19th Century Research Paper

Mutually agreed between historians, the 19th century was a time period of rapid and significant European upheaval and progression in terms of society, politics, science and economy. The European Powers, including Germany and Great Britain, not only were the dominating forces on the continent but were also already the most powerful nations in the world. No other continent in this time period contained such influential and well-developed nations that were able to successfully control trade around the globe, create various colonies, and continuously stabilize and maintain the welfare of the citizens, rich and poor. Although European nations did face crises and discontent within society, especially in the beginning of the 19th century, many of
Great Britain’s progression in the 19th century is apparent through their industrialization and political reforms, both which gradually made the nation an economic and political world power, and the time period under Queen Victoria, the Victorian Age. The Industrial Revolution, which began in the mid- 18th century and ended in the mid-19th century, allowed Britain to develop economically due to the technological innovations and rise in entrepreneurship & businesses. Inventions like the spinning jenny and the power loom skyrocketed the British cotton industry, subsequently making it the best in the world, while advancements in iron and transportation boomed the economy. With these developments, Britain became a dominating power in trade during that time period, as these products were exported to other nations, and there was an increase in consumer demand, a pivotal aspect of the economy. As Great Britain became more industrialized and more innovations were presented,
However, in the late 19th century, when the states were finally unified after the Franco-Prussian war with the help of Otto von Bismarck, Germany was gradually becoming a fearful European nation. The unification of Germany strongly affected Europe, as it disrupted the balance of power. Immediately, it was evident that Germany had one of the strongest and largest militaries at that time, as well as the fact that they had various colonies. In fact, Germany became the strongest Continental power, leaving France in third place of the power competition. This was mainly because of its industrialization during the 2nd Industrial Revolution, which heavily involved other Continental powers, but mostly Germany. In fact, the 2nd Industrial Revolution enabled Germany to replace Great Britain as industrial leaders of Europe in late 19th century. Germany, for example, led the world market in dyestuff and photograph film production, and they also encouraged scientific and technical education, unlike the British, thus giving the Germans an advantage in this industrial competition. The Germans also introduced a new field of industrial activity including organic chemistry and electrical engineering, and many companies invested in scientific research. The technological and scientific advancements made Germany one of the richest countries in Europe and the world. Although not as