Technological Acceleration

The period saw technology's promise and threat multiply. Aviation progressed spectacularly—Louis Blériot's company produced aircraft capable of military reconnaissance. The 1911 Paris-Madrid air race demonstrated aviation's potential while its crashes showed its dangers. Roland Garros crossed the Mediterranean by air in 1913, proving aircraft could overcome natural barriers.

The automobile completed its conquest of Paris streets. Traffic jams became common; accidents multiplied. The Prefect of Police instituted the first comprehensive traffic regulations. The conflict between pedestrians and drivers presaged larger conflicts between tradition and modernity. Speed limits proved as difficult to enforce as arms limitations.

Wireless telegraphy connected France instantly to its empire and the world. The Eiffel Tower's radio transmitter, installed in 1910, could reach across Europe. This communication revolution would enable the rapid mobilization of August 1914 but also spread panic faster than reassurance.

The telephone transformed from luxury to necessity. Businesses depended on instant communication; government offices interconnected through switchboards. The acceleration of decision-making this enabled would contribute to the July Crisis's fatal momentum—diplomacy couldn't keep pace with technology.