The world in
What happened in 1878?
12 events across 7 world regions, each with its sources.
Europe
Treaty of San StefanoOn 3 March 1878, at the end of the 1877–1878 Russo-Turkish War, the Russian and Ottoman empires signed the Treaty of San Stefano as a peace agreement concluding the conflict. The convention was imposed by Russia thanks to its victories in the war.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Unknown author Unknown author / Public domain ↗
Treaty of Berlin of 1878The Treaty of Berlin of 1878 was the final act of the Congress of Berlin, signed by the United Kingdom, France, Russia, Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy, and the Ottoman Empire. The treaty revised the earlier Treaty of San Stefano, curtailing Russian gains in the Balkans and resulting in the Ottoman Empire's loss of its major European holdings.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Robert H. Labberton, E. Elaxton and Co. / Public domain ↗
Construction of Herrenchiemsee beginsIn 1878, King Ludwig II of Bavaria began construction of Herrenchiemsee Palace on Herreninsel in Lake Chiemsee, intended as a tribute to the Palace of Versailles and the Sun King Louis XIV. It was the largest and most expensive of all his building projects; work halted upon his death in 1886 with the palace unfinished.
Central & South America
Outbreak of the Ten Years' WarOn 10 October 1868, planter Carlos Manuel de Céspedes and fellow independence advocates proclaimed Cuba's independence from Spain at his Demajagua sugar mill, initiating the Ten Years' War. This first major Cuban independence struggle, though unsuccessful, paved the way for later uprisings.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Ramon Padró i Pedret / Public domain ↗
- Chilean occupation of Araucanía
Between 1861 and 1883, Chile incorporated the ancestral Mapuche territory of Araucanía through a series of military campaigns, agreements, and penetrations. Referred to by Chilean authorities as the 'Pacification of Araucanía'.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
South Asia
Outbreak of the Aceh WarIn early 1873, discussions between representatives of the Aceh Sultanate and the United States in Singapore provoked the Netherlands, leading to a Dutch military attack on Aceh and the start of the Aceh War. The conflict was part of a series of late 19th-century wars that consolidated Dutch rule over modern-day Indonesia, ultimately ending in 1904 with the Dutch annexation of Aceh and control over the entire Indonesian archipelago. The war lasted over three decades, resulting in around 4,000 Dutch and 25,000 Acehnese deaths.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Unknown author Unknown author / Public domain ↗
Outbreak of the Second Anglo-Afghan WarIn 1878, the Second Anglo-Afghan War broke out between the British Raj and the Emirate of Afghanistan. Afghanistan was then ruled by Sher Ali Khan of the Barakzai dynasty, son of former Emir Dost Mohammad Khan. The war was part of the Great Game between the British and Russian empires.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Richard Caton Woodville Jr. / Public domain ↗
East Asia
Meiji RestorationThe Meiji Restoration was a series of modernising reforms carried out in Japan between 1868 and 1889. It began with the restoration of imperial rule in 1868, overthrowing the Tokugawa shogunate and the warrior government that had ruled Japan for over six hundred years, and bringing an end to the feudal system. During the reforms, Japan actively adopted Western ideas, production methods and technology, rapidly industrialised, and underwent fundamental changes to its political and social structure, transforming the country into a modern power.
Self-Strengthening Movement BeginsQing officials launched the Self-Strengthening Movement in 1861, aiming to strengthen China by adopting Western military technology. Though lasting until 1895, its beginning marked the start of modern industrialization and military modernization in China.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Unknown author Unknown author / Public domain ↗
North Africa
French conquest of AlgeriaBetween 1830 and 1904, France launched a military invasion and prolonged war of conquest in Algeria. In June 1830, French forces landed near Algiers, quickly seizing the capital and coastal areas. Over the following decades, despite internal political strife, France repeatedly reinforced its military presence to suppress resistance in the interior, gradually extending control southward into the Sahara, and finalizing its colonial borders by 1904.
North America
Outbreak of the Caste War of YucatánIn 1847, the Indigenous Maya people of the Yucatán Peninsula launched an armed revolt against the Hispanic population, known as the Caste War. The uprising stemmed from the latter's political and economic dominance since the Spanish conquest in the 16th century, and it is considered one of the most successful modern Native American revolts. The conflict primarily unfolded between government forces in the northwest and independent Maya groups in the southeast, lasting nearly five decades.
Oceania
Founding of Queen Victoria MarketThe Queen Victoria Market began operations in 1878 in central Melbourne, Australia. Covering over seven hectares, it became the largest open-air market in the Southern Hemisphere and a major landmark for the city.
Around 1878
These are known only to the century, not to the year. They are listed separately so a rough date is never mistaken for an exact one.
- Second Industrial Revolution
- Emergence of the Enlightenment
- Museum Island construction begins
- Completion of Dom Pedro V Theatre
- Establishment of Tomioka Silk Mill and Related Industrial Heritage
- Construction of Hôtel Solvay begins
- Founding of Kulangsu as an International Settlement
- Construction of the Four Hydraulic Boat Lifts on the Canal du Centre begins