Peter the great tried to Westernize Russia, and therefore industrialize it. In this way he was a progressive monarch, trying to change things for the better. Yet Charles II wanted complete control over his people and so tried to get rid of the parliament which resulted in the English Civil War. Yet Peter the Great tried to liberalize Russia, giving people rights to revitalize their economy and country.
<span>The economic system that was most prevalent in Europe of the Early Middle Ages was the manorial system, which some people equate with feudalism and some don't. During the Middle Ages, a mercantile system also developed slowly, until it became very important in the Late Middle Ages and, ultimately, dominant in the Renaissance.</span>
In his book "Looking Backward", Bellamy tells the story of Julain West, a young American who lived in Boston towards the end of the 19th century (1887). During this period, industrialization was affecting all economic activities, as developments made manufacturing sites more productive and there was also a growing need for a labor force, as the growth of industry was exponential. Throughout all of this process, owners of these businesses were getting very rich.
One night, Wells falls asleep and wakes up 113 years later. He sees Boston as a city who suffered a dramatic change. Technological developments could be seen everywhere. He later learned that the country had adopted a socialist model which was fully executed. Enterprises were run and organized by a central office and labor was distributed by an organization called "The industrial army", who effectively assigned labor resources among the industries.
The book had great reception. Bellamy was praised by many unions, including the American Federation of Labor and The Knights of Labor, which saw the book as a reference on how industrial matters should be managed in the country.
