Chapter 17“The Age of Western Imperialism”

AP EUROPEAN HISTORYMR. RICK PURRINGTON

MARSHALL HIGH SCHOOL

Africa Today

I. The “New” Imperialism, 1870 – 1914

A. Expansion of Western control of Af and Asia

1. What was “new”?

a) More direct control by Westerners

b) Occurred over a brief period of time and involved many nations

c) Fewer settlers

d) “Gold rush” mentality – the race for territory

- 1880 – Eu ruled 10% of Af

- 1900 – Eu ruled almost 100% of Af

fringes.

“Steam and electricity have annihilated distance, and all the non-appropriated lands on the surface of the globe can become the field of our operations and

of our success.”~ King Leopold II of Belgium, 1861

Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution

B. 1884 – Berlin Conference

1. Otto von Bismarck of G, Jules Ferry of Fr

2. no single Eu power could control Af

3. stop slavery and slave trade

4. imperial ambitions did not lead to Eu war

C. Imperialism in Asia

1. The Neth – Indonesia

2. Fr – Indochina

3. U.S. – Phillippines

Otto von Bismarck

Works

II. Motives for the New Imperialism

A. Money, Jobs, Resources

B. Security

C. Power and Prestige

1. “There has never been a great power w/o colonies.” ~ Fr Journalist 1877

D. Social Darwinism

1. “The strongest nation has always been conquering the weaker…the strongest tend to be the best.” ~ Br Economist 1900

E. “Philanthropy” – The White Man’s Burden

1. the West’s “duty” to civilize the uncivilized

F. Technological Gap1. machine gun

2. disease awareness

3. steamship

4. telegraph

Charles Darwin

“The Maxim gun will be of valuable service in helping civilization overcome barbarism.”

Henry M. Stanley

G. Religious Missions – spread Christianity

H. Humanitarian – to stop the slave trade

III. Critics of the New Imperialism

A. Imperialism by J.A. Hobson

1. Imperialism is caused by unregulated capitalism

2. Only the distrustful economically benefit from colonies

3. “O Evolution, what crimes are committed in thy name.”

4. “The Brown Man’s loss must never imply the White Man’s gain.”

B. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

1. “The pure selfishness of civilizing”

2. Contradiction in liberalism - rep gov’t at home, dictatorship in the colonies

3. Don’t the natives have the right to self-determination?

“Despotism is a legitimate mode of government in dealing with barbarians, provided the end be their improvement.”

John Stuart Mill in his book On Liberty

IV. Dutch and Br Rule in Southern AfA. Resources:

1. fertile farmland2. coal, iron ore, gold, diamonds, copper

B. Partially inhabited by Br “Afrikaners,”Dutch Boers

1. Br arranged with the Boers for a white-only ruling class

2. Apartheid - “Separateness” – segregation of Africans in South Af

Global Inequality

Conquest over Distance

Social Darwinism

Technological Gap

Hobson

Unregulated Capitalism

Conrad

Contradiction in Liberalism