The Class Conflict - Free Essay in Modern History: 1750-Present

The multifaceted concept of class conflict surfaced majorly as a tool of segregation during the earlier ages. The idea of exclusion based on class resulted in a conflict among the two classes; minority sources (few lite in the society with most possessions) and the majority (the many who are considered working class or inferior) on both a global and local scale. In this case, the minority the minority is not only limited to individuals but also entailed nations, communities, and organizations who controlled greater power and influence at the expense of the majority. The minority implemented various differing strategies globally with the aim of maintaining the superiority and domination in the acquisition of the few scattered resources. Eventually, the minority's need to keep their social class by imposing their oppression on the majority brought about inequality resulting in a revolt against the domination of the minority.

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The social, political and economic struggles among the two classes were intertwined with the need to liberate the society from an unjust world of the ruler who was in possession of greater influence and power. Through nationalism greater power was acquired by nations, communities and organizations led to the need to maintain the power by oppressing the subordinating who were the majority. Thus, developing imperialism through colonization and denial of rights of the colonized people. The latter angered the oppressed who were serving in favor of the oppressor resulting in a rebellion. In Europe nationalism led to marginalization as the few elite landlords held most of the land at the expense of small farmers who worked in them (Tignor, 644-656). The Latin Americans faced constant reprisals from the Indians, poor slaves and peasants, who were part of a more paranoid and disjointed society (Tignor, 644-656). The same imperialism was witnessed in South Asia through the 1857 Rebellion in India against The East India Company (EIC) who continuously concurred and reduced the rights of the kingdoms they defeated through increased tax burden to cover its sustainability costs (Tignor, 619-625). Through the EIC the British (Minority class) were able to offset their trade deficit and make massive investments in infrastructure. These investments being paid for by the Indians through "Home charges" (Tignor, 644-656). Feeling oppressed a revolt against EIC from the landowners, existing allies, peasants, the remaining nobility, and urban merchants ensued. Just like India, Africans concurred with the aim of providing raw materials to be later sold as finished goods after processing in industrial bases in Europe. The final goods profits aimed at maintaining the foreign territories and power through the exploitation of the colony's who were the majority. Therefore, resulting in a revolt against the ruling minority class.

Class conflict also emerged as an ideology of the different world orders after the Second World War. After World War II, the intense competition between the created word classes resulted in reprisals against oppression and discrimination by the minority class in the first and second world. The first world (US, Japan, and Western Europe) revolved around political freedom and will of representation of a people as the second world (the Soviet Union, and Eastern Europe) focused on social protection and rapid economic development (Tignor, 767-781). The third world comprised the majority who were torn between the conflict of the first and second worlds and were either drawn or repulsed to the ideologies of the first and second worlds. Therefore, the governments of the opposing sides between the first and second world advocated for revolt movements in their enemy territories by pointing out the discrimination levels between the upper and lower layers in the society. For example, the soviet union regularly referred to the harsh conditions subjected to the African-Americans in the US as the US inurn focused on influencing the repressed pro-democracy advocates in the Soviet society (Tignor, 767-781). Besides championing for the failure of enemies between the first and second worlds, the two groups tried to bolster their image in the third world (Tignor, 767-781). Therefore both through affiliations or radicalization, the first and second worlds managed to influence polarization and conflict by using the third world.

The class conflict also resulted from the need by the minority to maintain their influence among the majority. Therefore, leading into a dynamic movement that was repeatedly fought either for abolishing or restoration. The few elites used their resources to influence the actions of the disadvantaged and tried to confine them in their state as they prospered and sought recognition among fellow elites. The Haitian slaves managed to be free from the French merchants and white slave masters. However, they still had to fight for their freedom again in an attempt to overcome the Spanish and British who wanted to silence any spread of their freedom as it would spark revolutions from other areas (Tignor, 555-573). The same scenario is witnessed during the Anglo-Boar War from 1899 to 1902 where the Transvaal region in the southern part of Africa was colonized by the Dutch and while the British controlled the Cape region (Tignor, 667-688). The war was of the making of the British rule who conspired against the Danish after the discovery of diamonds and gold in the Transvaal (Tignor, 667-688). The war was meant to use the Afrikaners in destabilizing any possibilities of the Boar (Dutch) being an economically stronger state in the region than the British. The guerilla warfare from the Afrikaners enabled the British to later be in control of the territory by retaining overall supremacy (Tignor, 667-688). The First World War was also a making of the social conflict as Britain felt more threatened with the growing Germany economy. Germany threatening the position of Britain as the leading class led to the rivalry which resulted in the formation of allies who sparked the war on a global scale (Tignor, 705-730).

Modern governments and institutions are still at the front line in encouraging class conflicts through their failure to abolish discriminatory and inconsiderate factors such as equitable taxation on goods despite the differing potential of social classes. The battle among the various levels (First, Second and Third World) can also be seen to develop further in the contemporary world with the division taking into account multiple factors such as race and gender in addition to the previous geographic location as a dominant factor. Some of the significant trends entail; formerly third worlds are witnessing economic development threatening the comfort of the first worlds resulting in political repercussions. The more disadvantaged fourth word is also developing as specific regions of the world such as Africa become epicenters for discrimination and poverty. Moreover, in the contemporary world class struggles continue to persist as tolerance levels for bias continue to diminish. The minority are endeavoring to work within their limits and influence in maintaining their control, power and wealth as the underprivileged majority seek various ways to be free of their status. Consequently, class conflict continues to persist despite the different implemented strategies aiming at creating an equal society. The difference between conflict during the earlier periods and the current generation is that combat class differentials are done on an individual rather than communal level.

Work Cited

Tignor, Robert L. Worlds together, worlds apart: a history of the world from the beginnings of humankind to the present. WW Norton, 2014.