Nineteenth -century international Europe
The ideological struggle between nationalism and liberalism was the greatest propellant of change in nineteenth -century Europe. Europe was divided between these two ideologies. Political liberalism and nationalism react against the absolutist principles of restoration. On the one hand, the bourgeoisie, expanding social group, is not willing to give up political power. On the other, the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Empire aroused the nationalist conscience of some European states that are not willing to comply with the artificiality of the political borders imposed by the Vienna Congress. Thus, political liberalism and nationalism are exacerbated from this congress, and sometimes united and sometimes separated, they will open a revolutionary stage in Europe from 1820 that will face the principles of restoration.
The 18th century had culminated with the event that, historiographically, marks the transit between the modern and contemporary age: the French Revolution. The figure of Napoleon Bonaparte emerged from the convulsa revolution in France. This military Corso combined military genius and political ability throughout his career. He climbed in the hierarchy of the revolutionary regime until he was proclaimed emperor of the French. His armies submitted to half Europe and spread the revolutionary ideas throughout the continent. Finally, Napoleon was defeated in Waterloo in 1815, but the old regime would already live in a continuous crisis and gradually disappear.
The main demographic changes were the colonization of Africa and formation as a state of Italy and Germany. This is due to the fact that the increase in productivity, the industry began to require a growing amount of raw materials. Europe was dry of natural resources after centuries of exploitation and the great powers put their eyes in Africa. Based on the old commercial positions established along the African coast, Europeans began an unbridled race into the continent.
The map of Central Europe at the beginning of the 19th century was very different from the current. A myriad of small states extended through the territory that we call Italy and Germany today. Based on the romantic ideals of nationalism and the strength of their armies, charismatic leaders such as Otto von Bismarck or Giuseppe Garibaldi undertook the unification of both territories. The two processes, with their differences, involved wars and important tensions throughout the territory. Finally, Italy and Germany consolidated as two of the great powers called to play a leading role in the twentieth century in Europe.
After the change of mentality of society, since it was now more liberal, the introduction of new elements that contributed to industrial advance was formented. Since more resources such as coal were needed, more energy was generated, and it was sought to increase productivity, the population’s mentality opened to the economy and to look for new more efficient roads.
To this contributed in the same way the expansionist policy of certain countries that caused capitalism to expand around the world. Adam Smith, with his "richness of nations" was the pioneer of this freeambaism, under the notion that this autonomy would influence the progress of a nation but also influenced the country in which it originated. For these ideas to expand throughout Europe, the emergence of the French Revolution was vital, but so was the victory of the English in the battle of Trafalgar. In it Great Britain was done with the dominance of the sea in the Mediterranean. This caused global trade routes and freeambistas ideas expanded. (Barja, Lorena)
As society progressed, the use of new technologies was flourishing. Innovations such as electric light, gas and public transport were implemented in society and presented themselves to the world. The advance was a change between the cities lit by oil and horses to travel in steam machines and electric lighting.This causes an excited and expectant society to such new discoveries. The positive attitude of the population only made it continue to expand on its own.
However, the industrial revolution was not entirely idyllic, which was reflected in labor exploitation. The highlights were the fifteen hours and the birth of what Karl Marx defined as "workers alignment". Marx interpreted the concept of alienation as the relationship of exploitation of the capitalist system in which the worker is not considered as a person itself, but based on his economic value, as labor for the multiplication of capital, that is, theworker represents only a certain amount of money. (Barja, Lorena)
Finally, the rise of the Industrial Revolution was based on economics and culture, since if society had not been able to adapt and would not have accepted the new ventures, such advances would not have been possible. The inauguration of new maritime and land routes benefited the expansion of those states that looked out of the new progress. This instigated a need for expansion, which led to imperialism.
Imperialism was a consequence of industrial calealism and is based on the exploration and conquest of unusual territories, the control of land where a market can be established, and the search for affordable labor.
The most obvious reason that impulse such movement was the search for new territories where to invest excess accumulated capitals. These found a productive exit in the form of credits granted to the indigenous minorities collaborating with the metropolis, but fundamentally in the financing of infrastructure such as railways, ports or large engineering works (Suez Canal, Canal de Panama, etc.). He also highlighted the use of an unknown but cheap and docile workforce (sometimes slave), which reduced the costs of extraction of raw materials and contributed to the success of planting agriculture.
The economic consequences of imperialism were favorable as they promoted the use of new forms of commerce. With the exploitation of new territories and the establishment of cities, shops and companies, investment in infrastructure made necessary. The fundamental raw materials for the proper functioning of the industry made it necessary to establish rail lines, ports, roads, bridges, etc. Now it was the colonies that were responsible for feeding the metropolis that suffered the shortage of both agricultural and raw material products, so necessary for manufactured products that were later sold to the colonies.
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