Imperialism

Motives of Imperialism

Economic interestsMilitary MotivesReligious Goals: ChristianizationSocial Darwinism

A sense of racial superiorityThis applied the rules of natural selection and

survival of the fittest to human societies.

THE WHITE MAN’S BURDEN

Poem written in 1899 by Rudyard Kipling

It outlined the idea that it was a duty of the western countries to help less advantaged peoples Included ideas about sharing Religion,

technology & medicine.

The Partition of Africa1800s, Britain, France, Germany, and

other European powers began a scramble for African territories

Within 20 years, the Europeans had carved up the continent and dominated millions of Africans

Africa in the Early 1800sHuge continent, hundreds of

languages, varied governments

North Africa

Sahara and lands along Mediterranean.

Mostly Muslim…north dominated by Ottoman Empire

Usman dan Fodio helps establish a strong Muslim state in northern Nigeria…inspired other reforms in West Africa

East Africa Mostly Islamic…port cities (Mombasa)

profited from trade, often slaves

Southern Africa The Zulu Kingdom led by Shaka dominated

the region. 1814- The Boers (Dutch) were migrating

north to avoid the new British rule. Fighting ensued between the Zulus and Boers.

Impact of the Slave Trade

1800s- Euro. Slave trade was outlawed

East Africa slave trade continuedSierra Leone (British) and Liberia

(USA) drew freed slaves

European Contact Increases

1500s-1700s Europeans traded with Africans along the coast…Africans wanted to trade, but not house them. Resistance, geography, and disease kept

Euros from moving inland…medical advances and river steamships changed that in the 1800s

Explorers Advance Into Africa’s InteriorExplorers set out to map Africa and

explored the Niger, Congo, and Nile rivers.

They were fascinated by the geography, but had little understanding of the people

Missionaries Follow Explorers Catholic and Protestant missionaries built

schools and medical clinics…took a paternalistic view of Africans

Livingston Blazes a Trail The most famous was Dr. Livingstone More sympathy and less biased view, and

opposed the slave trade…though trade and Christianity would rob Africans of tradition and culture He disappeared into the continent for over thirty

years and when he was finally tracked down by the Journalist Henry Stanley the famous quote “Dr. Livingstone, I presume?” was coined.

A Scramble for Colonies

King Leopold II of Belgium opens up trade with Congo.

Spoke of a civilizing mission, but privately dreamed of conquest

Leopold inspired other Euro leaders as Britain, France, and Germany were pressing rival claims to the region.

Berlin Conference

Wanting to keep pace with Belgium, France, Germany and Great Britain begin racing to colonize the continent of Africa.

1884- A country could not claim any part of Africa without first setting up a government office there…leads to direct ruled colonies

20 years the entire continent was claimed

Horrors in the Congo

Leopold and the Belgians exploited the riches of the Congo

African workers were savagely beaten or mutilated as villages were brutalized.

France Extends Its InfluenceTook a giant share…invaded and

conquered Algeria, Tunisia, West and Central Africa, etc.

Britain Takes Its Share

Scattered empire…parts of West and East Africa, defeated the Boers (formerly Dutch) to control South Africa..gold is discovered in Boer lands

Others Join the ScramblePortugal, Italy, Germany all took

shares

Africans Resist Imperialism Europeans did face armed resistance Algerians battled French, Zulus battled

British, Yao and Heroro battled Germans in East Africa

Ethiopia Survives The Ethiopian leader Menelik II had

modernized his country…when Italy invaded in 1896 the Ethiopians crushed the invaders

Ethiopia and Liberia were the only African nation to preserve independence

A New African Elite Emerges

A western educated elite emerged. These middle class Africans would

lead independence movements in the 1900s

12.3-European Claims in Muslim Regions STRESSES IN MUSLIMS REGIONS All three Muslim regions were in decline (Ottoman

(in the Middle East), Safavids (in Persia), and the Mughals (in India) due to corruption and lack of government control

In the Sudan, Muhammad Ahmad, claimed he was the Mahdi (savior) or the faith, and he and his followers resisted British expansion into the region

The Wahhabi movement in Arabia worked to recapture the teachings of Muhammad

The Muslim empires also faced the threat of Western Imperialism

Problems for the Ottoman Empire Internal nationalist revolts broke out in N.

Africa, E. Europe, and the Middle East (the Balkans, Greeks, Serbs, Bulgarians, and Romanians gained independence)

European countries sought to seize former Ottoman lands…Russia wanted access to the Meditereanean Sea

Some Ottoman rulers westernized (education,medical) (Young Turks overthrew the Sultan of Turkey)

Armenian Genocide- Muslim Turks killed the Christian Armenians out of fears they were supporting the Russian plans against the Ottomans

Egypt Seeks to Modernize Egypt was a semi-independent province of

the Ottoman Empire Muhammad Ali (“father of modern Egypt”)

introduced reforms-political, economic, landholding, and agriculture

M.A. successors came under foreign control Egypt owed high interest loans to

Europeans…Egypt paid off debts by selling shares of the Suez Canal to the British

After a revolt, Britain made Egypt a protectorate

Persia and the European PowersThe Qajar Shahs (1794-1925)

attempted to modernize (telegraph and RRs, and liberal constitution)

Great Britain and Russian each established a sphere of influence

OIL!!!- European interest intensified with this discovery in Iran

12.4-THE BRITISH TAKE OVER INDIAEAST INDIAN COMPANY AND REBELLION 1800s- British East India Company controlled 3/5s

of India The British exploited Indian diversity: encouraged

competition and disunity among rival provinces, however they did bring western education and legal procedures

Sepoys- Indian soldiers: forced to fight overseas and told to bite bullets before loading…bullets were greased in animal fats (cows- Hindu/ Pigs- Muslims)…those who refused were imprisoned

Sepoy Rebellion- Early successes were crushed by the British…the British responded by sending more troops and exerting more control

British took over for B.E.I.C.

Impact of British Colonial Rule The British parliament set up a system of

colonial rule- British Raj A viceroy governed in the name of the

queen. Indian was the “brightest jewel” in the crown

of the empire India faced deforestation, over population,

and famine Benefits- peace and order to the country

side, railroads, postal communication

Different Views of Culture1- Some Indians welcomed the

western ways2- Others felt the answer lay in their

religion (Hinduism or Islam)Ram Mohun Roy combined both views

He promoted Indian cultural pride while seeing the value in Western education… is often call the founder of Indian nationalism

Condemned purdah (isolation of Indian women in separate quarters

Indian Nationalism Grows

Western educated Indians led nationalist movements

Indian National Congress- supported Western- modernization but desired self rule…peaceful

Muslim League- Muslims were weary of the Hindu dominated INC Soon were talking of a separate Muslim

state

China and the New Imperialism China experienced a favorable balance of trade (export

more` than import) for centuries…this shifted towards negative due to the influence of western powers

China’s restrictions of foreign trades gave them a trade surplus (traded Chinese goods for silver and gold, imported less than export)…this would reverse in the 1800s and 1900s…trade deficit- import more than export

Opium War- GB traded opium (from India) for Chinese tea…soon many addicted Chinese started buying opium with silver, disrupting the economy China outlawed opium, executed drug dealers and

demanded that stop the trade…they refused China fought a losing war with British

Launching Reform EffortsOpen Door Policy- keep Chinese trade open

for all countries, equally…protect US trading right with China

Guang Xu- 100 Days of Reform- modernize civil service exams, streamline government, encourage industry

Qing Dynasty FallsSun Yixian- President of the new Chinese

republic after the fall of the Qing Dynasty`