oppressed lower classes
struggled to feed their families and were robbed of almost everything due to these taxes. The
economy of France at this time was small and did not improve anytime soon, since the aristocrats
used all taxpayer money to finance their extravagant lifestyles and the oppression of the lower
classes resulted in little freedom to imitate industrialization, which is making Britain so
powerful. The French Revolution also impedes the progression of their nation, since it rebuilds
all legislations completely new and the overseas trade is neglected because of the chaos within
the country.
WORKS CITED:
Lord, John. “Capital and Steam Power.” ​Capital and Steam Power by John Lord​, 1923,
himedo.net/TheHopkinThomasProject/TimeLine/Wales/Steam/URochesterCollection/lord/index.
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French Revolution (1787-99). By: Issitt, Micah, Salem Press Encyclopedia, 2018
ROSE, R. B. “18 T
​ H​. ​International Review of Social History​, vol. 4, no. 3, 1959, pp. 432–445.
JSTOR​, ​www.jstor.org/stable/44583575​.
Yonge, Charlotte. “History of France : Charlotte Mary Yonge : Free Download, Borrow, and
Streaming.” ​Internet Archive​, 17 July 2018, archive.org/details/historyoffrance_1807_librivox.
Doyle, William. ​The Oxford History of the French Revolution​. Clarendon Press, 1989.
Kemp, Tom (Historiker). ​Industrialization in Nineteenth-Century Europe​. Longmans, 1979.
Mokyr, Joel, and John V. C. Nye. “Distributional Coalitions, the Industrial Revolution, and the
Origins of Economic Growth in Britain.” ​Southern Economic Journal​, vol. 74, no. 1, 2007, pp.
50–70. ​JSTOR​, ​www.jstor.org/stable/20111952​.
Vialls, Christine. ​Iron and the Industrial Revolution​. Cambridge University Press, 1989.