The Age of Social Change

When the revolution took place, individual rights and social powers came to be discussed thoroughly in many parts of the world, which included Europe as well as Asia. The colonial developments which reshaped ideas for societal changes were not viewed as fair and everyone did not support the complete transformation of society. With the help of the Russian Revolution, socialism became an important and also significant idea for shaping society in the 20th century.

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Liberals, Radicals, and the Conservatives

The views of liberals were that they wanted a nation that tolerated all religions and opposed the uncontrolled power of the dynastic rulers and argued for a more representative and elected parliamentary government, which had laws subjected and interpreted by some well-trained judiciary that was independent of rulers and officials. The government they asked for was based on the majority of the population of the country. The conservatives after the 19th century came to accept the changes but also believed that the past needed respect and that change should be a slow process.

Industrial Society and Social Change

Social and economic life was changed through the industrial revolution, new cities came to be built and newly industrialized regions came to be developed. Men, women, and also children came to the factories in search of livelihood and work. But the working hours were long and the wages were very poor; also there existed unemployment during times of low demand for industrial goods, like that of recession. Liberals and radicals came to make wealth through the process of trade as well as industrial ventures. They felt that society came to be developed when the freedom of individuals was ensured if the poor could labor, and those who had the money and capital could operate without much restraint. In the countries like France, Italy, Germany as well as Russia; the revolutionaries overthrew the existing monarchs, and the nationalists were seen talking about revolutions to create “nations” which had equal rights.

The Coming of Socialism to Europe

Socialism came to be known well by the mid-19th century in Europe. The socialists came to be against the idea of private property and also saw it as the root of all the social evils which existed over the years. Socialists wanted to change it and also campaigned for it. Robert Owen came to build a cooperative community which was known as New Harmony in Indiana. Louis Blanc wanted the government to encourage cooperatives and also the replacement of capitalist enterprises.

Karl Marx and Freidrich Engels added other important ideas to the body of arguments according to Marx, industrial society was capitalist, who owned the capital invested in the factories, and the profit of the capitalists was produced by the workers. The ideas of capitalism and private poverty came to be overthrown.

Support for Socialism

By the years of 1870s, socialist ideas came to be spread through Europe and they formed what was an international body- which was named the Second International. Associations came to be formed by the workers who were in Germany and England to fight for better living as well as working conditions. Parties like the Labour Party and Socialist Party came to be formed by the trade unionists and the socialists by 1905.

Chapter 2 of History- Socialism in Europe and the Russian Revolution deals with the emergence of socialism in Europe and how the Russian Revolution came to change society differently and raise certain questions of economic equality and the well-being of the workers as well as the peasants. The other topics which are included in the chapter are the changes that were initiated by the new Soviet government, industrialization, and also mechanization of agriculture and rights of citizens, etc. CBSE Class 9 Chapter 2: Socialism in Europe and the Russian Revolution is one of the best ways to prepare for the exam.