All historical events are connected by cause-and-effect relationships. In the context of the modern history of Europe, the most important is the study of the last two centuries. During this period, a massive number of changes have occurred in all areas of society. The purpose of this essay is to analyze critical events in Europe between 1789-1914, as well as their impact on the modern world.
This time, stretching across two centuries is called the Long Nineteenth Century. Although it covers years from both the 18th and the 20th centuries, the gap is united in a single era due to the connection of events that took place in it. The beginning of that chain is the Great French Revolution, which was the most significant transformation of French society’s social and political structure (“French Revolution” 2020). Around the same time, the agricultural and industrial revolution proceeded, first in Britain and then around the world (“Agricultural Revolution” n.d.). These events together brought many new ideas and principles to Europe. It is because of these critical points that the Long 19th Century was saturated with both ups and downs in all areas of human life.
The French Revolution brought the whole world the ideas of freedom, equality, and the brotherhood of people in the state. As a result of this event, the first French republic was formed, and the absolute monarchy that had existed for many centuries was overthrown (“French Revolution” 2020). Even though this regime did not last long, it contributed to the growth of progressive movements throughout the world. The revolution itself was the result of class contradictions and tried to bring some solutions to these problems. Economic revolutions shaped the course of capitalism in the world, laying its foundation. In the agricultural revolution, finally, the ways of extracting products were changed using new technologies, which significantly increased the number of commodities received (“Agricultural Revolution” n.d.). At the same time, it laid the foundation of the Industrial
Revolution, which made it possible to switch to the industrial style of life.
However, all these changes led to the emergence of various philosophical and economic concepts. After the revolution, people sought to live even better, inventing new conditions and political ideologies. At the same time, nationalism appeared and actively developed in many countries, contributing to the separation of states from each other. While dissatisfaction with the existing order was growing within many countries, the need to expand borders and seize new resources to strengthen a growing economy was expressed at the political level. In other words, the idea was actively expressed that Europe’s map should be redone, and the borders of states should be redefined (Halsall 2020a). These necessities and changes could not be resolved otherwise than through significant disasters.
The Long Century began with revolution and war in Europe, and it ended with the same events. The growing tension, as well as the balance of power in Europe, led to the disaster of World War I. This event to this day remains one of the most terrible pages in the history of humanity, due to the number of people involved and the rapid development of technology in this war period. Revolutions and changes throughout Europe affected the very principles of warfare, and the conflict itself was an attempt to resolve the accumulated problems. This attempt was extremely unsuccessful due to the massive number of dead and mutilated. However, it had significant consequences in the form of the development of weapons and the redistribution of the balance of power in Europe. Moreover, this conflict indirectly caused another huge revolution, this time in Russia. Opposition forces overthrew the monarchy, and the Bolsheviks came to power in the country during the internal conflict, establishing the power of the Soviets (Halsall 2020b). This event ends with the Long Century; however, disasters and devastations in Europe do not end there.
The reason for their continuation is the remaining unresolved issues. Even two such terrible events as the First World War and the Russian Revolution could not eliminate either Europe’s political or economic problems. On the contrary, the huge losses that were suffered during the war only worsened the lives of all residents and threw the economy back. The result of the war was not the resolution of the conflict that initiated it, but only its postponement. At the same time, the emergence of a new Soviet state again changed Europe’s balance of power. The situation was further aggravated by the ideological orientation of this state since the USSR actively promoted communism, which was contrary to existing capitalism. These factors and the presence of unresolved problems only temporarily delayed the further development of Europe’s conflicts but did not stop them. Therefore, shortly after WWI, a new, World War II broke out, and then the Cold War emerged.
In a sense, the process of solving these problems continues to this day, as Europe is still experiencing the consequences of the events of the Long Century. Modern Russia is yet struggling with the remnants of communist ideology, and the overall balance of power is still disturbed due to Russia’s overwhelming presence on the world stage. Simultaneously, the revolutions that took place almost two centuries ago left behind ideas and thoughts relevant in the modern world. The Long Century has raised too many ideological issues in all spheres of human life. Since the majority of them have not been directly answered, the states and inhabitants of Europe are still reacting and will most likely respond to events of two centuries ago.
References
“Agricultural Revolution.” n.d. Encyclopædia Britannica. 2020. Web.
“French Revolution.” 2020. History.com. Web.
Halsall, Paul. 2020a. ” Modern History Sourcebook: Giuseppe Mazzini: On Nationality, 1852.” Fordham University. Web.
Halsall, Paul. 2020b. ” Modern History Sourcebook: Lenin: Call to Power, 1917.” Fordham University. Web.