In what ways did industrialization vary from one country to the next in continental Europe?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

The first region in continental Europe to industrialize was Belgium, which had considerable trade connections with England already and possessed the geographic resources, the raw materials, a government favorable to industry, and a well-trained and artisanal labor pool. By comparison, France was often seen as less competitive because of its political ideology, putting the emphasis on nationalism over the success of individualism, and also taking a political stance that claimed to disapprove of imperialism. There was some degree of mechanization present, with Honoré Le Blanc creating a process of interchangeable parts, and Joseph Marie Jacquard inventing a power loom that could be used to alter patterns in textiles while weaving. However, the French government was less interested in promoting an industrial economy. In Germany, industrialization was based on coal found in Ruhr and Saxony, with small factories built in Prussia. German industry focused on mechanical parts, machines, and electrical goods, rather than on textiles and more consumer goods, as seen elsewhere in Europe. This left Germany in a unique position to take advantage of scientific discoveries that led to improvements in transportation and the heavy metal industry (particularly with military technology) later in the nineteenth century.