Introduction
Industrial Revolution presents one of the most important events in human history, which determined the future of society’s way of living. However, its’ positive aspects in an increased number of workplaces and higher salaries had multiple negative consequences on the society and economy. This essay will explore how the industrial revolution caused an economic collapse that later contributed to the development of World War I and World War II and other important historical events.
Industrial Revolution
Firstly, before the industrial revolution, products were made by human labor, which significantly limited the scale of production and, therefore, the size of the world’s economy. When manufacturers started implementing machinery systems in production, it resulted in significant growth in production and increased revenue. People started migrating to urban areas abandoning work in agriculture for higher paid work in factories, and more comfortable living conditions soon contributed to population growth (Mohajan 377). However, the population growth combined with manufacturers’ desire for higher profits resulted in significant deterioration in working conditions when workers had to work sixteen hours a day to provide for their families.
Furthermore, industrialization negatively affected the environment through deforestation and environmental pollution. As increased production required more raw materials, industrialization required expansion of lands. Next, industrialization favored the development of conflicts with other countries through the increased productive capacity of weapons. According to Chin, technology development and the arms race facilitate new forms of conflicts between countries (765). Thus, both World War I and World War II are closely connected to the development of industrialization. The war intensifies the development of technical innovations, and the development of technical innovations requires more resources. In addition, the Russian revolution was also sourced in the population’s discontent with the industrialization of private lands (Kofanov). Thus, the industrial revolution significantly influenced the development of the world’s history.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this essay explored the role of the industrial revolution in prominent events in the world’s history. The essay determined that the industrial revolution caused economic collapse through a significant increase in production capacity and further deterioration in the population’s quality of life. The industrial revolution played a crucial role in facilitating military conflicts between countries for resources by providing an increased supply of weapons.
Works Cited
Chin, Warren. “Technology, War and The State: Past, Present and Future.” International Affairs, vol. 95, no. 4., 2019, 765-783.
Kofanov, Dmitrii. “Peasants, Industrialization, and Conflict.” Broadstreet, 2021, Web.
Mohajan, Haradhan, “The First Industrial Revolution: Creation of a New Global Human Era.” Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, vol. 5, no. 4, 2019, pp. 377-387.