Modern World Civilization
Fall 2009
Fundamental Changes
Following the Napoleonic Wars
there was little to fight about.
Except for to limit further
revolutionary upheavals.
Europe was in a struggle to
crush revolutionary activities.
Yet change came.
Regimes changed in France in
1830 with the coming of the July Monarchy under Louis- Philippe.
Other Changes
Greece won its independence
from the Ottoman Empire in 1832.
Immortalized by Lord Byron and
the Panhellenic movement and who died in 1824.
Who saw the Greeks as if they
were right out of Homer.
With the help from Russia,
Britain and France, the Greeks won their independence.
The Victory of the Liberal Ideal
After the crushing of the
Revolutions of 1820 in Italy and Spain.
Remember Italy did not exist
as of yet the desire was to adopt constitutions.
As a means to check the power of
the kings.
The Revolutions of 1830 toppled
Charles X of France, led to an independent Belgium, and a revolt in Poland.
The Revolutions of 1848
A Series of revolts break out in
Europe.
They start in France.
And linked to the collapse of the
Railroad industry.
And the inability of the
government to respond to the pressing needs of the public.
The government was business
friendly.
And the popular motto was to get
rich
then you can vote.
The revolt started in Feb. 1848
in Paris and spread to Germany, Italy, and Austria.
Legacy of 48
The revolutions in Italy,
Germany, and Austria, including Hungary and Bohemia.
All failed.
But they showed the power of
nationalism.
And the need for political
reform.
Many Germans left, the
Forty-Eights, and came to the U.S.A.
Following 1848
Outside of England, there was a
transparent effort to establish representative governments.
Parliaments and constitutions.
Liberalism or at moderate
conservatism was the order of the day.
Especially in Germany.
But in France, Louis Napoleon
Bonaparte toppled the Second Republic.
Napoleon III
Was elected President.
Then manipulated the situation
to become Emperor of the Second Empire.
Now he was a champion of
nationalities.
Supported unification of Italy.
Supported war against Russia.
Authorized the building of the
Suez Canal.
Coming of Otto Von Bismarck
Frederick William IV did grant
Prussia a modified constitution.
But he was mentally ill and in
1858, his brother William I, became King.
During a crisis with the
Reichstag, William appointed Otto von Bismarck to handle a budget crisis.
Bismarck made the famous
statement Great issues of the day are not solved by parliaments and
resolutions of majorities, but by blood and iron.
How Did He Do It?
Wars.
He manipulated a crisis with
Denmark in 1864.
Then a war with Austria in 1866.
And Prussia crushed Austria in
Seven weeks.
Then he manipulated a situation
with Napoleon in 1870.
And crushed France in the
Franco-Prussian War.
Impact of the German Victory
Germany was now unified.
Took Alsace-Lorraine from
France.
Set the tone for the next
seventy years.
Bismarck had to isolate France.
Led to the creation of the first
alliances in peacetime.
Created the climate for World
War I.
Charles Darwin
Darwin was born in 1809 and
served as a naturalist onboard the HMS Beagle between 1831-36.
From his observations, he came up
with three conclusions.
Evolution occurred.
It happened over time.
The mechanism for change was
natural selection.
Which he explained in his book,
The Origins of the Species (1859)
What is the problem with that?
Other Scientific Developments
The telephone by Alexander
Graham Bell 1876.
The light bulb by Thomas Alva
Edison 1879.
AC Power by Nikola Tesla in
1888.
Wireless telegraphy by Guglielo
Marconi in 1895.
Aspirin by Felix Hoffman in
1897.
Just to name a few.
The Suez Canal
The French had a concession to
build the canal.
And took ten years to build
1859-69.
The prime designer was Ferdinand
de Lesseps.
The Canal was owned both by the
Egyptian government and France.
But the English, who were
creditors to the Egyptian government, took the Suez Canal.
An integral part in the lifeline
to the Jewel in the Crown of the British Empire.
Travel
The world became much smaller as
a result of the steamship.
And the railroad.
Which opened the vast American
hinterland to settlement.
Not only on a transcontinental
sense.
But also in local transportation
too.
Imperialism
Imperialism did not have the
connotations that it has today.
It was a good in the late 19th
century.
The world then was divided into
the developed and undeveloped world.
It was designed uplift the lives
of the natives.
Bringing civilization to them in
Africa and Asia.
And a race was on to divide
Africa.
The Paris Commune of 1871
The Parisians would not accept
the German victory in 1871.
Instead the Parisians created a
new government and would not succumb to the Germans in March 1871.
Or to the French government.
They set up a radical
government.
Based on equality.
And had to be destroyed.
More deaths were attributed to
the Commune than during the Franco-Prussian War.
But this caused fear on both
sides of the Atlantic.
Troubles in the Wind
Liberalism was now under attack.
By the rise of new workers
parties.
Socialist parties.
The revival of national
aspirations in the Balkans, Central Europe, and Ireland.
Often beginning in schools with
linguistic reforms.
And the growth of increased
international tensions.
Splendid Little Wars
The world now saw a series of
small wars.
Spanish-American War (1898).
Boer War (1900).
Russo-Japanese War (1904-05).
Balkan Wars (1912-1913)
The Race Toward the Apocalypse
Europe and the world was moving
toward a crisis.
The crisis was the coming of
World War I.
With a mounting arms race.
Naval arms race.
Offensive military doctrines.
Dominance of the military over
civilian solutions.
Race for colonies.
The tail wag the dog phenomena.
Women Seeking Equal Rights
In Europe, instead of staying on
the farm.
Women were working in department
stores.
Or domestic service.
Causing problems with unwanted
pregnancies.
Which were solved by
abandonment.
Or midwives known as killer
angels.
Then their was the struggle for
voting rights.
Any Better in America?
Early on women worked in
factories especially textiles.
Best known was the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory.
That was a sweatshop.
Which went up in flames in 1911.
Ever since the abolitionist
struggle American women sought political rights equal to men.
Then they also fought for
reproductive rights too.
The Industrial Revolution on Women
They could barely survive on low
wages.
If they worked in a new
department store, they were expected to dress well.
But only on a fraction of their
earnings.
If they were married.
They had to work outside of the
home.
As well as do the domestic
chores.
And then if hubby lost his job a
crisis ensued.
The Social Evil
Why did women become
prostitutes?
It was the same world over
but
for prostitutes in Kansas City.
It was:
Low wages
Making a living after an
unfortunate marriage.
Or supporting a husband!
Levels of Prostitution
Why Did Women Enter The Profession?
Many came from the working class
Most were native born
Some were orphans or lost family
members early in their life
Friction in the family due to a
young womans sexual activity
Not all of the sporting women
were single
many were married
What Went On In The Bordello?
Love was for sale
A doorman let you in
Music would be playing in the
higher-class establishments and he was known as "The
Professor."
Especially by Jelly Roll Morton.
The Madame, Lulu White, would
meet you
and have a drink
and then you select your lady of your choice.
For a few moments of bliss.
Prostitution in Kansas
1868
Kansas made it illegal to maintain a brothel.
1910
Congress passes the Mann Act
1917
Arrest and quarantine of prostitutes with venereal disease
1971
Nevada legalizes brothels
But did this end prostitution in
Kansas?
No in 1910 prostitution
brought in $4 million in 1910 dollars
Key Reasons Why Women Became Introduced to
the Wayward Style
Coaxed 78
Betrayal 29
Drinking 26
Dancing 24
Buggy Riding 17
At School -- 11
According to the Vice Report
Women chose this style of their
lives because of:
Own Choice
Livelihood After Marriage
Small (Low) Wages
Immoral Girl Friends
Deceived
Disappointment
Solicited
To Support Husband
Fight for Reproductive Rights
Women had no control over their
bodies.
Doctors knew very little of the
female anatomy.
But what do you do with the
increasing raise of poor families.
Increased birth rate.
Along came Margaret Sanger.
She was really Irish.
Became interested in the poor.
And advocated birth control.
Which was a no-no for the male
community.