Great Britain & Germany Due to superior technologies, monetary wealth and worldwide export markets, Great Britain was the undisputed leading nation in industry and world trade after 1851. It was only towards the end of the 19th century that Germany questioned Great Britain’s position of supremacy. England was the first country to experience the industrial revolution and the social cataclysm inherent in it, which would radically change the life of every single person. The population of England grew from 6.3 million in 1750 to 21 million in 1851. Please click the images for an enlarged version