Europe Industrialization
Europe Industrialization: Of the numerous transformations that occurred in Europe throughout the nineteenth century, two had far-reaching effects for Africa in particular and the non-European world in general: European industrialization and imperialism. Europe’s industrialization was the outcome of the Industrial Revolution, which refers to the fast economic and technological breakthroughs that transformed Europe from an agrarian and mercantile society to an industrial society.
The Industrial Revolution began in Britain in the last part of the eighteenth century and proceeded consistently until around the middle of the nineteenth century, when it peaked. It began in Britain and eventually extended to Western European countries and the United States.
The most prominent aspects of the Industrial Revolution were the transformations that occurred in both the manufacturing and distribution of goods. As a result of these changes, handicraft production was replaced by machine manufacture. In Britain, innovation began with the introduction of machines in the textile and wool sectors; further advancements occurred in power generation with the discovery of the steam engine and iron fabrication. Inventions and advances in one field influenced and resulted in improvements in others. For example, machines were originally built of wood; however, advancements in the iron industry led to the substitution of wooden tools with iron tools, improving the quality of machines used in factories.
Similarly, the advent of the steam engine and the harnessing of steam power resulted in efficient machine operation while also allowing enterprises to be located nearly anywhere. Furthermore, the steam engine was applied to transportation, resulting in the construction of canals and railways, allowing for low-cost and rapid freight transit. The combined effect of these many breakthroughs resulted in significant increases in manufactured goods, which triggered other economic and social transformations in sectors such as finance, markets, labor, and urbanization, among others. By the 1850s, Britain had become the “workshop of the world,” as well as a major world power, thanks to its leadership in the Industrial Revolution.
As the Industrial Revolution extended to other European countries and the United States, it had comparable economic and social implications. This had an impact on ties between European states, particularly in the hunt for markets and raw materials for increasing industrial output and capital investment. The resultant competition expanded beyond Europe’s borders into overseas regions in the shape of European imperialism in Asia, the Pacific area, and Africa. Scholars disagree on the precise definition of the term “imperialism,” as well as its origins, nature, manifestation, and implications.
The term refers to European expansion into previously uninhabited areas of the world throughout the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, which resulted in empire building or the acquisition of overseas colonies by major European countries. In terms of Africa, European imperialism occurred from the 1870s to around 1914 and lasted until the 1960s in the majority of the continent, and the 1970s and 1980s in the remainder. This is not to imply that Europe had no interest or territorial interests in Africa prior to the 1870s; but, save in a few isolated locations such as Algeria and the southern point of Africa, such possessions were mostly trading, coaling, and refueling facilities.
The Europeans did not actively rule or govern these possessions, and they were not required to do so in order to protect their interests or exercise influence. However, competition among European nations for African colonies intensified beginning in the 1870s, and by 1914, almost the entire continent, with the exception of Morocco and Ethiopia, had been divided up as colonies/protectorates among the major European powers (Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain, and Belgium). These colonies were directly managed or administered by European powers through entities they established within the colonies. Scholars disagree on the motivations underlying European imperialism in Africa.
Some scholars have cited economic motivation, claiming that the search for new and guaranteed markets for Europe’s ever-increasing output, new sources of raw materials to feed the industries, new areas for capital investment, and a cheap and reliable labor force was the driving force behind colonial acquisition. Others have cited noneconomic causes, claiming that nationalism, the desire of international influence, security, and strategic—even humanitarian—considerations were the key drivers. These seemingly opposing viewpoints aren’t necessarily mutually exclusive. All of these elements were used in various combinations at different eras to calculate the various imperial powers.
While economic considerations were certainly prominent in the minds of the imperial powers, none of the other factors can be dismissed as minor or irrelevant. Imperialism was a multifaceted phenomena, as were its motivations, nature, manifestations, and effects on colonial regions. Each of the many motivations was in some way related to Europe’s industrialization. The nineteenth century saw not only European industrialization and empire but also European nationalism, a complicated and difficult-to-define phenomena. There was a link between all three occurrences, as each enhanced and strengthened the others.
For example, industrialization heightened nationalist sentiment among leaders and other opinion makers in numerous European nations, resulting in or intensifying competition among nations in terms of political power, overseas trade, international status, and national security, among other factors. This type of competition played a significant role in unleashing European imperialism on Africa and Asia in the nineteenth century.
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