Germany 1890s: How Industrial Might Forged a Nation

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the explosive industrial transformation of Germany in the late 19th century. They focus on the Ruhr Valley's coal and steel boom, the rise of the chemical and electrical industries, and the social consequences of rapid urbanization. Key figures include industrialists like Alfred Krupp and Werner von Siemens, as well as the social reformer Wilhelm von Ketteler. The episode also covers the birth of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) and Otto von Bismarck's state socialism as a response to working-class unrest. Listeners will learn about the Krupp family's giant steelworks in Essen, the founding of Siemens & Halske, and how Germany overtook Britain in steel production by the 1890s. The conversation touches on the Zollverein customs union, the role of railways, and the emergence of a new middle class. It ends by connecting this industrial might to the tensions that would lead to World War I. #IndustrialRevolution #GermanyHistory #Krupp #Siemens #Ruhr #SPD #Bismarck #Steel #Coal #Zollverein #StateSocialism #Urbanization #19thCentury #GermanEmpire #WilhelmineGermany #WorkingClass #FexingoHistory #History #HolyRomanEmpire #LutheranReformation Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo