The Global Expansion of the Industrial Revolution

The Spread of Industrialization Across Europe

In the 18th century, there were many battles and conflicts that doubled by the end of the 19th century. Wars depleted funds, caused loss of life, and led to the emergence of diseases, resulting in decreased production and innovation. Politically, Europe was quite conservative and mostly held together by an organic and traditional government, but a desire for autonomy and independence was present.

The Rise of European Industry

The Industrial Revolution eventually emerged and spread through Europe via many ingenious individuals. As ideas changed the nation’s form, the rate of industrialization increased in Europe and America. It wasn’t just in Britain that coal mines flooded; because of the proximity between the two areas, a new common engine entered the country by 1720. The Napoleonic Wars at the turn of the century would help open up trade with France.

Industrial Growth in Belgium

After the Belgian Revolution—sparked by an opera of all things—cities invested again in British technology. Belgium began to expand its own railways, which improved trade with Germany. Areas more centered on agriculture, such as Flanders, didn’t see the same success as that of Wallonia, which was quickly becoming a place for emigration. This period saw the emergence of liberal and socialist movements; major strikes would take place throughout the nineteenth century as Belgium’s traditionally rural society shifted rapidly into an urban one centered around coal mines and factories.

The French Experience and Enlightenment

France was dealing with its own cultural revolution and produced its own forms of industrialization while the Industrial Revolution was underway in Britain. The French Revolution spread the ideas of the Enlightenment and helped spark the growth of new "isms" such as:

• Conservatism
• Nationalism
• Liberalism

In France, agriculture was more important than industry; this contrasted, for example, with Adam Smith’s idea that labor was more important than land. With a more institutional model, Paris received several makeovers, civic planning, and the construction of urban facilities. However, after Napoleon’s defeat in 1814, France was no longer the dominant power. Once the old order was restored, France failed to keep up with other countries that were rapidly expanding railroad lines and industrial factories. Finally, with Napoleon’s nephew, Louis, who came to power some years later, industrial expansion was encouraged.