Globalization Reflection

One of the views about globalization that I had prior to my visit to Austria and The Czech Republic was that globalization was a new phenomena sweeping across the globe. My research and experience however have led to a much different conclusion. While technology and ease of travel to a large degree have made conditions much more favorable for globalization, globalization especially in Europe has been going on for a long time and is really nothing new. For example, The Habsburg Empire covered more then 50 million people at its apex and covered halfway around the world all the way to Mexico. Maximilian I was self appointed Emperor of Mexico and the brother of long time Habsburg Emperor Franz Josef (born in the Schonbrunn Palace Vienna, Austria). While the people of Mexico were not so receptive to Maximilian I who was eventually executed, it shows the extent of the Habsburgs reach.

Europe has a much longer history of integration with capital cities often only a few hours travel. An example of people moving across European borders is that of music composers moving from one city to to next like Mozart or Beethoven. Architecture is another historical example of ideas flowing across Europe. Baroque, Art Nouveau, Gothic, Romanesque and Neoclassical styles are present in Vienna, Prague, Budapest, and many other European capital cities. Clearly ideas and ways of thinking even globalization has been taking place for many years.

I think in the US with ocean barriers and long borders it is easier to have a distorted perspective about globalization or even a sense of isolation that has started to change due to technological changes, but my perspective about globalization has definetly been transformed to include a much longer historical view.