Imperialism 18751914

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Imperialism (1875-1914)

• The policy of conquering and ruling other lands.
• Countries competed with one another for control
  of areas.
• Britain had the largest empire in the history of
  the world.

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Rivalries Expand

• Britain, France, Dutch, Spain, Portugal, Germany,
  Belgium, Italy, the US, Japan all countries
  competed with one another for colonies and more
  power.
• The holdings of colonies was seen as a measure of
  national stature.
• The competition between nations was born out of
  national pride and economic competition.
• Industrial Revolution Looking for cheap raw
  material for the production of new manufactured
  goods.
• Some countries claimed that it was pride not
  profit that motivated them to conquer.

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The Snob Factor

• The nations in Europe had all the tools necessary
  of the time to be leaders in imperialism.
• Europeans believed they were better than other
  people in the world because of their advanced
  technology.
• Missionaries believed that they were helping by
  spreading their religion. They tended to fight
  for the end of the slave trade. ST ended in the
  1880s

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People Loved the Idea of Imperialism

• Books were written exaggerating the tales of
  adventure to be found in the colonies.
• Newspapers competed for readers by hiring
  reporters to travel the world in search of true
  life adventures.
• Even novels and poetry inflated the grand ideas
  of imperialism.
• Joseph Rudyard Kipling

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Europeans compete for Africa

• People in Africa had been dealing with Europeans
  for many years and did not expect the rapid
  changes to be brought about by industrialization.
• Many European countries competed to gain new
  territory in Africa.
• It started after 1879 when Henry Stanley returned
  home with Livingston and claimed most of the
  Congo River valley in the name of the Belgian
  king. The colony was 80 times larger than
  Belgium.
• Also after a vaccine for malaria is invented in
  1829 and gold and diamonds are found.
• In 1884-5, representatives met in Berlin (Berlin
  Conference) to decide how to divide up Africa
  without a war. No African leaders were present at
  the meeting.
• Any European country could claim land in Africa
  by sending troops to occupy strategic points that
  assured control of nearby areas.
• North Africa
• Britain is determined to defend or guard the Suaz
  Canal. They take over Egypt and make it a
  protectorate ( ruled by 1other country) They also
  take over Sudan and make it a condominium. (ruled
  by 2other countries)

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Boer War

• Dutch colonists (Boers) were the first to
  colonize South Africa, but when gold and diamonds
  were found there the British wanted their land.
• The moved northward to get out of the way of the
  British and encountered strong, disciplined
  tribes (Zulu)
• When a rebellion against the Boers failed, they
  blamed the British for in sighting the uprising
  and took up arms against the British
• 1910 British win the Boer War and rule South
  Africa

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• Several of the countries were left intact to be
  controlled by outside governments.
• Others were simply wiped out and old borders
  removed with new ones put in place by the
  European conquerors.
• Only 2 countries remained free in Africa due to
  their alliances. Liberia, which was founded by
  former slaves from the US and Ethiopia, which
  stood as a buffer state.

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Ethiopia

• Ethiopia maintained its freedom by successfully
  playing the French, British, and Italians against
  each other.
• While doing so, he was stock piling modern
  weaponry purchased from the Russians and the
  French
• When Menelik II, emperor of Ethiopia, realized
  that he was tricked by the Italians into signing
  over his land to them, he took up arms.
• In 1896, in one of the greatest battles in the
  history of Africathe Battle of AdowaEthiopian
  forces successfully defeated the Italians and
  kept their nation independent.

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Menelik II
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Colonial Africa
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Colonial Rule

• Europeans wanted Africans to work the mines and
  plantations
• At first they used superior weapons to force
  Africans into work crews, but later they used
  taxes. In order to accrue the money to pay taxes
  Africans had to work for Europeans.
• Tax money went to European style education,
  better health care, improved farming methods for
  the EUROPEANS. Africans were made second class
  citizens.
• To prevent revolts Europeans encouraged rivalries
  among ethnic groups. As long as the Africans
  were divided they could be controlled
• Europeans limited education for Africans. Rather
  than train Africans, they often brought in
  Indians, Chinese, and other Asians to handle jobs
  requiring special skills.
• 1912 a group of black South Africans formed the
  African National Congress to seek political
  rights and greater freedom.

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• Surviving Herero, emaciated, after their escape
  through the Omaheke desert.

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• Pygmies and a European explorer. Some pygmies
  would be exposed in human zoos, such as Ota Benga
  displayed by eugenicist Madison Grant in the
  Bronx Zoo.

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• Nott's and Gliddon's Indigenous races of the
  earth (1857) used misleading imagery to suggest
  that "Negroes" ranked between whites and
  chimpanzees. Note the different angles at which
  the "white" and "negro" skulls are positioned.
  Such works were instrumental in the legitimation
  of colonialism

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Effects of Imperialism on Africa

• Large scale loss of life through resistance
  efforts, disease, and famines that spread as a
  result of Africans switching from subsistence
  farming to cash crops
• Break down of traditional cultures
• Problem ridden artificial borders that did not
  account for kinship groups and rival chiefdoms.
  These borders later became the borders for many
  african countries today.

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Positive effects

• Reduced local warfare
• Humanitarian efforts in some colonies improved
  sanitation and provided hospitals and schools. As
  a result, lifespans increased and literacy rates
  improved.
• To aid the economic growth, railroads, dams, and
  telephone and telegraph lines were built in
  African colonies
• For the most part, these benefited only European
  business interests, not Africans lives.

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Ottoman empire declines
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British control India

• The Mughal empire had been able to keep British
  traders under control, but as it collapsed so did
  its control.
• The East India Company became a leading power in
  India and took over control of the country. The
  British government did little since they were
  making money.
• In 1857, there was a great rebellion by the
  Hindus and Muslims. The British government was
  able to quell it.

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Positive effects on India

• After the rebellion, Britain took direct control
  over India.
• Britain led India into the 20th century by
  building railroads, canals, telegraph wires, and
  other new modern things.
• The British also built schools, improved
  sanitation, and put an end to local warfare

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Negative effects on India

• However, the colonization of India also had some
  negative effects
• the British held much of the political and
  economic power. The British restricted
  Indian-owned industries such as cotton textiles.
• The conversion to cash crops reduced food
  production, causing famines in the late 1800s
• The increased presence of missionaries and the
  racist attitude of most British officials
  threatened traditional Indian life

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Nationalism in India

• While Britain bragged about all the advancements
  they had brought to India. Indians felt they
  were being mistreated in their own country and
  were made to do all the work themselves.
• 2 groups, the Indian National Congress and the
  Muslim league, were formed in response to the
  growing sense of discord in 1906.
• These groups started to make demands on the
  British government for more control over their
  own country.

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Imperialism in Southeast Asia
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• The French control Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia
• They use direct colonial management
• the French themselves filled all important
  positions in the government bureaucracy.
• They did not encourage local industry. Four
  times as much land was devoted to rice
  production.
• However, the peasants consumption of rice
  decreased because much of the rice was exported.
  Anger over this reduction set the stage for
  Vietnamese resistance against the French.

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Impact of Colonization in Southeast Asia

• Europeans industrialized the region
• Sanitation and education improved
• Many people migrated to the region from Asia to
  work on the plantations and in the mines
• The region became a melting pot of Hindus,
  Muslims, Christians, and Buddhists.
• cultural changes often led to racial and
  religious clashes that are still seen today.

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Europeans Control China

• China believed itself to be the center of the
  universe and believed all others in the world to
  be barbarians.
• China refused to open all but one port to trade
  with Westerners. European merchants were
  desperate to find a product that China wanted.
  Opium turned out to be that magic product.

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• China went to war to try and stop the continued
  importation of opium into its country and the
  British navy beat them down.
• Opium War of 1839, Opium War 1857-1860
• The Treaty of Nanking marked the first of many
  treaties with China in which it would lose more
  power over its own governmental policies.

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• Britons had extraterritorial rights meaning they
  did not have to obey chinese laws at the sea
  ports. After the war China had to pay damages to
  the British for the opium that was destroyed.
• Other nations established spheres of influence in
  the nation as well. In essence china was cut up
  and split btwn Britain, Japan, Russia, France,
  and Germany. However China technically remained
  free. It was not carved into colonies.
• US proposed the Open Door Policy in which
  Chinas doors are open to US and European
  merchants.

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• Nationalism does begin to grow as a result of the
  humiliation China faces.
• Taiping Rebellion Chinese lead by Hong
  overthrow the Qing Dynasty and try to establish a
  Heavenly Kingdom of Great Peace
• Unfortunately, the Taiping government is
  overthrown by infighting, Qing , British, and
  French troops
• A secret group called the Society of Righteous
  and Harmonious Fists forms to rid the country of
  the foreign devils. the secret society members
  are known as boxers and they lay siege to a
  European city.
• This is known as the Boxer rebellion. They are
  eventually crushed by an army comprised of troops
  from the European countries with a sphere of
  influence.

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Japan and Imperialism

• The Japanese refused to trade with any European
  powers until 1853 when Commodore Matthew Perry
  asked the Togogawa Shogun for free trade with
  the US

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• Perry asked by shooting
• the guns on his ship.
• The Japanese agree to
• free trade in the Treaty of
• Kanagawa
• Japan becomes like China

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Meji Era

• In 1867 Mutsuhito took control of the government
  and modernized Japan
• 1890 Japan is the strongest military power in
  Asia
• The Japanese abolish extraterritorial rights
• Japan became a Imperial power and takes over
  Taiwan, Korea, and Manchuria.

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Russo-Japanese War

• 1904 Russia and Japan fight over Manchuria
• In 1905, Japan and Russia began peace
  negotiations.
• U.S. president Theodore Roosevelt helped draft
  the treaty
• This agreement, the Treaty of Portsmouth,
• Gave Japan the captured territories. It also
  forced Russia to withdraw from Manchuria and to
  stay out of Korea.

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