Europe only became a dominant continent in the world at the beginning of the 20 th century. In the 18 th century, Europe, China, and India were at the same level in terms of socio-economic development, including life expectancy. However, at the beginning of the 20 th century, Europe contributed more than half of the global manufacturing output, and it was followed by the USA but not China or India. Unlike Europe that had become the world's economic powerhouse, China and Indian become one of the unindustrialized and developing nations in the world. As a result, there is a controversial debate why Europe became the dominant area in the world while China and India’s economic status declined substantially in 1900 ( Marks, 2007, p. 127) . Besides other factors, European dominance in 1900 was mainly as a result of Eurocentrism, the industrial revolution, geography, and nationalism that led to its rapid economic growth and development.
Eurocentrism made Europe to maintain its superiority perception, resulting in dominance in various sectors such as trade, science, and culture. Eurocentrism is a concept or ideology that is based on the perception that western culture is always superior to any other culture in the world. Critics of eurocentrism have maintained that the concept was used by European countries to gain and maintain global dominance ( Marks, 2007, p. 9) . Although some people argue that the ideology of eurocentrism was not based on any valid arguments or facts, it helped many European countries to gain international dominance. Many countries outside Europe depended on goods and services from the continent because they deemed to be superior, leading to a competitive advantage in areas such as trade. For instance, some countries believed that it was Europe that could initiate modernization (Marks, 2007, p. 9). The perception of eurocentrism was enhanced further when Europe could use wealth from its colonies to improve its culture, science, and military ( Marks, 2007, p. 9) . Eurocentrism made the rest of the world to believe that Europe was the best in virtually everything.
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Eurocentrism led to ethnocentrism, which is the perception that one’s culture is superior to others. In 1900, Europe made the world to believe that any culture that was not European was either inferior or backward. Europe used ethnocentrism to conquer various parts of the world, mainly Asian and African countries. By seeing other cultures as either primitive or backward, Europe concluded that it is the only place in the world with a progressive culture ( Marks, 2007, p. 9) . Consequently, at the beginning of the 21 st century, Europe was perceived by many areas in the world as the model for modernization. For example, to conform to the pressure of Eurocentrism, elites in countries such as India, Nigeria, and South Africa started speaking English as their primary language (Mason, 2018, p.101). English was associated with modernization in the early 20 th century. Europe, on the other hand, took advantage of its perceived racial superiority to justify some of its actions such as slavery and economic exploitation, especially in Asia and Africa.
Apart from ethnocentrism, the concept of social Darwinism was used by European countries to serve their interests, especially by justifying actions such as imperialism and racism. Europe used social Darwinism concept to oppress and colonize many areas of the world, as it argued that only the strong and superior races should be allowed to live and thrive in the society ( Mason, 2018, p. 78) . Based on the concept, a significant number of European people argued that Europe was justified to spread its influence in other parts of the world, especially Africa to facilitate the evolution of their cultures. As a result, social Darwinism was used by Europe to conquer the world, giving Europe the opportunity to acquire external wealth that they used to develop their local economies. Europe needed a theory to justify and convince the world about its ill-motives of acquiring wealth and resources from other nations ( Mason, 2018, p 77) . Europe used the high mortality rate in Africa and Asia to authenticate social Darwinism theory. For instance, even though Indians and Chinese were dying in millions due to diseases and famine caused by El Nino, Europeans concluded that they were weak human species that should be eliminated and exploited (Marks, 2007, p.159).
Nationalism is another critical factor that is linked to the dominance of Europe in 1900. Nationalism became a familiar concept in the 19 th century as states became close and connected. The primary purpose of Nationalism was to create a single unified nation-state where people could identify with one ruler and shared common interests ( Mason, 2018, p.92) . One way of how nationalism led to the dominance of Europe was the increased competition among newly formed nations, causing the desire to expand and acquire more wealth. Nationalism led to the scramble for Africa and some Asian countries as European nations tried to gain economic independence and dominance. For instance, after German defeated France in 1871, the former felt insecure, and it started expanding its territory to African where it could get additional resources ( Marks, 2007, p. 151) . At the same time, because of versed natural resources in China, many Europe nations invaded the country to acquire more wealth.
Therefore, colonization, which was facilitated by social Darwinism, contributed a lot to the economic and social dominance of many Europe in 1900. European countries mainly colonized Africa to gain wealth and to create a market from their manufactured products. The British, for instance, colonized South Africa to get gold and diamond that were plenty in the area (Mason, 2018, p. 97). By 1900, the entire continent of Africa had been colonized by Europe except for Ethiopia and Liberia ( Marks, 2007, p. 151) . Colonization increased the power and dominance of Europe because it had extensive territory. The rampant economic exploitation that characterized the colonization process was mainly supported by the social Darwinism ideology, which was used to justify why some countries were rich while others were poor ( Mason, 2018, p.78) . According to the proponents of social Darwinism, people in areas such as Africa and Asian deserved to be exploited and be poor because it was a natural phenomenon in society ( Mason, 2018, p.79) . European countries used the concept of social Darwinism to maintain the status quo during the colonization process, enabling them to acquire immense wealth from colonies with limited interruption or resistance.
Also, European imperialism led to the dominance of the continent. For instance, in 1800, Europe was already controlling 35% of the planet’s total surface, which increased to more than 80% by 1900 ( Mason, 2018, p. 100) . Thus, Europe had the opportunity to access raw materials for their industries in almost all parts of the world without spending a lot of resources to acquire them. The continent could use the abundance of raw materials to improve its production in various industries such as agriculture and manufacturing. Consequently, Europe became the main source of manufactured products or outputs in 1900, making many countries across the globe to rely on it for their survival.
Additionally, trade is one of the main driving forces behind the dominance and power of Europe in 1900. Europe used its raw materials that it acquired from colonies like China and Africa, as well as technologies, to manufacture goods, which they sold in the global market. Unfortunately, due to nationalism, many European countries imposed high tariffs on goods imported from other parts of the world, giving them the opportunity to dominate the global market. For instance, to dominate the textile industry, Britain increased tariffs on cotton from India ( Marks, 2007, p. 100) . The use of goods from European countries was inevitable, which made many countries to depend on Europe. International trade made Europe gain a lot of wealth and resources in 1900.
Apart from Eurocentrism and nationalism, the industrial revolution contributed significantly to European dominance in 1900. Industrial revolution mainly occurred in Europe between 1750 and 1850, and it led to a significant impact on the continent and beyond ( Marks, 2007, p.97) . The industrial revolution that was mainly characterized by the use of machines increased productivity and economic output, especially in Europe. Prior to the industrial revolution, India had a highly developed and productive agricultural sector than many European countries. However, industrialization made countries like the British to invent and utilize machines that gave them a comparative and competitive advantage in the agricultural sector ( Marks, 2007, p. 117) . For instance, the cotton industry improved significantly during the industrial revolution, leading to European dominance in the agricultural sector. British took advantage of the triangle trade to dominate the cotton industry, even though a lot were produced from India.
Scientific inventions that occurred during the industrial revolution increased the dominance of Europe in 1900. For instance, the invention of the steam engine increased production in the cotton textile industry ( Marks, 2007, p.113) . Spearheaded by France and England, the textile industry played a key role in the growth and development of factories in Europe. Majority of the many inventions in 1900, for example, the spinning jenny, were closely directly linked textile industry. The spinning jenny alongside the steam engine enabled the automation in the textile industry, leading to increased volumes of outputs by textile industries. During this time, the consumers enjoyed a variety of textile products at a lower price. At the same time, the building of a steam engine railway led to a significant improvement in production in various industries in Europe. However, to maintain its dominance, Europe did not want other parts of the world to benefit from its new technologies and machines. For instance, to ensure that the British continue to dominate cotton production globally, Thomas Savery patented steam engine that was essential for cotton production (Marks, 2007, p.113). The inventions that were related to steam and coal revolutionized almost all industries in Europe. It is important to note that the steam engine together with coal had a significant combined impact on each other and the general economic dominance of Europe. Coal's demand skyrocketed as it was needed to fuel steam engines, and on the other hand, steam engines were used to mechanize coal mining leading to increased volumes of coal available for trade. Other agricultural sectors such as tea and opium experienced immense growth during the industrial revolution ( Marks, 2007, p.119) . Specifically, opium trade was undertaken by European countries led by Britain between the 18 th and 19 th centuries. Britain exported its opium produce from its Indian colony to China and used the proceeds to import other merchandise that was in high demand in Europe. The goods that Britain imported from China using opium trade money included tea, porcelain, and silk . Besides, the massive use of iron in countries such as Britain enhanced production in many industries. Europe supplied the whole world with agricultural produce and manufactured products because of the industrial revolution. The industrial revolution made European countries to dominate many sectors in 1900.
At the same time, according to Academia Cervena (2018), geography contributed to Europe dominance in the early 20 th century. Suez Canal in Egypt, for instance, made it easier and convenient for Europe to colonize various parts of Africa ( Marks, 2007, p.149) . It used the canal to explore and capture many areas in Africa. Besides, European countries used the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean to colonize different parts of Africa (Coach Lane, 2016). Germany, for example, could easily access the North Sea made it one of the leading exporters in Europe (Stratfor, 2013). Thus, seas, oceans, and rivers made it easier for Europe to explore various parts of the world. Fertile land for agriculture led to the agricultural revolution in Europe. Agriculture was the main industry in the 19 th century, and Europe took this advantage to dominate the sector, leading to a reduced poverty rate. Europe used the agricultural surplus to trade with the rest of the world and gain additional resources.
Moreover, the strong military made it possible for Europe to colonize the world. A strong military was needed to maintain power, especially in colonies. On the contrary, the geographical location of Europe helps in preventing external military attacks (Wendover Production, 2017). Any external attack on Europe must be based on strong navy and army because seas, oceans, and mountains surround the continent. For instance, the United Kingdom is surrounded by the Irish Sea, North Sea, and the English Channel (Stratfor, 2014). It was not possible to attack and invade European countries like the UK and Germany. Besides, France did not have many geographical barriers, leading to social cohesion that was needed for economic growth and development (Stratfor, 2012).
Therefore, the main consequence of Europe's unique status in 1900 was the curtailment of economic of other countries in Asia and Africa. Europe used its superiority and powers to suppress their development of countries like India that had efficient and successful cotton production ( Marks, 2007, p. 99) . At the same time, the unrivaled status of Europe curtailed the economic Development of many African countries where they took essential minerals like gold and diamond. Countries that were colonized by Europe due to its dominance and power lagged in terms of socio-economic development. However, the colonization also brought some benefits to colonized nations. For instance, the British spent a lot of resources to build ports, roads, and railways in its colonies (Mason, 2018, p. 101). Also, Europe catalyzed the process of the process of urbanization in its colonies.
In conclusion, the dominance of Europe in 1900 was mainly contributed by Eurocentrism, industrial revolution, nationalism, and geographical accessibility of its colonies. The perception that Europe was superior and social Darwinism made European countries to conquer many parts of the world, which they used as a source of raw materials for their industries and markets for the manufactured products. Also, the industrial revolution made Europe gain competitive and comparative advantage in the global market. It was not possible for Europe to be dominant in 1900 without the outside world, especially Africa and Asia.
References
Academia Cervena. (2018, July 5). Changing the Map of Europe Back to 1815 [YouTube]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66rycNCY- xM&feature=share&fbclid=IwAR1lL1hzsj_dx1tPAfvBnQbIUYuXg62UkBEWlpG5kDI wm3bCGxI1ZCr_O88
Coach Lane. (2016, January 15). Europe's Geography [YouTube]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCPm76DWxso&feature=share&fbclid=IwAR2coy- V4KZEBPgfg2Fe-0c2NNcE-1aqTzkQtlz_UVK9nFiFSC1T4j6B_GY
Marks, R. (2007). The origins of the modern world: Fate and fortune in the rise of the West . Rowman & Littlefield.
Mason, D. S. (2018). A concise history of modern Europe: liberty, equality, solidarity . Rowman & Littlefield.
Stratfor. (2012, June 26). France's Geographic Challenge [YouTube]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGYPQLOUKeI&feature=share&fbclid=IwAR1xEL FnLgQKLOWvJDr9YcfpyRW8460YXdin8FW-DLPDO0NpgIU_3TKEWrA
Stratfor. (2013). Germany's Geographic Challenge [YouTube]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTPIzzcBPaA
Stratfor. (2014, January 6). The United Kingdom's Geographic Challenge [YouTube]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWH0wPzzhtw&feature=share&fbclid=IwAR3SJaj5 2-OL6bqZavqS-HzcHZLixixc0EvEnS5NXZmTyLOeLE38FBe101w
Wendover Production. (2017, March 28). Russia's Geography Problem [YouTube]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3C_5bsdQWg
