1 Industrial Revolution Essay (Outline)
*For a nation-state to achieve global success and dominance in the 19th century, they must leverage industrial modernization: bringing the increased fighting power of an industrialized modern military, the economic benefits of adopting and weaponizing free trade, and the centralized political control offered by top-down civic nationalism.*
1.1 Modern, industrialized military brings increased fighting power
England's unification efforts allowed the country to gather a huge competitive advantage over other, less-developed nation-states.
New industrialized technology made the military much better: "the advanced technology of steam engines and machine-made tools gave Europe decisive economic and military advantages." (Kennedy Ch. 4)
This advantage manifests itself in two core ways:
- Modern military is much more economically and physically efficient
- Modern military is stronger and could easily fight over other advanced yet unindustrialized military
"Despite a steady reduction in its own numbers after 1815, the Royal Navy was at some times probably as powerful as the next three or four navies in actual fighting power." (Kennedy Ch. 4). Due to to Britian's steady technological advancement, the British Royal Navy was able to use its advanced technology — of which it was one the first to adopt — to offset its reduced numbers.
In addition to increased efficiency, the advanced technologies adopted by the British Royal Navy also allowed it to conquer even traditionally powerful armies with ease.
"The steam-driven gunboat meant that European sea power, already supreme in open waters, could be extended inland. … The ironclad Nemesis … was a disaster for the defending Chinese forces, which were easily brushed aside." (Kennedy Ch. 4) Without the technologies of the steam engine — the hallmark of industrialization, it would be impossible for the British military to be able to so efficiently threaten the Chinese rule.
Both of these factors would not exist because without the advent of the advanced military technologies brought by industrialization.
1.2 State support and weaponization of free-trade and private production
brought wealth and economic power
:CUSTOMID: state-support-and-weaponization-of-free-trade-and-private-production-brought-wealth-and-economic-power
In the 19th century, states began the "erosion of tariff barriers … [and] the widespread propergation of ideas about free trade and incarnation." (Kennedy Ch. 4) These devices allowed economy to flow freely throughout the world economy, and allowed the novel technologies of industrialization that sprung up in Europe to spread rapidly.
European states actively leveraged their newly-advantageous position in global trade to bring further economic wealth to them. The systems of Imperialism were in part created to propagate European ideas of free trade to more difficult markets like that of Asia or Africa: "European states sought 'sheltered markets' free from such restrictions to trade and found them in the colonies they established." (Mason Ch. 8 )
This forcible induction of state-sponsored "free trade" had significant advantages for European nations such as Britian. Although opium trade to China was officially managed by the private British East India Co., Britian did not hesitate to leverage their army to force trading to continue: when Canton commisoner Lin Zexu threatened the Crown's opium trade, "Britain sent an expeditionary military force … [that] the Chinese had no naval forces capable of defeating." (Ropp Late Qing).
The legacy Chinese forces had little capability to defend themselves against the newly-strengthened British forces as per aforementioned, and hence was forced to continue trade — a lucrative business for the British that not only offsetted their trade deficit with the Qing court, but made an additional $1 Million in profit. Arguably, the sustenance of the opium trade in late Qing China is also one of the reasons that the administration eventually collapsed
1.3 Promotion of Civically Nationalistic Governance
During the 19th century, two major European players — Germany and Italy — were created from the advent of civic nationalistic ideals. These new nations rapidly became modernized, developed, and rose to be a world player in global power balance.
Throughout Europe, "Statesmen … were using warfare and civic nationalism to forge powerful new nation-states" (Mason Ch. 7). The control offered by nationalistic ideals offered unique, counter-balancing forces that created an opportunity for the ruling class to both efficiently control subjects and ensure the integrity of the nation.
Although it is not a strictly nationalistic speech, the Iron and Blood address by the Prussian chancellor Otto von Bismarck rings with deeply nationalistic sentiments: "the position of Prussia in Germany … will be determined … by iron and blood" — rallying the citizens to powerful action under the image of "Germans": a national identity previously separated from statehood.
In this maneuver, Bismarck created the German confederation — an act that strengthened the already-dominant position of Prussia for dominance in their European region.
2 Paragraph on Nationalism
In addition to the technical and economic prowess brought by industrialization, the 19th century also engendered a new wave of governance that rapidly enabled the growth of new, powerful nations. Throughout Europe, "Statesmen … were using warfare and civic nationalism to forge new nation-states" (Mason Ch. 7) like that of Germany and Italy — creating soon-to-be dominant players on world power balance. The process Civic nationalism is hugely effective partly due to the duality of control it offers. Firstly, nationalism in itself ensures the unity of a nation-state for it secures national uniformity not under forced rule but under a shared identity: "a nation is a group of people with a common culture, a sense of identity, and political aspirations … [it] requires the psychological element of identity". Indeed, a sense of togetherness and common goal could be created without having to resort to sheer physical and political leverage — creating a perfect space for the governance style of civic nationalism. "Civic nationalism [is] directed from the top" (Mason Ch. 7), allowing seat of power to directly implement actions in the uniform populous psychologically primed to support actions that would further the nation's shared aspirations. This feature of civic nationalism expedites policy decisions — allowing powerful nations to be created with reasonably rapid pace. Conversely, states not following generally civic nationalistic governance may experience "separatism": attempts of enforcing civic control without the establishment (or, in multiculturalistic states, the possibility) of nationalism. When faced with European competition, the Ottoman empire established a campaign of "Defensive Developmentalism", where a combination of "military reform [and] … discipline and coordinat[tion of] their population" (Gelvin Ch. 5) — actions that enforce direct civic control — lead to revolts and unrest between classes and groups of conflicting interest to eventually orchestrated the breakup of the Ottoman Empire (reference to Mason Ch. 7). In Civically Nationalistic states, this would not take place. Chancellor Otto von Bismark of Prussia, when unifying Germany, leveraged the same civic control as the Ottomans but did so under a nationalistic lens: claiming that "the position of Prussia in Germany … will be determined … by iron and blood" — creating a cry that rallies the citizens to action under the image of "Germans", a national identity previously separated from statehood. Bismark's powerful call to action solidified the Prussian involvement in the creation and dominance in the German state — a nation with influence over global balance of power even today. Through its combined effect of control and unity, the adoption of civic nationalism is a powerful strategy that ensured the rapid political success of states in the 19th century.