十九世纪晚期至二十世纪初,科学技术的发展,使生产方法、设备和产业结构发生全面的本质的变革。第一次产业革命和随后的经济高涨,欧美各主要资本主义国家工业空前发展,积累了大量的资金。同时,政治上比较彻底地消除封建残余,出现相对稳定的和平环境。为了进一步发展资本主义经济,就必须开发以电机为代表的电力技术,使生产机械化和半自动化。从十九世纪七十年代起,德国和美国发生了以电力的广泛使用为标志的第二次产业革命。到二十世纪初期,新的产业革命在英国和法国也蓬勃发 From the late nineteenth century to the beginning of the twentieth century, the development of science and technology brought about a complete and fundamental change of production methods, equipment and industrial structure. After the first industrial revolution and the subsequent economic boom, the major capitalist countries in Europe and the United States saw unprecedented development in industry and accumulated a large amount of funds. At the same time, the feudal remnants of the political system have been eliminated more thoroughly and a relatively stable peaceful environment has emerged. In order to further develop the capitalist economy, it is necessary to develop electric power technology represented by a motor, so that the production can be mechanized and semi-automated. From the 1870s onwards, the second industrial revolution marked by the widespread use of electricity took place in Germany and the United States. By the early twentieth century, the new industrial revolution had also thrived in Britain and France