Question: where did the industrial revolution begin in the mid-1700s

title: Industrial Revolution
text: Germany 's political disunity -- with three dozen states -- and a pervasive conservatism made it difficult to build railways in the 1830s . However , by the 1840s , trunk lines linked the major cities ; each German state was responsible for the lines within its own borders . Lacking a technological base at first , the Germans imported their engineering and hardware from Britain , but quickly learned the skills needed to operate and expand the railways . In many cities , the new railway shops were the centres of technological awareness and training , so that by 1850 , Germany was self - sufficient in meeting the demands of railroad construction , and the railways were a major impetus for the growth of the new steel industry . Observers found that even as late as 1890 , their engineering was inferior to Britain 's . However , German unification in 1870 stimulated consolidation , nationalisation into state - owned companies , and further rapid growth . Unlike the situation in France , the goal was support of industrialisation , and so heavy lines crisscrossed the Ruhr and other industrial districts , and provided good connections to the major ports of Hamburg and Bremen . By 1880 , Germany had 9,400 locomotives pulling 43,000 passengers and 30,000 tons of freight , and pulled ahead of France Sweden