Global Industrial Revolutions: Capitalism, Socialism, and Worker Movements

Characteristics of the Industrial Revolution in Spain

Spain's industrialization faced significant challenges, characterized by:

• Farm-based economy: Reliance on traditional agriculture.
• Poor peasant population.
• Uneven distribution of land ownership.
• Failure to liberalize and expropriate land (hindering modernization).
• Insufficient investment.
• Lack of accessible coal resources.
• Inadequate transport infrastructure.

The First Industrial Revolution (c. 1760–1840)

The Industrial Revolution began in the 18th century in Great Britain.

Demographic Revolution

Population growth rates increased due to:

• Increase in food production.
• Advancements in medicine.
• Rural Exodus: People moved to cities after losing work opportunities in the countryside.

Agricultural Revolution

The Enclosure Acts allowed landowners to adopt a practical mindset, leading to the modernization of agriculture.

Economic Revolution: Causes and Theories

The economic transformation was driven by several factors:

• Abundant coal and iron ore deposits.
• Expansion of trade (e.g., following the defeat of Napoleon).
• Availability of capital, often generated by agricultural profits.

This era fostered new economic theories:

• Economic Liberalism
• Free Trade
• Minimal or no state intervention

Technological Development and Infrastructure

Industrial growth was supported by improvements in infrastructure:

• Trade Efficiency: Roads and canals were improved, but the most important development was the railway. Shipping also played a crucial role.
• Communications: Improvements led to the development of a standardized postal system and the creation of the Telegraph.

Social Movements and the Rise of Socialism

Socialism

Socialism emerged as a response to the social inequalities created by industrialization.

Utopian Socialism

Characterized by isolated experiments and ideal communities:

• Henri de Saint-Simon: Advocated for state control of the means of production.
• Robert Owen: Focused on cooperative work environments.
• Charles Fourier: Proposed communal associations (Phalansteries).

Scientific Socialism (Marxism)

Focused on the analysis of economy and society:

• Developed by Karl Marx.
• Key text: The Communist Manifesto (1848).
• Central concept: The struggle between the oppressor and the oppressed.
• Proposed solution: Social revolution is the only way to achieve change.

Industrial Capitalism

Industrial Capitalism was a new economic structure built upon three main pillars:

1. Public Limited Companies (Corporations)
2. Stock Markets
3. Banks

The Second Industrial Revolution (1870–1914)

Financial Capitalism

This system required massive amounts of capital to increase company size and scale of operations.

• Business consolidation rose significantly. Large companies sought to monopolize and control the market.
• Companies maximized benefits through techniques that facilitated mass production and large-scale manufacturing.

International Worker Organizations

The First International (International Workingmen's Association)

Founded in London in 1864, the First International was divided into two main factions:

• Marxists: Focused on organizing the working class into political parties in order to seize state power.
• Anarchists: Believed that abolishing institutions would lead to direct economic solutions. The Anarchists left the organization in 1872.

The Second International (Socialist International)

Formed in 1889, this organization adopted a social-democratic German viewpoint. It was divided into two branches:

• Internationalists: Believed the whole world should unite against class struggle, arguing that conflicts between countries should not supersede this goal.
• Nationalists: Thought that loyalty to their nation came before the class struggle.