TR3.5

The Industrial Revolution

Houjun Liu 2021-09-27 Mon 12:00

1 The Industrial Revolution

1.1 Background: Post Napoleon Europe…

Post-Napoleonic International System was "strange"

1.1.1 New International Order

@KBhHIST201MasonAndKennedy

  • Erosion of tariff barrieriers + widespread free trade ideals => new international order
  • Struggle between 1793-1815 ("Great War") caused a yearning for stability

The newfound yearning caused a longer term wish for stability… But! Wars did not end: Regional/individual conflicts {territory, nationality, etc.} persisted. however, this did manage to limit the scope of conflicts

  • Europe's technical superiority increased the conflict for the less developed
  • CLAIM: military power accompanied the economic globalization @Kennedy, KBhHIST201MasonAndKennedy

1.2 The Industrial Revolution

\definition{Industrial Revolution}{The substitution of inanimate for animated sources of power through the conversion of heat into work.} @Kennedy KBhHIST201MasonAndKennedy's thesis claim Thesis CLAIM: international economy growth, Industrial Revolution, European stability, and military modernization => favored Great Powers

Of course, IR is a very slow process.

1.2.1 The Revolution

  • At its nascent stages started affecting only a certain amount of manufacturers + is a slow-moving process

Is Technologically Beneficial: allowed mankind to explore new sources of energy. For instance, twenty-folded the production of driven looms

Had cascading effect: better access to technology turned textile industry to be more productive which created a demand to more machines, cotton, iron, and communication

Also other systemic benefits like the creation of a the wage-labor factory work system => massive increase in productivity.

1.2.2 Impacts of IR

The Industrial Revolution, of course, had lots of impacts. Please see KBhHIST201ImpactsofIR