Editing Industrial Revolution (section)

====Austria-Hungary====
{{Main|Economy of Austria-Hungary}}
The [[Habsburg monarchy|Habsburg]] realms, which became [[Austria-Hungary]] in 1867, had a population of 23 million in 1800, growing to 36 million by 1870. Between 1818 and 1870, industrial growth averaged 3% annually, though development varied significantly across regions. A major boost to industrialisation came with the construction of the railway network between 1850 and 1873, which transformed transport by making it faster, more reliable and affordable. Proto-industrialisation had already begun by 1750 in Alpine and Bohemian regions— what is now the [[Czech Republic]]—which later emerged as the industrial hub of the empire. The textile industry led this transformation, adopting mechanisation, steam engines, and the factory system. The first mechanical loom in the [[Czech lands]] was introduced in Varnsdorf in 1801<ref>{{cite web |title=On the Industrial History of the Czech Republic |url=https://www.erih.net/how-it-started/industrial-history-of-european-countries/czech-republic |website=European Route of Industrial Heritage |publisher=Council of Europe |access-date=2 June 2021 |archive-date=28 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210428125836/https://www.erih.net/how-it-started/industrial-history-of-european-countries/czech-republic |url-status=live }}</ref> followed shortly by the arrival of steam engines in [[Bohemia]] and [[Moravia]]. Textile production flourished in industrial centers such as [[Prague]]<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Carter |first1=F. W. |title=The Industrial Development of Prague 1800–1850 |journal=The Slavonic and East European Review |year=1973 |volume=51 |issue=123 |pages=243–275 |jstor=4206709}}</ref> and Brno—the latter earning the nickname "Moravian Manchester."<ref>{{cite web |title=On the Industrial History of the Czech Republic |url=https://www.erih.net/how-it-started/industrial-history-of-european-countries/czech-republic |website=European Route of Industrial Heritage |access-date=2 June 2021 |archive-date=28 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210428125836/https://www.erih.net/how-it-started/industrial-history-of-european-countries/czech-republic |url-status=live }}</ref> The Czech lands became an industrial heartland due to rich natural resources, skilled workforce, and early adoption of technology. The iron industry also expanded in the Alpine regions after 1750. Hungary, by contrast, remained predominantly rural and under-industrialised until after 1870.<ref>Martin Moll, "Austria-Hungary" in Christine Rider, ed., ''Encyclopedia of the Age of the Industrial Revolution 1700–1920'' (2007) pp. 24–27.</ref> However, reformers like Count [[István Széchenyi]] played a crucial role in laying the groundwork for future development. Often called "the greatest Hungarian," Széchenyi advocated for economic modernisation, infrastructure development, and industrial education. His initiatives included the promotion of river regulation, bridge construction (notably the [[Széchenyi Chain Bridge|Chain Bridge in Budapest]]), and the founding of the [[Hungarian Academy of Sciences]]—all aimed at fostering a market-oriented economy.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Lendvai |first=Paul |url=https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/9781400851522/html |title=The Hungarians: A Thousand Years of Victory in Defeat |date=2004 |publisher=Princeton |year=2004 |isbn=9781400851522 |pages=191-205 |language=english}}</ref> In 1791, Prague hosted the first [[World's fair|World's Fair]], in [[Clementinum]] showcasing the region’s growing industrial sophistication. An earlier industrial exhibition was held in conjunction with the coronation of [[Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor|Leopold II]] as [[King of Bohemia]], celebrating advanced manufacturing techniques in the Czech lands.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.arts.gla.ac.uk/Slavonic/Czech_Hist8.html|title=The era of enlightenment|access-date=11 March 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120316114245/http://www.arts.gla.ac.uk/Slavonic/Czech_Hist8.html|archive-date=16 March 2012}}</ref> 

From 1870 to 1913, technological innovation drove industrialisation and urbanisation across the empire. Gross national product (GNP) per capita grew at an average annual rate of 1.8%—surpassing Britain (1%), France (1.1%), and Germany (1.5%).<ref>David Good, ''The Economic Rise of the Habsburg Empire''</ref> Nevertheless, Austria-Hungary as a whole continued to lag behind more industrialised powers like Britain and Germany, largely due to its later start in the modernisation process.<ref>Millward and Saul, ''The Development of the Economies of Continental Europe 1850–1914'' pp. 271–331.</ref>