Impacts of the Industrial Revolution in GERMANY

When did german revolution begin?

The Industrial Revolution in Germany did not begin until the 1800, well over a century after the change of events in England. This was because Germany did not become a unified political society until late in the nineteenth century.

As with England, there were several factors that prompted the successful rise of industrialization in Germany:

Impacts of UnificationThe establishment of the German Customs Union was the focal point of Germany’s Industrial Revolution.

In 1834, trade barriers between German states were eliminated and this paved the way for bigger and more attractive market for producers. Mining areas boomed as demand for coal rose during this time, and this gave rise to higher incomes to the population.

Geography

The Southern Ruhr area was the epicenter of the revolution as villages quickly merged into cities as new factories sprung overnight demanding a constant supply of labor. The city of Essen was probably the first industrial city in Germany as it became the home base for companies taking advantage of the Industrial Revolution.

RailwaysAnother trigger for German industrialization was the development in railway technology.

With the rail, mining companies could easily and quickly transfer the coal for use in the factories. The importance of the railway to Germany also prompted German companies to research and build their own locomotives to ease their reliance on British technology. This allowed the steel, mechanical and electrical engineering industries to flourish and by the turn of the century, German companies had overtaken their British counterparts as leaders in these fields.

Countries

France The central government played a more active role in development than Britain’s had. Craft production, in which people make decorative objects by hand, also remained a more significant element in the French economy than it did in Britain

Germany Germany used its rich iron and coal resources to develop heavy industry, such as iron and steel manufacture. It also proved to be an environment that encouraged big businesses and cooperation among large firms. 

RussiaIdustrialization spread more slowly there, and the Russian economy remained overwhelmingly agricultural for a long time. 

Japan Industrialization in some areas of China began in the early 20th century and increased near the end of the century. 

A century laterAnother key success trigger for Germany’s Industrial Revolution was the fact that they started later than Britain.

As explained earlier, Germany did not experience the industrial change until a century after Britain. This allowed the Germans to imitate and profit from lessons learnt of the British experience. In other words, Germany did not have to re-invent the wheel and was soon copying the industrial processes used in factory, particularly textile and steel production.

New Era

By the end of the nineteenth century, Germany was already way ahead of Britain in the Industrial Revolution curve.. Armed with both knowledge and experience, German engineers invented the dynamo which led to the construction and installation of power stations capable of serving cities. The invention of the dynamo brought an end to the Industrial Revolution and the Technological Revolution was born.