The New ImperialismMiller, AP Euro

Old Imperialism

16th and 17th century european colonialism Africa → trading posts and slaves Asia → cooperative trading agreements “The New World” → The exception

The Americas are colonized by the Spanish, English, French, and Portuguese

Old Imperialism

Imperialism in decline by the early 19th century Economic / political liberalism was largely against it

political oppression mercantilist trade

The British had the largest overseas empire Hesitant to expand farther

American Revolution still looms largeCanada increasing discontent

British Empire

North America Hesitant to expand farther

American Revolution still looms large

Canada become autonomous in 1867 Still in control of much of the Caribbean

Africa Hold Cape Colony and several trading port along

the coast1820s-1835ish → constant friction with the Boers

British Empire

India East India Company controlled 1857, Indian troop rebel

Accuse BEIC of abuses

1858 British take direct control

China Trade agreement

Opium from India → China in exchange for tea

British Empire

China Trade agreement

Opium from India → China in exchange for tea

1842 Opium WarsChina tried to stop the tradeChina crushed by British forces

Brits get Hong Kong and reestablish the opium trade

The Latin American Problem

1804 -1824 = period of constant upheaval Rise of nationalism and liberalism

Portugal loses BrazilFrance loses HaitiSpain lost everything except Cuba ans Puerto Rico

French Empire

By the end of the Napoleanic Wars France has lost almost all of its overseas empire Caribbean: Guadeloupe, Martinique, and French Guadeloupe, Martinique, and French

Guiana Guiana Africa: Several trading posts and influence in EgyptAfrica: Several trading posts and influence in Egypt

1830: France gets control in Algeria and 1830: France gets control in Algeria and IndochinaIndochina

Dutch Empire

What empire?

Some trading routes still open

Some island colonies in the East Indies

Russian Expansion

Russia continues to expand in the 19th century Russian expansion came at the cost of the Russian expansion came at the cost of the

crumbling Ottoman Empire along the Black Sea, a crumbling Ottoman Empire along the Black Sea, a power vacuum in Central Asia, and Chinese power vacuum in Central Asia, and Chinese weakness along the North Pacific Coast.weakness along the North Pacific Coast.

Pre-19c European Trade with Africa

IndustrialRevolutionIndustrialRevolution

Source forRaw

Materials

Source forRaw

Materials

Markets forFinishedGoods

Markets forFinishedGoods

EuropeanNationalismEuropean

Nationalism

MissionaryActivity

MissionaryActivity

Military& NavalBases

Military& NavalBases

EuropeanMotives

For Colonization

EuropeanMotives

For Colonization

Places toDump

Unwanted/Excess Popul.

Places toDump

Unwanted/Excess Popul.

Soc. & Eco.Opportunities

Soc. & Eco.Opportunities

HumanitarianReasons

HumanitarianReasons

EuropeanRacism

EuropeanRacism

“WhiteMan’s

Burden”

“WhiteMan’s

Burden”

SocialDarwinism

SocialDarwinism

The New Imperialism

European Racism• Social Darwinism

– The most extreme ideological expression of nationalism and imperialism

– Herbert Spencer (1820-1903)• Survival of the fittest i.e. the conquered

are put in their rightful place

• In Social Statics (1850) and other works, Spencer argued that through competition social evolution would automatically produce prosperity and personal liberty unparalleled in human history.

European Racism

• “White Man's Burden”

– Ideas of racial superiority gave Europeans the conviction that natural laws destined them to lead “the civilizing mission.”

• Missionaries sought to convert “heathen” unbelievers in faraway lands

• Rudyard Kipling

– Beloved children's author and reviled poet of British imperialism.

Social Darwinism's Long Shadow

• It promoted the military build-up that led to World War I.

• It would become the core doctrine of the Nazi party.

• Provided a “scientific” and “ethical” justification for genocide in the 20th century.

Missionary Work and Exploration

• Middle class religious revivalism and elements of Social Darwinism lead to an emphasis on spreading Christianity to Africa and Asia

– Dr. David Livingstone• 1st White man to do humanitarian

& religious work in south and central Africa

• H.M. Stanley– Found Livingston– Sought aid of king of Belgium to

dominate the Congo region

The Scramble for Africa• Belgian Congo

– 1879: Stanley, as directed by Leopold II, established trading stations in the Congo and signs “treaties” with various African chiefs

– 1884-1885: Area becomes the Congo Free State after the Berlin Conference

– Belgian stronghold in the Congo calls into question the fate of Black Africans

Leopold's Brutality

1908: After hearing about the atrocities, the Belgian Parliament takes control of the Congo

The Congo was a personal colony of King Leopold II

5-8 Million Victims! (50% of Population)

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

Berlin Conference 1884-85 • Establishes new rules for

conquest in Africa

– Can't claim territory unless you actually control it.

– Slavery / Slave trade terminated

• Purpose: to prevent conflicts between European nations

• Sponsored by Bismarck and Jules Ferry

– Playing Britain and France off each other

British Africa

• 1869, Suez Canal influenced Britain’s interest in Egypt

– Canal linked Mediterranean with Red Sea, shortened trip from Europe to Indian Ocean; no need to sail around southern tip of Africa

– 1882, Egyptian government appeared unstable; British occupied Egypt to protect British interests in Suez Canal

• 1883-1956: Britain declares Egypt a protectorate to ensure British access to canal

– At the time Egypt was still a part of the Ottoman Empire

Britain Pushes South

• Sudan

– 1898: Battle of Omdurman

• Gen. Horatio Kitchener

• Machine guns used; 11,000 Sudanese die

– 28 Briton's die

– 1898: Fashoda Incident• France and Britain nearly go

to war, but France backs down (Dreyfus Affair)

Cecil Rhodes (1853-1902)• British businessman and politician in

southern Africa• Made a fortune from African diamond

mines• Established South African Company

– Land later became Rhodesia (Zimbabwe)

• Prime minister of Cape Colony (1890-1896)– Wanted British control over South

Africa– Wanted Cape-to-Cairo Railroad

• Architect of British imperialism in southern Africa– Great Britain became leading

colonial power in southern Africa

Britain Pushes South

• South Africa

– By1890- British control Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, and Zanzibar

• Tensions with the Boers

– 1877: British annex Transvaal

– 1883: Boers fight British and get the Transvaal back

• Paul Kruger becomes President

– 1880's: Gold and diamonds discovered the the Transvaal

Britain Pushes South

• Boer War (1899-1902)

– Cecil Rhodes is PM of Cape Colony

• “Cape to Cairo” dream of British domination in Africa

– Diamonds and Gold found in the Transvaal prompts war

– Kruger Telegram (1902)

• Wllhelm II sends telegrams congratulating Boers on British defeat

– British crush Boers by 1910

• Union of South Africa formed

French Africa

• Algeria

– France has had control since 1830 and continues control until the 1960s.

• Tunisia

• 1881: France annexes Tunisia in an effort to stop Tunisian raid into Algeria

• Britain had claims on Tunisia, but gave them up during the Berlin Conference

French Africa

• French control

– By 1914, France controls 3,250,000 square miles in Africa• 14 times the area of France• North Congo Basin, Somaliland, Madagascar, and

Morocco

• British recognize French control in French West Africa in exchange for French recognition of British control of Egypt and Sudan

German Africa

• Before 1884, Germany not interested in colonization

• Bismarck more concerned about Russia

• Berlin Conference guaranteed Germany a major role in Africa

• 1884: Cameroon and Togoland

• 1885: Tanganyika becomes German East Africa (now Burundi, Rwanda, and Tanzania)

• Control parts of Southwest Africa (now Namibia)

Africans in Africa• By the time of the First World War (1914)

• Only 2 independent African countries• Abyssinia (Ethiopia)

• Only nation to retain independence by matching European firepower

• 1889, Emperor Menelik II modernized nation, army

• 1895, Italian forces invaded over treaty dispute

• Menelik’s forces defeated Italians at the Battle of Adwa

• Liberia• Formed by freed slaves under

auspices of the United States government

Africans in Africa

• The Zulu

• Zulu people resisted colonization more than 50 years

• Zulu leader Shaka built strong kingdom by subduing several neighboring peoples

• 1879, British invaded Zulu territory, annexed kingdom as colony

Shaka Zulu 1785-1828

European Colonization/Decolonization Patterns

Berlin Conference of 1884-85

Africa in 1880

Africa in 1914