Notes

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5.5, 5.8, 5.10: Industrial Revolution and Where it Went Wrong

As a result of the Industrial Revolution, traditional fuel sources were not efficient to fund the new machinery and innovations of the time. In this section, we study the shift of energy.

Responding to the results of the IR, the world shifted away from biofuels to nonrenewable fossil fuels. In 1765, James Watt came up with the steam engine, which was a cheap way to convert coal power to steam. This energy fueled the machinery in textile factories, which allowed for increased productivity. 

In history, we like to split the industrial revolution into two parts. Let us begin with the First Industrial Revolution:

• The First IR focused on textile production, steam and iron. 

• Steam engines made transportation more efficient and allowed for the creation of steamships. 

• Prior to the First IR, water power was what fueled factories. Now with the coal-powered steam engine, factories were not determined by water availability and could now be constructed anywhere. 

• Inventions like the spinny jenny allowed for textile production to be more efficient and mechanized the process. 

The Second Industrial Revolution: 

• Marked by the shift to stronger materials like steel, the rise of chemicals, electricity and machinery. 

• The Bessemer Process was a popular technology that allowed for the mass production of steel and made it cheaper to produce. This helped structure infrastructure throughout cities. 

• The prevalence of oil and petroleum allowed for the surge of the internal combustion engine.

• Power stations around the world led to the rise of electricity, which lit up factories and allowed for more flexible and diversified work schedules. 

Various technologies also facilitated an increased sense of interconnectedness around the world. 

• Railroads connected different parts of a region to larger markets. 

• Innovations like the telegraph, telephone and radio made communication and decision-making more effective for people around the world. 

As we discuss the successes of industrialization, it is critical to recognize where it failed to succeed as well. 

Ottoman Empire:

The Ottoman Empire earned the name of the “Sick Man of Europe” as its power began to decline within Europe and Central Asia. The intense corruption and the inability of its leaders to adopt Enlightenment ideals all expedited its downfall. As a whole, the Ottoman Empire failed to embrace newer IR technologies, leaving it behind. 

→ In an attempt to address the needs of industrialization and “catch up” with the rest of the world, the Ottomans launched the Tanzimat Reforms. Here, Sultans worked to get rid of internal corruption, establish secular schooling, and expand trade to outsiders. Regardless, the Ottomans were unable to fully industrialize with these reforms, which further contributed to their downfall. 

Qing China + the Opium Wars:

During the early 1800s, China had it all. It had silk, porcelain and various other goods to offer to the West. On the other hand, the West had nothing. 

• Qing law only allowed for commerce to occur at the port of Canton and commerce had to be conducted in silver.

• GB was now in an unfavorable balance of trade, they had nothing to offer and were solely buying things from China. As a result, they resorted to the highly addictive plant of opium. They would smuggle opium from India and sell it to the Chinese, leaving them entangled in addiction.

• When Qing officials banned opium, GB exploited its free trade right (that they could trade at the port of Canton without interference) to declare war. 

• GB and western forces clearly were better equipped with IR technology, and thus, consequentially defeated China in these battles which are called the Opium Wars.

• After facing an initial loss, China launched their Self-Strengthening movement which aimed to industrialize the land. This arose as a response to the increased technology Western forces had and had demonstrated during warfare. While hardly successful, the Self-Strengthening movement prioritized emphasizing Confucian values while building a more resilient arsenal and infrastructure. One of the reasons this failed is due to Empress Dowager Cixi, the Qing leader at the time, who asserted herself as a conservative ruler opposing the modernization of her country. She is also known for misspending funds dedicated to industrialization for prestige purposes, pushing her country behind. Another example of her nature includes her rejection of the Hundred Days of Reform, where Emperor Guangxu had initiated 100 days of improvement including replacing the traditional Confucian civil service exam with Western science and mathematical concepts. 

• As a result of these losses, China was forced to sign unfair treaties that presented Western forces with a strategic advantage (ex. Complete control over trade), such as the Treaty of Nanjing.

• Resulting from these treaties, China was divided into various “spheres of influence” where western powers like GB, Russia and France dominated, sublining Qing authority.