At the end of the French Revolution,  the European monarchies met in Vienna to re-establish the old power structure.  The notion of collective defense and alliances became the norm and the Great Power System was implemented.  The idea was that monarchies would reassert their dominance and control the affairs of the continent and beyond.  It worked for a while, but the system collapsed completely with World War I in 1914.

     Through the 19th Century, Europe applied the lessons of science to transform their society with the Industrial Revolution.  Industrialism led to great European power, urbanization,  and a second wave of colonialism.

     The century also saw lots of new ideas come forth, hence it is often called the "Age of Isms."  Liberalism, Conservatism, Marxism, Fascism, and Nationalism were ideas adopted by many people of the time.  While mainly ideas in 19th Century, these isms became reality in the 20th Century.