1. Isms of the 18th-19th Centuries

2. Absolutism
Power of the government is held in the hands of a king or queen who answers to no one
Large bureaucracy helps run the government
Weakens the power of the nobility
Belief in the divine right of kings
Controls religious and social activities
Rule by decree
Forerunner of Conservatism
Prefer tradition to change
Led to many revolutions in the 18th and 19th centuries

3. Liberalism Inspired by the Enlightenment
Belief that the power of government ought to be in the hands of the governed
John Locke
Thomas Jefferson
Worked for constitutional monarchies, representative democracies, voting rights
Preached equality
Tended to distrust lower classes for their lack of education
Felt women should be at home with families
Led to a series of revolutions in the 18th, 19th, 20th & 21st centuries

4. Nationalism Inspired by the Napoleonic Wars and the Congress of Vienna
20th century nationalism responds to imperialism
Demands of statehood for groups with commonalities
Language
Heritage
Traditions
Religion
Led to many revolutions in the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries

5. Capitalism
Economic system based on the idea that the means of production and distribution are privately owned for a profit
Laissez-faire: “hands-off”
Government does not interfere
Based on supply and demand
Social Darwinism
Economic “survival of the fittest”
Led to many problems
Monopolies
Poor working/living conditions
Governments would step in and regulate industries
Minimum wages
Maximum hours
Child labor laws
Safety standards
Led to Socialist revolutions in the 19th & 20th centuries

6. Socialism
Advocates either public or direct worker ownership and administration of the means of production and allocation of resources.
Modern socialism originated in the late 18th-century intellectual and working class political movement that criticized the effects of industrialization and private ownership on society.
Utopian socialists attempted to create own societies (failed)
Led to revolutions in the 19th century
Didn’t quite happen the way they wanted…government took over the major means of production and distribution
Led to revolutions in the 19th and 20th centuries

7. Communism Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels Revolutionary socialism
Communist Manifesto
Das Kapital
Revolutionary socialism
Believed socialism would evolve into communism
Didn’t want to wait that long
Violent overthrow of the bourgeoisie by the proletariat
Classless society would develop; everything held in common
Government would “wither away”
Didn’t quite happen that way
Predicted Br, Ger, and US would fall to communism first
Instead: Russia and China (non-industrialized countries)
Became totalitarian states

8. Imperialism Empire building Colonization of the world
Raw materials needed to feed growing industries
Markets needed to sell manufactured goods
The West dominates the world
Led to World War I