Marks And David Mason Analysis

In Marks’ text he discusses the world's recent history with the intention to construct “an environmentally grounded non-Eurocentric narrative” (Marks, 16) What this means is that rather than focusing on a certain area of the world but include every reigine related to events rather than only the large (usually European) players, while always bringing the readers focus back to the environmental implications in the industrializing world. Mason as a contrast in his Concise History of Modern Europe gives a rather eurocentric narrative focusing on only the main events of the time period covered. During the transition of the world to modernity in the 19th and 20th historians Robert Marks and David Mason took two separate approaches to discussing

“The mechanization of production allowed a huge increase in productivity and economic output...laying the groundwork for modern industrial society. [With] far-reaching social and political consequences.” (Mason, 37) Innovations in technology catapulted England, and eventually Europe, into an industrialized realm of steam powered engines, factory production lines, and the railroad. The steamship revolutionized travel, the reaper improved crop harvesting, the development of chemical fertilizers increased crop productions, and the railroad bound Europe together with iron ties. (Mason, 45) The Industrial Revolution, Mason also noted, transformed the lives of the working class and this led to the emergence of the middle class in society. Unfortunately the experience of working in factories was not entirely positive, conditions and treatments of workers were considered inhumane and dangerous. This created a push for rights and regulations placed on

Mason takes approximately 60 pages to describe the causes, events, and consequences of the time from the beginning of World War I to the end of the Cold War. These wars of conflict and tensions left Europe dethroned from its place of dominance over much of the world and in fear of future outbreak of war that could result in comparable losses to those experience in both world wars. These wars led to a deep set distrust, fear, and significant economic weakening of many European countries, often this was exhibited more dramatically in Eastern European countries. Alternatively Marks spends around 40 pages to discuss events around this time, however World War I, World War II, and the Cold War were addressed collectively in about 2 pages total. “The twentieth century saw additional waves of industrialization and its spread around the world.” (Marks, 162) Marks describes this time period in his novel as the Great Departure, to signify the huge jump the world took in energy consumption. At this point in history it can be seen that human activity has begun to affect the global ecological process. “The more economic development we have, the more we change nature… The pursuit of economic development has dramatically altered not only global power relations but also the environment and the global ecological processes.” (Marks,