The Building of European Supremacy

I.               Population Growth and Urbanization

A.     Population Growth

1.     As a result of falling death rates and improved agricultural and industrial production, Europe’s population rose from 193 million in 1800 to 423 million in 1900.

2.     In 1900, Europeans comprised 24 percent of the world’s population. The figure today is just 12 percent.

II.             The Second Industrial Revolution

A.     New Industries

1.     The Bessemer process increased steel production while reducing costs. By 1900, steel had replaced iron in machinery, ships, railroad tracks, and building construction.

2.     Led by Germany, the chemical industry grew rapidly, New products included soaps, dyes, fertilizers, and explosives.

B.     New Sources of Power

1.     Coal and steam gave way to electricity, oil, and gasoline.

2.     Electricity proved to be especially versatile. It lit homes and powered everything from industrial machinery to the new streetcars.

C.     New Forms of Communication and Transportation

1.     First demonstrated by Alexander Graham Bell in 1876, the telephone quickly became an essential part of modern life.

2.     The invention of the internal combustion engine enabled mechanics to build gasoline-powered automobiles.

D.    New Industrial Powers

1.     Although Great Britain continued to be a major industrial power, its rate of growth slowed.

2.     Germany and the United States emerged as new and formidable industrial rivals.

3.     Germany’s emergence as Europe’s leading industrial power altered the European balance of power, posing a challenge to Great Britain’s political and economic leadership.

III.           Science and the Age of Progress

A.     The Bacterial Revolution

1.     Louis Pasteur

a.     Conducted experiments that supported the germ theory of diseases.

b.     Discovered that hear could destroy many harmful bacteria.

2.     Robert Koch

a.     Identified the bacteria responsible for specific diseases.

b.     Identified the tuberculosis bacteria.

3.     Joseph Lister

a.     Promoted the idea of sterile surgery

b.     Introduced carbolic acid to sterilize surgical instruments and wounds.

4.     Impact

a.     The bacterial revolution saved millions of lives, thus causing a dramatic decline in European death rates.

b.     Urban residents benefited the most from improvement in public health.