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