Industrialization and Imperialism: The Making of the European Global Order

AP World History

Industrialization leads to Imperialism

Imperialism is the domination of one country by another: politically, economically, and socially. The age of imperialism ran from the 1800’s until WWI. European countries were in competition with one another: England, France, Germany, Spain, Belgium, and Portugal were all seeking new colonies. Why?

1. Industrial Revolution

– Need for raw materials– Desire for exotic goods– New markets for products

2. Opportunity– Citizens search for

new opportunities– Desire to “strike it rich”– Make a name

3. Civilizing-- Missionaries: spread Christianity -- Make colonials more “civilized”-- Change people: customs,

language, beliefs, traditions

Land Empires Shift to Asia

• Dutch and British East India Companies

• Dutch drawn into conflict and gained land on Java

• British drawn into conflicts in India and gained land

– Seven Years War in India (British EIC defeat French at Plassey)

– Sepoys and local rule

– India became goods outlet

supplier of raw materials

European Society In India and Java

• Asian societies left in place

• Europeans highest class in hierarchy

• Accommodated to local culture

• Often intermarried

• Established Western schools

• Colonial middle-class developed-would later seek control of their own destiny

Colonial Social Reform

• Corruption led to administrative reforms– Sepoy Rebellion 1865 ended EIC rule– End of Mughal Empire– New British Raj

• Religious revival worked to end abuses and slave trade• Indians excluded from administration• British sought to remake Indian society along Western

lines– Ended sati– Western education and

language was key

Industrial Rivalries 1870-1914

• Economic and industrial rivalries-England dominates

• New arms race and alliances develop

– Railroads

– Machine gun

– Steam ships

✓All contribute to European dominance

European Colonial World

• “Tropical Dependencies”– Africa, Asia and S. Pacific

• Few Europeans rule many indigenous people

• “Settlement Colonies”1. White dominions

• Canada, Australia

2. Contested settler Colonies• S. Africa, Algeria, N. Zealand, Kenya, Hawaii

– Clashed over control and differences

Social Relations/Economic Changes

• Segregated

• Racial superiority

• Hierarchy

• “White Man’s Burden”-Kipling

• Harsher working conditions

• Dependency

• Pushed inland

South Africa

• Afrikaners resisted British effort to end slavery

• Moved inland into Bantu areas

• Instability leads to British involvement

• Afrikaners independent until gold and diamonds found

• British defeat Afrikaners (1902)

• but place native people

under Afrikaner control

Pacific

• New Zealand

– Maori devastated by disease, cultural disruption and warfare

– Farming, herding introduced-exported timber

– Faced extinction

– Converted to Christianity

– Multiracial society

Pacific

• Hawaii

• James Cook 1770’s

• Kamehameha accepted Western influence

• Royalty takes on European ways

• Protestant Christian conversion, schools, customs

• Disease decimates

• Americans and Asians arrive-annexed 1872