Chapter 24: The Crisis of European Culture, 1871-1914

  • Second Industrial Revolution   * Fueled chemical and electrical industries   * Allowed Europe to embrace a “mass culture”   * Countries without strong coal and iron resources were able to industrialize
  • Rate of urbanization continued to boom (1872-1914)
  • “Great Depression” of 19th century (1873-1914)
  • Cartels: firms working together to set price and production levels
  • European industrialization had distinct geographical regions   * North and West: industrial   * South and East: agricultural
  • In England in 1900, the declining standard of living led to the development of trade unions
  • Liberals were forced to reform due to Fabian Society and Labor Party
  • Third French Republic   * Created single national culture
  • Dreyfus Affair (1894)   * Example of Nationalism leading to xenophobia
  • Vienna was the center and capital of the Austrian Empire
  • Women were removed from public roles in the 19th century   * Denied educational and economical opportunities   * Unequal divorce rights   * Middle class women started to push for equal rights   * Most feminists were women, but most women weren’t feminists
  • Popular support and politics became model for change
  • Germany had the biggest Women’s Socialist movement
  • Zionism: Jewish nationalist movement with the purpose of creating a free and independent Jewish state in the Palestine area
  • Anarchism mostly affected western Europe
  • All political movements were temporarily stopped by the War of 1914
  • Social Sciences: Archaeology, Economy, History, Psychology, Criminology, and Biological Determinism
  • “New Women”   * Reaction against cult of domesticity

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