An Age of Western Imperialism

An Age of Western An Age of Western ImperialismImperialism

1870-19141870-1914

• Imperialism: the domination by one country of the political, economic, or cultural life of another country or region.

• By the late 19th century, Western powers had taken over large tracts of land primarily in Africa & Asia

Pre-19c European Imperialism

“The Scramble

for Africa”

IndustrialRevolutionIndustrialRevolution

Source For RawMaterials

Source For RawMaterials

Markets forFinishedGoods

Markets forFinishedGoods

EuropeanNationalism,BoostPrestige

EuropeanNationalism,BoostPrestige

MissionaryActivityMissionaryActivity

Military& NavalBases

Military& NavalBases

EuropeanMotives

For Imperialism

EuropeanMotives

For Imperialism

Places toDumpUnwanted/Excess Popul.

Places toDumpUnwanted/Excess Popul.

Soc. & Eco.OpportunitiesSoc. & Eco.Opportunities

HumanitarianReasonsHumanitarianReasons

EuropeanRacismEuropeanRacism

“WhiteMan’sBurden”

“WhiteMan’sBurden”

SocialDarwinismSocialDarwinism

• The growing industrialization of Europe required the Europeans to look to Africa & Asia for the raw materials needed.– Copper– Manganese– Rubber– Guano– Gold– Diamonds

• They could also dump European surplus goods on foreign markets.

• Now that’s

a big pile of sh...

tinking crap!

-Peruvian

Guano Mine

Diamond Mines

Raw Diamonds

The “White Man’s Burden”

Rudyard Kipling

The “White Man’s Burden”?

Methods of ImperialismMethods of Imperialism

• Superior Weaponry & Technology– Steam powered warships– Railroads – Rapid firing breech loading rifle– Maxim gun/machine guns

• adds to militaristic tension between competing European nations – Arms races & alliance-building

• Maxim gun

Methods of ImperialismMethods of Imperialism

• Well organized governments & powerful armies & navies

• Improved medical knowledge– Medicines like Quinine

(for Malaria) help Europeans

survive deadly tropical diseases

Forms of Imperial ControlForms of Imperial Control

• Colonies:– Send out governors & officials to set up

colonial bureaucracy– Try to transform the society into westernized

culture

ColoniesColonies

Direct Rule Indirect Rule

•France’s method•Send officials

•Impose French culture on the population•To create French

provinces

•British method•Use local rulers to

govern•Encourage children of the local ruling class to attend school in Britain

Types of ColoniesTypes of Colonies• Settlement Colonies: places where large

numbers of Europeans & their families moved to start new lives (i.e. Australia, New Zealand, Algeria)– “white dominions”– “contested settler colonies”

• Dependent Colonies: a few European officials ruled over the native populations – usually because of a large number of European soldiers (i.e. Angola)

Spheres of InfluenceSpheres of Influence

• Areas where the Europeans did not technically own the land or run the government, but because of economic forces and often troops, European powers were able to control the area “behind the scenes.”

• Best example = China

European Imperial ClaimsEuropean Imperial Claims

• British:– Eastern &

Southern Africa– The Middle East– India

“The sun never sets on the British Empire.”

Cecil Rhodes (1853-1902)

“The Colossus of Rhodes”

European Imperial ClaimsEuropean Imperial Claims

• French:– Western Africa– Indo-China (Vietnam)– Syria

European Imperial ClaimsEuropean Imperial Claims

• Belgium:– Belgian Congo– A “low point” in Imperialism– King Leopold II – 1885– Brutal imperial cruelty

Harvesting Rubber

Punishing “Lazy” Workers

5-8 Million Victims! (50% of Popul.)

It is blood-curdling to see them (the soldiers) returning with the hands of the slain, and to find the hands of young children amongst the bigger ones evidencing their bravery...The rubber from this district has cost hundreds of lives, and the scenes I have witnessed, while unable to help the oppressed, have been almost enough to make me wish I were dead... This rubber traffic is steeped in blood, and if the natives were to rise and sweep every white person on the Upper Congo into eternity, there would still be left a fearful balance to their credit. -- Belgian Official

Belgium’s Stranglehold on the Congo

Leopold’s Conscience??

European Imperial ClaimsEuropean Imperial Claims

• Italy:– Ethiopia– Somalia– Libya

European Imperial ClaimsEuropean Imperial Claims

• Germany:– Southwest Africa– Cameroon– Togo– German East Africa

European Imperial ClaimsEuropean Imperial Claims

• Portugal:– Angola– Mozambique

• Spain:– Rio de Oro

American Imperial ClaimsAmerican Imperial Claims

• Philippines

• Hawaii

• Guam

• Puerto Rico

Uncle Sam: “The Colossusof the Pacific” (A Parody)

Africa

1890

Resistance to ImperialismResistance to ImperialismExamples:• Sepoy Mutiny (India; 1857)• Zulu Wars (Battle of Isandhlwana, South Africa; 1879)• Mahdist Revolt (Sudan; 1881-1899)• Maji Maji Uprising (German East Africa; 1905-06)• Boxer Rebellion (China; 1900)• Philippine-American War (1899-1902)

Impacts of ImperialismImpacts of Imperialism

• Many of today’s problems stem from imperialism – ethnic fighting in Africa & the Middle East

• Intense competition for colonies resulted in only two independent African nations at the turn of the century

• European rivalries contributed to tensions that led to the outbreak of World War I

• Social Darwinism in action – paves the way for future ethnic & racial policies