Imperialism, 1850 - 1914

What is Imperialism?• As European countries

industrialized, they needed new markets and raw materials to further

improve their economies. (output=wealth!)

• In simplest terms, it is the “domination and

exploitation of weaker states by stronger ones.”

New Imperialism?• Old imperialism was when European nations established colonies in

the Americas, India, and SE Asia between 1500

and 1800.• New imperialism was

when industrialized nations focused on Asia

and Africa to expand their territories between

1870 and 1914.• Prior to WWI

Justification:(AKA reasons, rationale)

• Social Darwinism!• Moral duty to pass on

European progress to the less-advanced non-

Europeans• (White Man’s Burden)• Chance to “westernize”

people

• Christianity!• Best way to end slavery

is by helping them

Social Darwinism• Applying Darwin’s theory of

“survival of the fittest” to human society

• It was natural for stronger nations to dominate weaker ones.

White Man’s Burden

• Poem penned by Rudyard Kipling

offered justification for Imperialism

• Wrote it to remind Americans of their moral obligation to

educate lesser peoples

• It is the duty of all white imperialists!

East India Company• Since 1600s, East India

Company controlled Bombay, Madras, &

Calcutta to conduct trade ->

• British East India Company governs directly the best

territory in India• The company even had its own army of Indian soldiers

(sepoys)

Colonial Policies• The British viewed

Indians as second class citizens.

• Members of the Indian Vaisya and Shudra

castes were servants to British officers and

their families.• Often showed disregard for Hindu and Muslim culture,

exploit workers

Why was India valuable?• India was “Jewel in the

Crown”- most valuable of Britain’s colonies

• Valuable markets for British goods,

supplied raw materials for industrialized

economy• Plantation cash-crops

(tea, indigo, coffee, cotton, OPIUM)

Sepoy Mutiny• Cause - began when Indian

soldiers of the East India Company (sepoys) were

jailed for refusing to accept rifle cartridges that they

believed were greased with beef and pork fat

• Cows are sacred to Hindus, Muslims cannot eat pork• Indians already mad at

racism

Sepoy Mutiny• Consequence - sepoys

rebelled and march on Delhi, East India

Company takes over 1 year to restore order.• British government takes over control of

India from E.I.Co.• India now governed

by a British viceroy, with authority from

London

Berlin Conference• 1884, in order to avoid

conflict among themselves, European

leaders from 14 countries met in Berlin, Germany

• Set up rules for colonizing Africa

• Divided Africa with little to no regard for the people who lived

there!

Boer War• Dutch settlers (Boer/Afrikaner) settled in South

Africa 1st, and fought Zulus for control of

territory, 1700s• British annexed the

Boer republics = Fight over land, and

British win 3 year war, despite heavy

losses• Leaves feeling of

hatred in region

Resistance?

• Africans -> spears• Europeans -> guns

• Enough said.• Africans that were armed

with European guns (Menelik II in Ethiopia)

were able to resist European domination

African Settlement

• In 1850, most of Africa had been free

•70 years later, only Liberia and Ethiopia were free.

China under the Qing • Qing - Manchus from N.

China conquer Ming Dynasty

• Ethnocentrism - looked down on all foreigners - little interest in trading

with the West• 1760 - restricted all foreign trade to city of Canton (Guangzhou)

• England was trading silver for Chinese tea - specie drain (running

out of silver)

Qing Dynasty• Had a Ministry of

Punishment to deal with treatment of foreigners• Westerners hated it• British send Lord George McCartney to

Qing emperor Qianlong to try and expand trade• NO - England has nothing that China

wants (ethnocentrism!!!!)

Opium?• Started to trade opium

for tea - stopped specie drain

• Opium is addictive, and Chinese get hooked - Prohibition Edicts in

1800 and 1813 make it illegal in China

• But by 1835 - 12 million hooked, & England

continues to trade it

Opium War! • Cause - British

merchants ignored China’s requests to stop trading opium

• China confiscates a shipment and dump it into river, take a British trade official

hostage• British are pushed

from Canton

Its on!

• British iron-clad ship Nemesis blockades

Canton, other ports, then Nanjing (capital)

• Consequences - China suffers humiliating defeat• China forced to sign the

Treaty of Nanjing

Treaty of Nanjing

• 1) Treaty Ports - China forced to open new ports to trade

• 2) fixed tariffs - low cost to trade• 3) “most favored nation” status• 4) Hong Kong - British property• 5) indemnity - China must pay in

silver the cost of lost opium• Other nations followed +

extraterritoriality

Effects of Opium War

• Extraterritoriality: Westerners could

commit crimes with impunity

• Western countries never set up jails or

courts• Chinese grow to resent

foreigners, opium trade they introduced

Reaction to Europeans:

1st Take out the Qing!

• Taiping Rebellion - 1851-64 - led by Hong Xiuquan, mili. & social movement

tried to overthrow Qing & estab. “Heavenly Kingdom of Great Peace” -

capture Nanjing in 1853• Qing counterattacks backed by Western

tech. drive them out after 11 years - 20 million die

Boxer Rebellion

• China has internal problems - food

production can’t keep up with pop.

• Widespread hunger• Poor peasants resented

privileged foreigners, Chinese Christians

• Rebelled against Qing rulers, foreigners,

missionairies

Boxer Rebellion• 1900-1901

• Slogan:“Revive the Qing, destroy the foreign”

• Called Boxers due to martial art practice

• Western military force put down the rebellion• Though defeated,

Chinese nationalism will emerge

Chinese Nationalism• Sun-Yatsen (Sun Yixian)• Led a secret movement

within the Chinese military to overthrow the Qing - succeeds in

1911 (Wuchang Uprising)

• His Revolutionary Alliance becomes

Guomingdang (or the Nationalists)

Sun Yat-sen• Wanted to end foreign

domination• Form a representative

govt• Create economic

security for the Chinese

• Sun becomes President of New Republic of

China, secures backing by western countries

• End of Dynastic Cycle in China