By the 1800s, Europe had gained considerable power. Strong, centrally governed nation-states had emerged, and the industrial revolution had greatly enriched European economies. Encouraged by their new economic and military strength, Europeans embarked on a path of aggressive expansion. In just a few decades beginning in the 1870s, Europeans brought much of the world under their influence and control. The industrial revolution created needs and desires that spurred overseas expansion. Industrial powers of Europe seized foreign lands to satisfy these needs.