Industrialization & Imperialism (1750 to c. 1900 CE)
As we come to the middle of the 18th Century, Europe remains largely focused on the Age of Enlightenment, with its tensions between natural rights and absolutist power. This focus helps both to inspire revolts against absolutist government (hello, American and French Revolutions) and also to inspire wars for colonial independence (as in Latin America). At the same time, in Great Britain, industrialization has already begun. Industrialization will become the great impetus for a new age of empires; we call this one the Age of Imperialism. As European nations adopted industrialization, they needed both resources and markets-- thus the need for new or expanded colonies. Africa, sadly, is caught up in this imperialism, its lands and people claimed, divided, and exploited by Europe. Asia, too, is largely at the whim of Europe-- except for Japan which, in 1853, seemed like it might be a new China, but by 1900 had become Asia's industrial power (and strong enough to defeat Russia in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905).
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