The second industrial revolution started from 19 in the 1970s, and its main symbol was the extensive application of electric power (that is, the electrical age). After 1870, science and technology developed by leaps and bounds, and various new technologies and inventions emerged one after another, which were quickly applied to industrial production, greatly promoting economic development. This is the second industrial revolution. At that time, the outstanding development of science and technology was mainly manifested in four aspects, namely, the wide application of electric power, the creation of internal combustion engines and new means of transportation, the invention of new means of communication and the establishment of chemical industry.

The second industrial revolution was marked by the widespread use of electricity. From 65438 to the sixties and seventies, a series of electrical inventions appeared. 1866, Siemens in Germany made the generator, 1870, Gram in Belgium invented the motor. Electricity began to be used to drive machines and become a new energy source to supplement and replace steam power. The electric power industry and electrical appliance manufacturing industry have developed rapidly. Mankind has entered the electrical age.

183 1 year, the British scientist Faraday discovered the electromagnetic induction phenomenon. According to this phenomenon, electricity is deeply studied. While further improving the electrical theory, scientists began to develop generators. 1866, German scientist Siemens made a generator, which was improved several times and gradually improved. In the 1970s, practical generators came out. The invention of the electric motor realized the exchange of electric energy and mechanical energy. Subsequently, electric lamps, trams, electric drills, electric welding machines and other electrical products have mushroomed.

[Edit this paragraph] Early cars

Another great achievement of the second industrial revolution was the invention and use of the internal combustion engine. From 65438 to 1970s and 1980s, internal combustion engines fueled by gas and gasoline were born one after another, and diesel engines were built successfully in 1990s. The invention of the internal combustion engine solved the engine problem of the vehicle. 1885, German karl benz successfully manufactured the first car driven by an internal combustion engine. Diesel locomotives, ocean-going ships and airplanes have also developed rapidly. The invention of internal combustion engine also promoted the development of oil exploitation and the emergence of petrochemical industry. (leading big countries to start competing for oil. )

[Edit this paragraph] Early aircraft

190265438+February, the plane driven by internal combustion engine flew into the blue sky, realizing the dream of human beings soaring in the sky. With the extensive use of internal combustion engines, the production and refining technology of petroleum has also been greatly improved. 1870, the world oil output was only about 800,000 tons, and by 1900 it had soared to 20 million tons. 1896, German engineers installed the internal combustion engine on the plane for the first time to do flight experiments, and the flight test height reached more than 30 meters, which made an important contribution to the improvement and improvement of flight technology.

During the second industrial revolution, telecommunications developed particularly rapidly. After the appearance of wired telegraph, telephone and wireless telegraph came out one after another, which provided convenience for the rapid transmission of information. Since then, economic, political and cultural ties around the world have been further strengthened.

The establishment of chemical industry is also a major breakthrough in the application and production of science and technology in this period. 1867 Nobel successfully developed explosives and improved smokeless explosives in 1980s, which greatly promoted the development of military industry. In the early 1980s, scientists refined chemical products such as ammonia and benzene. Greatly promoted the development of urban life.

The second industrial revolution also promoted the technological innovation and development of some old industrial sectors such as metallurgy, shipbuilding and machine building.

[Edit this paragraph] function

Compared with the first industrial revolution, the second industrial revolution has the following three characteristics:

First of all, during the first industrial revolution, many technological inventions came from the practical experience of craftsmen, and science and technology were not really combined; During the second industrial revolution, the new development of natural science began to be closely combined with industrial production, which played a more important role in promoting the development of productive forces scientifically. Its combination with technology has made great achievements in the second industrial revolution.

Secondly, the first industrial revolution first occurred in Britain, and important new machines and new modes of production were mainly invented in Britain, while the industrial revolution in other countries developed relatively slowly; The second industrial revolution happened in several advanced capitalist countries almost at the same time, and new technologies and inventions were beyond the scope of a country, with a larger scale and rapid development.

Third, at the beginning of the second industrial revolution, some major capitalist countries such as Japan had not completed the first industrial revolution. For them, the two industrial revolutions crossed. They can not only absorb the technological achievements of the first industrial revolution, but also directly use the new technologies of the second industrial revolution. The economic development of these countries is also relatively fast.

First of all, the large-scale application of new energy sources such as electricity and coal has directly promoted the great strides of heavy industry, enabling large factories to obtain sustained and effective power supply conveniently and cheaply, thus making large-scale industrial production possible and laying the foundation for subsequent economic monopoly.

Secondly, the invention of the internal combustion engine solved the problem of insufficient power that has long plagued mankind. The invention of the internal combustion engine promoted the emergence of the engine, which solved the problem of transportation, promoted the rapid development of automobiles, ocean-going ships and airplanes, made human footprints spread all over the world, and facilitated cultural and trade exchanges in various regions.

Third, the invention of communication tools. Since Bell invented the telephone in the 1970s, the communication between people is not limited to face-to-face conversation.

Fourth, the rapid development of productive forces directly led to the birth of monopoly capitalism and later imperialism, and the inevitable contradiction of capitalism was also revealed in the financial crisis of 1929.

Finally, the rapid development of chemical industry. The invention of explosives greatly promoted the progress of military industry and eventually led to the outbreak of World War I.. Various compounds extracted from coal, plastics and man-made fibers have been put into practical life.

The above four great inventions played a decisive role in the second industrial revolution. Humans began to acquire pure knowledge through scientific research, and then in turn promoted the application of theory.

Impact on the world:

The rapid development of productive forces has changed the social structure and the world situation. The bourgeoisie has mastered the advanced productive forces, its strength is growing day by day, and it has begun to establish its rule over the world. The scale of enterprises is also growing, and the concentration of production and capital has contributed to the formation of monopoly organizations.

[Edit this paragraph] Impact on China

From 65438 to 70' s, the second industrial revolution arose, and western countries needed to carry out colonial activities on a larger scale, competing for commodity markets, raw material producing areas and investment places. With the territory of the whole world divided up, China became the center of their plunder. The Influence of the Industrial Revolution on the History of China;

1. China has completely become a semi-colonial and semi-feudal society.

From the border crisis to the Sino-French War, the Sino-Japanese Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895, from seizing concessions, dividing spheres of influence, and carving up a frenzy to Eight-Nation Alliance's invasion of China, imperialism launched a frenzy to carve up China. The signing of the Treaty of Xin Chou plunged China into the abyss of semi-colonial and semi-feudal society.

2. China people's struggle and exploration.

Patriotic officers and men fought bravely in the border crisis, the Sino-French war and the Sino-Japanese war. The boxer movement of the peasant class; The reform movement of bourgeois reformists; The Revolution of 1911 of the bourgeois revolutionaries.

3. Further development of Chinese national capitalism.

After the Sino-Japanese War, the treaty of shimonoseki was signed, which legalized foreign investment in China. The great powers competed to export capital to China, which intensified economic aggression, objectively promoted the further development of Chinese national capitalism, and provided social and class foundation for the Reform Movement and bourgeois democratic revolution, which was the inevitable result of the development trend of world history.

4. Further development of modern science and technology in China.

The invasion of western powers objectively spread progress and civilization, and promoted the development of modern science and technology in China.

[Edit this paragraph] The formation of monopoly organizations

produce

(1) Driven by the second industrial revolution, the capitalist economy began to undergo major changes, and production and capital were highly concentrated, resulting in monopoly. By the end of19th century, monopoly organizations had appeared in major capitalist countries.

(2) Monopoly organizations mainly include cartels, syndicates and trusts.

affect

(1) The emergence of monopoly organizations is the result of the development of productive forces, which promotes the development of production to a certain extent, further expands the scale of enterprises and improves labor productivity.

(2) Monopoly capitalists are increasingly interfering in the country's economic and political life. Capitalist countries have gradually become representatives of the interests of monopoly organizations. Monopoly organizations also crossed national boundaries and formed international monopoly groups, demanding economic division of the world, which prompted capitalist countries to step up their foreign aggression and expansion.

(3) From the end of19 to the beginning of the 20th century, major capitalist countries successively entered the stage of imperialism.