Over the course of the 19th century, public authorities in Europe sought to regulate the consequences of industrialization: rapid urbanization, poverty in working-class households, public-hygiene and security problems. Social and working-class issues were the driving forces behind a transformation in the role of the state, which became responsible for supporting a basic minimum of economic well-being, reducing social tensions and promoting “social citizenship” through legislation and the development of social services. The concept became known as a Welfare State (in English), an État-providence in French and a Sozialstaat in German. That regulatory mission has been interpreted either as an essential complement to capitalism or as a victory on the part of the working-class movement.