Although life in 1850 was very different than life in 1950, many of the events that occurred in or after 1850 helped spark the events that occurred in 1950. Life in 1850 was filled with revolutions, advancements in medicine, technology, economic growth and imperialism. Life in 1950 was filled with war, economic and political change but also improvements of the advancements from 1850. .
By 1850, Europe had shifted from agriculture to industry. One of the most essential causes for the industrialization of Europe was an increase in European population, better known as Mass Society. One of the causes for this population increase was better health. The public became aware of the unsanitary conditions in Europe like unregulated food and dirty cities and they sought to improve it. Vaccines and advancements in medicine were thus introduced which caused the European population to nearly double. Throughout the 19th century, Europe went through the Second Industrial Revolution. The Second Industrial Revolution caused the growth of coal, iron, electricity, petroleum, and steel. All of these minor advancements led to the invention of public electricity, which led to many major inventions such as the telephone and the light bulb. The invention of the internal combustion engine also led to the development of automobiles and airplanes. As the 19th century progressed, Europeans began to seek control over countries overseas because these countries would help promote even more economic growth. Europe believed expansion would not only supply them with cheap resources, but it would also create new markets they could trade with. 80 percent of the European population were agricultural workers, laborers and artisans. Fortunately, due to all of the technological advancements, society finally started to pay attention to the masses, which in effect raised the working class's living standards. Industrialization caused new work opportunities for the middle class, which in return caused shorter work hours.