Chapter 24
The Building of
European Supremacy
General information you should
know
Population Trends &
Migration
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20% of world’s populationEurope
1850—266 million
1900—401 million
1910—447 million
• Birth/Death rates declined or stabilized
Worldview
• Stable or slowly growing populations in
developed countries vs. large & rapidly
growing populations in undeveloped
regionsfood & resource crises
(Malthus)
Migration & Mobility
• People are on the MOVE
–Serf emancipation
–Cheap land & better wages
–Transportation
• 1846-1932
• 50 million Europeans 
–North America
–South America
–Australia
–Africa
BIG picture
• Relieved social & population pressures
• Europeanization of the world
• European technology & economic
superiority
2nd Industrial Revolution
• Heavy industries— Germany,
Belgium, France
– Steel—Bessemer Process
– Internal combustion engines
• 1887—Daimler invented automobile
•  demand for OIL
Middle Class
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Always rising
Increased social distinctions
Suburbs
Housing reform
Women’s issues— more of the same
Political feminism (see poster p.832)
Jewish Emancipation
• BIG QUESTION
• Where does anti-Semitism come from?
First International
• Gathering of socially/economically
discontent
• Anarchists—those who rebel against any
authority, established order, ruling power
• Socialists
• Polish nationals (why?)
Karl Marx
• Main voice of International
• Great scientific appeal
• Ideas became main brand
of socialism
• Reform—work
WITHIN existing
political structures
Paris Commune
• Background: Napoleon III (r.1851-1870)
• Picked a fight w/ Prussia (sort of)
Franco-Prussian War
– Disastrous to France
• Parisians create own govt “Commune”
– Attracted all kinds of radicals—violent
• Marx praised as “genuinely proletarian
government, suppressed by bourgeoisie”
Okay for the rest of Europe,
what about Great Britain?
Great Britain…
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Most advanced industrial society
Growing trade unions support Liberal Party
Independent Labour Party—socialist
Growing militancy
Labor strikes—higher wages
…Great Britain…
• The Fabian Society
– Gradual approach to major social reform
– Civil servants
– Problems could be solved democratically
• “rational wisdom of socialism”
(Enlightenment?)
…Great Britain
• David Lloyd George —Chancellor of the
Exchequer
• Broad program of social/labor reform
– Labor exchanges
– Trade regulation
• Textiles
• National Insurance Act 1911
– Unemployment & health care
France…
• Jaures & Guesde—led 2 main socialist
factions
• Saw “opportunity” to infiltrate existing
political structures (parties & cabinet
{advisors})
• Howevercan’t support a government
that they will eventually overthrow—main
goal
…France…
• Unity? PM Waldeck-Rousseau
– Appointed Millerand (socialist) to cabinet
• 2nd International (1889-Amsterdam)
– Ordered French socialists to form own party
• Socialist Party—2nd largest group in Chamber of
Deputies
• However: French labor movement anarchists
– Little interest in politics or socialism
– Less talk-more action labor strikes to generate unity
– Militarily suppressed
Germany…
• German Social Democratic Party (SDP)—
1875
• Marxist socialism
• ÷ reform v. revolution
…Germany…
• Bismarck—socialism undermines politics &
society
• “Gute Deutsche sind nicht Sozialist”
• Counterproductive legislation thru’
Reichstag
• Bismarck—smart enough to fix a problem
…Germany…
• Health insurance
• Accident insurance
• Old/age disability
pensions
• Paternalistic
alternative
…Germany…
• 1st major industrial nation to introduce
welfare system—we take care of our
own….
…Germany…
• Bismarck outlive socialist repression
• Erfurt Program 1891
– Declared doom of capitalism
– Push socialist ownership of means of
production
– Not revolutionary but work withIN system
• SDP—hostile to German Empire, but will
work with it
…Germany
• Fabian influence— Eduard Bernstein
• “social reform through democratic
institutions replaced revolution [towards]
human socialist society
• August 1914—unify to support war effort
Russia…
• Russian socialism
reflects political
discontent & economic
development
• Nicholas II 1894-1917
– Stubborn supporter of
the right of the emperor
…Russia…
• Sergei Witte —finance minister
– Planned economic development
– Protective tariffs
– Gold standard
– General efficiency
– HEAVY INDUSTRIES
• Railroads—iron—steel
• Industrialism led to disgruntled peasants
Socialism in Russia…
• No representative institutions//small
working class
• Czar banned political parties
•  exiled Russian Social Democratic
Party
…Socialism in Russia…
• George Plekhanov—Chief Russian
Marxist
– Chief disciple— Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov
• Russia must become
industrialized to develop
large proletariat revolution
…Socialism in Russia…
Lenin
• Criticized trade unions
• Rejected mass
democratic party
composed of workers
• Infiltration by
“professionals” in
revolutionary movements
& government
…Socialism in Russia
• 1903—Russian Social Democratic Party
(London)
• Lenin forced split
– Bolsheviks—majority (organized 1912)
• Elite party
• Dual social revolution
– Mensheviks—minority
• Bolsheviks—odd man out in European
Socialism
Russo-Japanese War 19041905
• Expensive & deadly
• Fueled fires of revolution 1905
• Sidebar: Japan emerged as world
power
Revolt @ home
• January 1905 workers of St. Petersburg
carrying banners, icons, and portraits of the
czar solemnly marched on the capital with
a petition stating their unbearably difficult
life. 140,000 people, including women &
children, took part in the march. Upon the
order of the czar, the marchers were fired
upon—over 1,000 were killed, 5,000
injured.
• Considered the First Revolution
October Manifesto
• Granted certain freedoms to Russian
people
• Later annulled
• Meaningless
• Witte out – Stolypin in
• Little sympathy for parliamentary govt
• Convinced Nicholas to dissolve Duma
Russia
• Stolypin
• Repress rebellion—execute 700 peasants
• Cancel peasants’ redemptive debt
– increase individual ownership of lands
– Farmers more productive working for selves
• Rally property owners to support czar
Russia
• Grigory Efimovich
Rasputin
– Much influence on czar
& family (Alexandra)
• Widespread distrust of
czar’s policies after
1911