Chapter 1
The rise of Standard Oil
Chapter 2
The black gold of Baku
Chapter 3
Sumatran jungles and British tankers
Chapter 4
The desert sands of Persia
YOUR GOAL
Master of Oil barons of the 1900s
Ch 2 · The black gold of Baku
schopenhauer Baku's Black Gold
Baku's black gold, Baku's black gold, fueling the world from the Caspian shore!
schopenhauer Baku became the world's first industrial oil city, generating over half of global supply by 1901.
schopenhauer The wealthy Rothschild family funded a crucial mountain railway to connect Baku's oil to European markets.
Fun Fact
Caspian oil springs: Long before industrial drilling, ancient Baku residents harvested oil floating on water and used natural gas vents to keep sacred temple fires burning eternally.
Glossary
petroleum (noun)
A naturally occurring, flammable liquid found in rock formations beneath the Earth's surface. In 1873, the Nobel brothers invested in Baku's local refineries, sparking a massive global energy boom.
A naturally occurring, flammable liquid found in rock formations beneath the Earth's surface. In 1873, the Nobel brothers invested in Baku's local refineries, sparking a massive global energy boom.
Quiz
How did Ludvig Nobel's new tankers reduce Baku's oil shipping costs compared to wooden barrels?
Quiz
Which brother of the Baku oil barons Ludvig and Robert Nobel famously invented dynamite?
Quiz
What was the name of the world's first successful bulk oil tanker, launched by Ludvig Nobel in 1878?
Quiz
Approximately what percentage of the world's oil did the Baku region produce in 1901?
Quiz
What was the nickname of the heavily industrialized refining district in Baku?
Quiz
Which wealthy European banking family financed the Baku-Batumi railway in 1883?