In the early half of the 20th century, Europe went through a series of technical and scientific advancements that impacted the many countries of Europe. A "second revolution" quickened the pace of industrialization, forcing much more rapid change in European society between 1870 and World War I. Mechanized industry, powered by new forms of energy, spread to all European states, though not to every region within them; it vastly increased the quantity of goods available to learge segments of the population, and not just the wealty. Due to the material benefits of a mass-producing country, many Europeans saw progress as inevitable, and those who were left out of the consuming society struggled for their share of weatlth.
The mechanization of basic goods industries had proceeded slowly and unevenly in the first half of the nineteenth century. To deal with the major changes brought about by industrialization, governments expanded the rolde of the state, strengthening the central power over the diverse interests, regions, classes and even nationalities. At times the new balance of classes and regions meant the repression of dissent, regionalism and tradition-the American Civil War is just one example of this. In the first half of the century, governments developed the machinery to control great number oc citizens through military conscription, public education and in some places, social legislation. Governments would encourage nationalism as a way of absorbing masses of previous excluded people. Industrialization influeneced the outcome of each of these struggles. By 1914, production, trade, foreign markets and political empires altered teh balance of power.
The development of a relatively inexpensive transportation and communication system helped build a new economic world of growth and prosperity such as had not seen before. Revolution accurately decribes the radically new forms of business and labor organiztion, the massive accumlation of capital, the scientific and technological advancements and the new modes of marketing, distribution and production.
