The Age of New

Imperialism

The Essential Question

To what extent is the legacy of European colonizers responsible for current economic, social, and political developments in former colonies?

Overview

What’s imperialism? Why study imperialism? Motives for imperialism The rise of the new imperialism

WHAT’S IMPERIALISM?

Imperialism

Imperialism: the takeover of a country or territory by a stronger nation with the intent of dominating the political, economic, and social life of the people of that nation

The Age of “New Imperialism”: Definitions

“New imperialism”: the expansion of European political influence and control over most of Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America that took place from 1850 to 1914

WHY STUDY IMPERIALISM?

Why should we care?

Understanding roots of contemporary global politics and economy

Source of many political conflicts Global economic inequality is

partly the result of this era

The Rise of Global Inequality The evolution of the “lopsided

world” 1750: standard of living in Europe

no higher than the rest of the world 1970: average person in wealthy

countries has 25x income of poorest countries

Gaps in food, clothing, health, education

The Rise of Global Inequality

1970

GNP per capita map

Two explanations

A) The West used science, technology, capitalist organization, and its enlightened philosophy to create its wealth and greater physical well-being

B) The West used its political and economic power to steal much of its riches, continuing even into the 20th century, its aggressive colonialism

Percentage of Five Major Regions/Continents Controlled by US and

Europe in 1900

13

Region Percentage Controlled

Africa 90.4

Polynesia 98.9

Asia 56.5

Australia 100

Americas 27.2

Population of Colonies and Continents Controlled by European Nations by 1939

Country Population of Colonies (in millions)

Great Britain 470

France 65

Belgium 13

Netherlands 66

Germany (1914) 13

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Examples of Former Colonies

• Belgium: Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Burundi

• Britain: Sudan, Botswana, Kenya, Somalia, Ghana, Egypt, Ghana, Nigeria, Zambia, Malawi, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Namibia, Uganda, Palestine, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Malaysia

• France: Algeria, Cameroon, Chad, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Senegal, Madagascar, Lebanon, Syria, Cambodia, Vietnam

• Germany: Rwanda, Tanzania, Ghana, • Netherlands: Angola, South Africa, Senegal,

Taiwan

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MOTIVES FOR IMPERIALISM

Economic Competition Industrial Revolution:

increased output of machine-made goods that began in England during 18th century

New markets Raw materials

National Pride

“All great nations in the fullness of their strength have desired to set their mark upon barbarian lands and those who fail to participate in this great rivalry will play a pitiable role in the time to come”—German historian, Heinrich von Treitschke

Racism Theory of Social

Darwinism Charles Darwin’s

“Origin of Species” “survival of the fittest” applied to social change

Europeans thought they had the right and duty to bring progress to other nations

Religion Push for expansion

from missionaries Convert native

populations to Christianity

Wanted to “civilize” and “westernize” the colonized

THE RISE OF THE NEW IMPERIALISM

Africa Before Colonialism Ethnic and linguistic

groups Large empires to

independent villages Europeans confined to

coasts European travel to

interior virtually impossible

Large networks of African trade: gold, ivory

Technology Enables Imperialism

Technology: Maxim gun, 1889 –

first machine gun Steam engineeasier

travel; railroads & cablescommunication among colonies

Medicine: malaria and quinine (popularized after 1870)

Things Fall Apart

Internal Factor: Africa’s huge variety of languages

and cultures discouraged unity Wars over land, trade, water Europeans learned to play these

groups against each other

The Berlin Conference Date: 1884-1885 Conference between European

countries to peaceably divide Africa (avoiding a war between whites)

No Africans invited European nations claimed regions

where they had government presence and control

Started the “Scramble for Africa”

The Scramble for Africa Roughly 1881-

1914 Fierce

competition among European nations to colonize Africa

By 1914, only Liberia and Ethiopia were free

Exit Ticket

On an index card with PROPER HEADING, write 3 big ideas that a student who missed today’s lecture should know.

Congo Overview Notes

King Leopold II

How did one man end up controlling most of central Africa as his territory?

King Leopold II

Belgium Desperately want

overseas empire Central Africa 1876:

Conference of explorers and geographers

Exploring the Congo Explorer: Henry

Morton Stanley Stanley hired by

King Leopold II of Belgium

Signed 450 treaties with local chiefs

Rivalry between Leopold and France

The Berlin Conference Few participants ever

been to Africa Henry Morton Stanley is

an advantage Leopold manipulates

events US recognizes Leopold’s

control Berlin Act: Leopold gains

private control over land 80x size of Belgium

Leopold’s Reign: Broken Promises Central Africa was a

free trade zone All merchants can

trade equally Leopold will create

just and stable government

Businessmen and missionaries can do work to “civilize” Central Africa

Broken Promise

Post-Independence Congo Independence in 1960 Mobutu from 1960-1985:

88,000 miles of road to 12,000

Self-sufficientmalnutrition

Kleptocracy 1984: $4 billion debt

Even today… Democratic Republic

of Congo suffers from: Warlords Systematic rape Wide-scale killing Human rights

violations