The Transformation of the World: A Global History of the Nineteenth Century facts for kids

Jürgen Osterhammel, a history expert, wrote a book called The Transformation of the World: A Global History of the Nineteenth Century. This book focuses on the 1800s, a time when different parts of the world were already connected. Osterhammel doesn't just tell a story. Instead, he looks at how people saw themselves, how they understood time, and how they thought about space during that century.

He compares the 19th century to earlier times and shows how it led to the world of the 20th century. For example, he points out that before the 1900s, no single year was a huge turning point for everyone on Earth. This means the 19th century was connected to the past but also very different from the more connected world of the 20th century.

Osterhammel also looks at how people understood different places. He explains that some common names for regions today, like 'Southeast Asia', were actually created much later. For instance, 'Southeast Asia' was named in Japan during World War I. Also, the idea of 'the West' as a major concept didn't really become popular until the 1890s. In the 19th century, people often talked more about the 'civilized world' than 'the West'. Countries like Japan even worked hard to be seen as a 'civilized country'.

Big Pictures of the 19th Century

Osterhammel then gives us a look at eight important parts of the 19th century. He calls these "Panoramas" because they give a wide view of what was happening around the world.

People and Movement

This section looks at how populations grew and moved around. It covers not just people moving from one place to another, but also how many people lived in different areas.

Daily Life and Wealth

Here, Osterhammel talks about how people lived and how rich or poor they were. He explains that even though we can measure wealth, what it means to be rich can be very different in various societies.

Cities and Their Role

Cities are seen as important centers of civilizations. They are like hubs where many things happen. Osterhammel especially looks at big cities and port cities, which were key places for trade and travel.

Borders and New Lands

Cities and new frontier areas (like the edge of settled lands) had something in common: they attracted many people who were moving. These places were often growing and changing quickly.

Empires and Nations

The 20th century is known for countries called "nation-states." But in the 19th century, large empires were the main way power was organized around the world. Nation-states were not yet as common or powerful.

World Power and Conflicts

After 1815, European countries tried to follow certain rules for how they dealt with each other. However, these rules often only applied in Europe. They didn't always apply to countries outside Europe. This meant that international politics sometimes became less global on purpose.

Big Changes: Revolutions

Osterhammel discusses what a "revolution" means. He uses the American and French Revolutions as examples. He sees these events as the start of what he calls 'political modernity', which means new ways of thinking about government and people's rights.

Forms of Government

During the 19th century, you could find many different kinds of governments and political systems. It was a time of great variety in how countries were run.

Key Topics of the 19th Century

Energy and Factories

The big changes in industry around 1900 started with new ideas in England after 1760. But industrial growth didn't happen everywhere at once. It was often a "regional" thing, meaning it grew in specific areas first. The "Industrial Revolution" is the common name for this period after 1760. However, Osterhammel notes that industry is still changing rapidly today. Back then, growth was about 2% a year, which was very fast for the time. This growth happened because people started using new energy sources, like coal, for making things.

Work and Jobs

Work can be done in many places: at home, in a village, or in bigger places like factories or government offices. The idea of having a regular 'job' only became common in Europe in the 19th century. Before that, much work was done "irregularly." Work usually follows certain steps, called 'work processes'. These processes involve people working together and are part of how society is organized.

Connections and Networks

The period between the mid-1800s and World War I (about 60 years) was a time of huge growth in connections. In 1838, a plan for a railway network was made for Germany. Before railways, canals were important for transport, especially with steamships. For example, a full network of canals was built in the Netherlands between 1814 and 1848.

Social Order and Ranks

Hierarchy means how people or groups are ranked in society, from top to bottom. It's a very important part of how societies are built. Osterhammel says that a country's laws are a good way to understand its social ranks.

Knowledge and Learning

Knowledge is something that changes and moves around. As a social idea, it's a newer concept, studied by a field called the sociology of knowledge. This field looks at how knowledge is connected to daily life and social situations. In the 19th century, the old idea of 'science' grew to include many things we link with it today. The way subjects are organized in schools and universities still comes from this time. New ways of getting and sharing knowledge were created, like research universities, laboratories, and special study groups for humanities. Science, technology, and medicine also became much more closely linked.

'Civilization' and Who Was Included

The idea of 'civilization' often means being refined and cultured. It's a worldwide idea. People who thought they were 'civilized' often believed it was their job to spread their culture and way of life. This idea of civilization was very powerful in the 19th century. Cultural things like the Luther Bible or large baroque churches were sometimes used to spread these ideas of civilization.

Religion's Role

Religion was very important in the 19th century. It was the main way people found meaning in their daily lives. It was at the center of all intellectual culture and how people understood the world.

Five Key Features of the 19th Century

Osterhammel points out five special things about the 19th century:

• It was a time of uneven growth in efficiency. This means some areas or technologies became much more productive than others.
• There was a lot of movement. People, goods, and ideas moved more than ever before.
• There was a tendency for uneven connections. Ideas and culture flowed more strongly in some directions than others.
• There was a tension between equality and hierarchy. While some places saw more legal equality, social ranks and power differences remained strong, especially between powerful nations.
• It was a century of freedom movements. Many groups worked to gain more rights and freedom.

Why This Book Is Important

Osterhammel doesn't write from just one point of view. He looks at how things are connected, how different cultures exist at the same time, and how ideas and ways of doing things spread at different speeds. He explains his approach by saying that the 19th century can be seen as global because people at that time already thought of it that way.

Patrick Manning, another historian, says the book is a good overview of world history. He notes that Osterhammel uses many sources from different topics and regions of the 19th century. The book shows many ways of looking at history, big pictures, and themes. It looks back before 1800 to see where the 19th-century world came from. It also shows how the 19th century affected the 20th century.

J. R. McNeill mentions that the book was first published in German in 2009. It became very famous and made Osterhammel a top historian. Even Chancellor Angela Merkel had Osterhammel give a lecture for her 60th birthday!

What People Thought of the Book

Readers have found interesting comparisons in the book, from operas in China and Italy in the 1700s to cities, worker groups, diseases, and libraries. It shows the 19th century as a mix of many different processes. Readers might learn that world history is a serious and complex field. They might also see how one time period influences another, and how different regions affect each other.

At the end of the book, Osterhammel lists five main features of the 19th century:

• It was an "age of uneven efficiency growth." This means things like productivity, new lands, and armies became much more efficient.
• Mobility grew a lot. More people moved, and new technologies and ways to travel helped them.
• The "tendency to uneven connections" meant ideas and culture flowed, with both the West and the East learning a lot about each other.
• The tension between equality and hierarchy focused on growing legal equality in Europe. But this was often in conflict with social ranks in other parts of the world and new power differences between big nations.
• It was a "century of freedom movements." Many projects to gain freedom moved forward. However, imperialism and colonialism (when powerful countries took control of others) sometimes stopped this progress.

• J. R. McNeill: JÜRGEN OSTERHAMMEL. The Transformation of the World: A Global History of the Nineteenth Century.
• Further 52 reviews of readers in goodreads.com

Some Criticisms

Patrick Manning pointed out that Osterhammel, like the field of world history in general, didn't focus enough on social history. This means the book might make it seem like big changes only came from powerful leaders. Also, the discussions about Africa and Latin America are shorter than those about Europe, North America, and Asia. This might show a bias in world history towards powerful regions and what has been written about them.