Long Essay Questions

Question 1. contrast Karl Marx vs Adam Smith view on industrial revolution

Thesis: Smith sees industrialization as an economic and social revolution which will improve society and
enchanece the quality of life for all. Marx’s writings contrast this ideal as he belives industrialization has
harmed society and benefits only the machinery owing capitalists. Thus both economic thinkers disagree
about the dynamics and revolutionary nature of the Industrial revolution.

Point 1

-Smith sees the industrial revolution and division of labour as a means of extending universal opulenceto
everyone

-Human rely on common stock of goods

-Industrialization allows goods to be added to common stock more cheaply and easily

-Evidence: Common labourer story

-Even a relitivley poor person in an industrial society can afford the luxuries of a king

-Marx sees industrial revolution as a means of destroying society by 1) distrupting family structure and
2) depriving young people of a proper education

-Industrialization allows work to be done more easily

-This encourages mothers into the workforce which pulls them away from family

-Marx believes that this leads to unnatural estrangement

-blames malnutrishment, and opiates as cause of this

-Encourages young children into the workforce

-Directs children into dangerous, monotonous work enironment

Point 2

Both Disagree on the impact of industrial revolution on the labourer

-Smith sees machinery as a way to make labour easier

-labour is abridged by machinery

-Machinery allows workers to produce surplus labour which enables them to access the goods
and services they need

-In short it encrouges economic freedom

-Marx sees machinery as a tool to oppress the worker and control wages

-Machinery reduces the complexity of worker task and turns workers into living appendages
-This diminishes the value of labour

- the expenses of his reproduction are considerably lessened, and his

helpless dependence upon the factory as a whole, and therefore upon the capitalist, is rendered
complete” (Marx s2 p66)
Slavery Question

What were main drivers behind the trade

-Began in early 16th century

-Driven by profit coming from triangular trade between Europe, Afria and South America

-Europeans want to establish plantations in the new world

-Cotton, sugar, Tobacco, Molasses and rum

-They need labour because these crops are very labour intensive

-Entreprenerus would use slaves in Africa to work plantations in SA. Planantiosn from SA would then
ship back to Europe

-All for money

-Also allowed to continue due to racial superiority

What were the effects of slave trade

-The subjugation and uprooting of African people disrupted the Africa society

-Middle passage and slave experice claimed the lives of million of slaves

-Deprived society of able bodied workers

-Delayed industrial revolution and technological developments in continenet

-Created conflicts between African people

-Led to creation of African slave lords who would capture African slaves and sell

-Abolition created conflict in Sierra Leone and Liberia

Why and how did it end

-Became outled in early 1900s in Europa and US

-Abolitionist movements

-Wilberforce was main driver in Britin

-Quakers

-Challenged the morality of Slavery

-slave Revolts

-Hatian revolt and defeat of Brithish embarrassed the British

-Encouraged abolition

-Declining profitability
-Forced labour was not long term employmenet solution because its not productive

-Investors found profitabable investments in manufacturing

Cold war Germany Question

How was post WW2 germayn split between E/W a blueprint for cold war battles elsewher

-What was the cold war

-Period of heightened tensions between 1945-1991 end of WW2 and fall of Soviet union

-Chacterized by heightening tensions between the west (democracy) vs East(communism)

-Mainly US vs Soviet Union

-Each side was trying to advance its own ideals while preventing the spread of alternative
social/political system

-How did it play itself out

-Conflict between US and USSR played itself in proxy wars out in Vietnam, Italy, South America

-USSR would usually support communist political regimes

-US would react and support pro demoracy regimes

- - Part of US policy of containment following long telegram warnings of Soviet

-Conflict and prtion of Germany and Berlin was example of proxy war between US and
USSR

German conflict after WW2

-After WW2 Germany and Berlin was dividedn into British, US, French and soviet terriroty

-In 1948 soviets block of west berlin

-Leads to Berlin Airlift

-Us intervenes in order to ensure west berlin does not fall to communists

-in 1961 communists build berlin wall to prevent capitalist propaganda

How does berlin partion epitimoize cold war

-Part of broader policy of containment

-Aggression between soviet and democracy was part of long telegram

-Containment effors would occur through proxy wars fought in Vietnman, Korea, Nicuagura, and
Afghanistan during c war

-US trying to contain the spread of communist

-Partitioning of a country into communist vs democratic

-Similar geographic divideds occur in korea, and vietnam

-No regard for geo-political dborders

-Foreign political intervention

-The US and Allies were afraid that a weak Germany would encrouage socialism

-US and allies wanted to prevent the spread of communism so they supported W Ger

-Marhsal plan 1948

-US would support pro domocracy regimes throughout the cold war

-Nicuguran contra arms

-Taliban Arms
Compare and contrast League of nations and United nations

League of nations

-formed during treaty of Versailles in 1919

-Intarnational organization to settle future conflicts and prevent future war

- recommended by Wudrow Wilson as part of 14 points

-Created when war was over

-Only 4 major powers

-Japan, France, Italy, United Kingdom,

-No armed force

-Relied on the Executive council (Japan, France, Italy UK to enforce economic, military
sanctions)

-Executive members were often reluctant

-As a result very inneffective

United nations

-Created during time of ar buildup

-Early 1940s

-Started with Atlantic Charter

-In an effort to stand up to Hitler

-Seen by axis members as a threath

-Officailly formed in 1945 San fransisco conference

-contained over 50 states

-More like a web of international organizations working together to promote peae

-Structure

-General Assembly

-Secreteriat

-court of Justice

-Security council
Improvments

-Social/economic developemtn arm

-Better voting scturcutre

-Veto and majority based voting allowed things to get done

-Encorporated major powers

-Gave security council military authorithy to engage in economic or military action if epace is
theathned

Why did leage of nations fail

-Failed to prevent German aggression during lead up to WW2

-failed to act against Japanese aggression in China

-Reasons for failure

-Slow to act because votes had to be unanumaious

-Lack of US and USSR who are important superpowers

-No military power

-Executive council members were reluctant to invoke sanctions and live up to

military commitment
Colonial contributions in WW1 and WW2

-4 million non white men involved in European armies

WW1

India

-majority of forces fighting in Mesopotamia

-British campaign in Palestine would have been impossible without india

-Sikh soliders helped evict Germans from Chinese colonies

Chinese

-140 000 contract workers to build trenches

African

-French conscripted many African subjects to fight

Caribean

-Contributed oil and cotton

Impact

-Destroyed degmographics of colony

-Destroyed economy

-Encouraged a sense of nationalism

-Encouraged independence

WW2

Military service

India- fought in suda against Italian Fought in Lybia

-36000 killed

Africa

-Recruited men to build military infastrucutre around coast in west Africa

-Forced labour in Kenya andNigeria

-Gold coast naval base

Raw material

-Tin, coca, vegetable oil, rubber

Financial contributions

-interest free loans were extended to British imperialiss

Import Subsitution industrialization

-economic policy of reducing reliance on foreign imports

-Instead focus on domestic production

-Protect infant industries

-Purused by developing nations in south America during 80s and 90s

When did it emerge

-ISI was done by European states and America in early 19th century as countries began to rely more on
themselves

-Began in South America after great depression and really took off after WW2

-Nationalist push to rely on domestic production to meet consumption needs

-Reduced economic power of European nations increased independence of SA countries

-Very successful in Brazil, Mexico and Argentina

-Because these countries had a large population to support high capital intensive
indsutries

-ISI led to nationalism of banks and financial institutions

Opinion of success

Short run

-Led to social and economic development of the region

-Lower mortaility rates, increased production, increased life expectancy in region

-Reduced poverty and inequality

Long run

-Although successful in short run the model encouraged excessive government debt

- This led to the LA banking debt crisis and IMF was forced to step in 1980s

-IMF forced LA countries to stop ISI and adopt export orientated economies

-Led to Lost decade of Mexico

-Led to inequality

-Protectionism stifles competition and improvement

-Products are subpar to international competition

-No benefits from specialization of labour and trade

-Protectionismt measures increased prices

-Led the government to take on a lot of debt

-Led to credit ciris in 1980s