an age of western imperialism
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An Age of Western Imperialism. 1870-1914. Imperialism : the domination by one country of the political, economic, or cultural life of another country or region. By the late 19 th century, Western powers had taken over large tracts of land primarily in Africa & Asia. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
An Age of Western An Age of Western ImperialismImperialism
1870-19141870-1914
• Imperialism: the domination by one country of the political, economic, or cultural life of another country or region.
• By the late 19th century, Western powers had taken over large tracts of land primarily in Africa & Asia
Pre-19c European Imperialism
“The Scramble
for Africa”
IndustrialRevolutionIndustrialRevolution
Source For RawMaterials
Source For RawMaterials
Markets forFinishedGoods
Markets forFinishedGoods
EuropeanNationalism,BoostPrestige
EuropeanNationalism,BoostPrestige
MissionaryActivityMissionaryActivity
Military& NavalBases
Military& NavalBases
EuropeanMotives
For Imperialism
EuropeanMotives
For Imperialism
Places toDumpUnwanted/Excess Popul.
Places toDumpUnwanted/Excess Popul.
Soc. & Eco.OpportunitiesSoc. & Eco.Opportunities
HumanitarianReasonsHumanitarianReasons
EuropeanRacismEuropeanRacism
“WhiteMan’sBurden”
“WhiteMan’sBurden”
SocialDarwinismSocialDarwinism
• The growing industrialization of Europe required the Europeans to look to Africa & Asia for the raw materials needed.– Copper– Manganese– Rubber– Guano– Gold– Diamonds
• They could also dump European surplus goods on foreign markets.
• Now that’s
a big pile of sh...
tinking crap!
-Peruvian
Guano Mine
Diamond Mines
Raw Diamonds
The “White Man’s Burden”
Rudyard Kipling
The “White Man’s Burden”?
Methods of ImperialismMethods of Imperialism
• Superior Weaponry & Technology– Steam powered warships– Railroads – Rapid firing breech loading rifle– Maxim gun/machine guns
• adds to militaristic tension between competing European nations – Arms races & alliance-building
• Maxim gun
Methods of ImperialismMethods of Imperialism
• Well organized governments & powerful armies & navies
• Improved medical knowledge– Medicines like Quinine
(for Malaria) help Europeans
survive deadly tropical diseases
Forms of Imperial ControlForms of Imperial Control
• Colonies:– Send out governors & officials to set up
colonial bureaucracy– Try to transform the society into westernized
culture
ColoniesColonies
Direct Rule Indirect Rule
•France’s method•Send officials
•Impose French culture on the population•To create French
provinces
•British method•Use local rulers to
govern•Encourage children of the local ruling class to attend school in Britain
Types of ColoniesTypes of Colonies• Settlement Colonies: places where large
numbers of Europeans & their families moved to start new lives (i.e. Australia, New Zealand, Algeria)– “white dominions”– “contested settler colonies”
• Dependent Colonies: a few European officials ruled over the native populations – usually because of a large number of European soldiers (i.e. Angola)
Spheres of InfluenceSpheres of Influence
• Areas where the Europeans did not technically own the land or run the government, but because of economic forces and often troops, European powers were able to control the area “behind the scenes.”
• Best example = China
European Imperial ClaimsEuropean Imperial Claims
• British:– Eastern &
Southern Africa– The Middle East– India
“The sun never sets on the British Empire.”
Cecil Rhodes (1853-1902)
“The Colossus of Rhodes”
European Imperial ClaimsEuropean Imperial Claims
• French:– Western Africa– Indo-China (Vietnam)– Syria
European Imperial ClaimsEuropean Imperial Claims
• Belgium:– Belgian Congo– A “low point” in Imperialism– King Leopold II – 1885– Brutal imperial cruelty
Harvesting Rubber
Punishing “Lazy” Workers
5-8 Million Victims! (50% of Popul.)
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
Belgium’s Stranglehold on the Congo
Leopold’s Conscience??
European Imperial ClaimsEuropean Imperial Claims
• Italy:– Ethiopia– Somalia– Libya
European Imperial ClaimsEuropean Imperial Claims
• Germany:– Southwest Africa– Cameroon– Togo– German East Africa
European Imperial ClaimsEuropean Imperial Claims
• Portugal:– Angola– Mozambique
• Spain:– Rio de Oro
American Imperial ClaimsAmerican Imperial Claims
• Philippines
• Hawaii
• Guam
• Puerto Rico
Uncle Sam: “The Colossusof the Pacific” (A Parody)
Africa
1890
Resistance to ImperialismResistance to ImperialismExamples:• Sepoy Mutiny (India; 1857)• Zulu Wars (Battle of Isandhlwana, South Africa; 1879)• Mahdist Revolt (Sudan; 1881-1899)• Maji Maji Uprising (German East Africa; 1905-06)• Boxer Rebellion (China; 1900)• Philippine-American War (1899-1902)
Impacts of ImperialismImpacts of Imperialism
• Many of today’s problems stem from imperialism – ethnic fighting in Africa & the Middle East
• Intense competition for colonies resulted in only two independent African nations at the turn of the century
• European rivalries contributed to tensions that led to the outbreak of World War I
• Social Darwinism in action – paves the way for future ethnic & racial policies