ABSTRACT
The Industrial Revolution began in England, but not, as one might suspect, because that country was a leader in scientific and technological development. England, in fact, at that point in history actually trailed other European nations in developing its ability to train people in technical areas. Oxford and Cambridge were the best England had to offer in terms of "advanced"education. The textile industry kept alive and drove the early Industrial Revolution. Coal was another key actor in the early stages of the Revolution. Once England's forests had been cut, coal had become the major fuel for both the country's industrial and domestic sectors. France, the other major European power, chose a different route that also strongly affected the evolution of European and eventually of world management theory. During the late 1700s, while Britain was gearing up for the Industrial Revolution, the French were dealing with another kind of revolution, one in societal and governmental philosophy.
