10.04 IMPERIALISM

IMPERIALISM CAUSES THE NEW IMPERIALISMImperialism is the domination by one country of the political, economic, or cultural life of another country. Historians often divide imperialism into two periods.• The Old Imperialism Between about 1500 and 1800, European nations established colonies in the Americas, India, and Southeast Asia and gained territory on the coasts of Africa and China. Still, European power in these regions of the world was limited.• The New Imperialism Between 1870 and 1914, nationalism had produced strong, centrally governed nation-states. The Industrial Revolution had made economies stronger as well. During this time, Japan, the United States, and the industrialized nations of Europe became more aggressive in expanding into other lands. The new imperialism was focused mainly in Asia and Africa, where declining empires and local wars left many states vulnerable. In Africa, many states had been weakened by the legacy of the slave trade.Causes of ImperialismSeveral important factors combined to lead to the development of the new imperialism.Nationalism and Social DarwinismA spirit of nationalism was one cause of the new imperialism. Because nationalism promotes the idea of national superiority, imperialists felt that they had a right to take control of countries they viewed as weaker. Social Darwinism also encouraged imperialism. This idea applied Darwin's theory of survival of the fittest to competition between nations. Social Darwinists argued that it was natural for stronger nations to dominate weaker ones.Military MotivesMilitary motives were linked to nationalism, since military power was a way to promote a nation's goals. Colonies were important as bases for resupply of ships. A nation with many colonies had power and security.Economic MotivesImperialists needed raw materials to supply their factories. They needed foreign markets in which to sell their finished products. They needed places to invest their profits. Colonies could provide all these things.White Man's BurdenRudyard Kipling's poem "White Man's Burden" offered a justification for imperialism. Kipling expressed the idea that white imperialists had a moral duty to educate people in nations they considered less developed. Missionaries spread western ideas, customs, and religions to people in Africa and Asia. IMPERIALISM IN INDIA AFRICA BRITISH IN INDIABritish East India CompanyThe British East India Company had established trading rights in India in the early 1600s. By the mid-1800s, with the decline of the Mughal empire and the defeat of French rivals, this company controlled three fifths of India. The company employed Indian soldiers, called sepoys.The Sepoy MutinyIn 1857, tensions rose. The British had angered the sepoys by demanding that soldiers follow rules that were against their religious beliefs. The Sepoy Mutiny, or the Sepoy Rebellion, called for Hindus and Muslims to unite against the British. The British, however, crushed the revolt. The Sepoy Mutiny left bitter feelings. It also caused the British to change their policies. In 1858, Parliament ended the rule of the East India Company. The British government took direct command of India.THE SCRAMBLE FOR AFRICAIn the 1870s, King Leopold of Belgium sent a mission to the interior of Africa to establish trade agreements with leaders in the Congo River basin. The Belgian presence in the Congo set off a scramble among other European powers to establish their presence on the continent.The Berlin ConferenceIn 1884, to avoid conflict among themselves, European leaders met in Berlin, Germany, to set up rules for colonizing Africa. European powers divided Africa with little regard for the people who lived there. The new imperialism affected Africa strongly. In 1850, most of Africa had been free. Seventy years later, most of the continent was under European rule.Battle for Southern AfricaTHE ZULU EMPIRE In the early 1800s in southern Africa, an African leader named Shaka organized Zulu warriors into a fighting force. He used his power against European slave traders and ivory hunters. Through conquest of other African groups, he united the Zulu nation.ZULU RESISTANCE The Zulus eventually came into conflict with the British. The Zulus experienced victory in 1879. Soon afterward, however, the superior weaponry of the British crushed the Zulu resistance. Others in Africa also resisted imperialism, including groups in Ethiopia and West Africa.THE BOER WAR Cecil Rhodes became prime minister of the Cape Colony in 1890. Under his leadership, Britain expanded its control of southern Africa. In the late 1800s, Britain decided to annex the Boer republics. The Boers resisted and the Boer War began, lasting from 1899 to 1902. After heavy losses, the British won. In 1910, the British combined the Boer republics with the Cape Colony to form the Union of South Africa. The bitter struggles left a legacy of distrust and hatred. IMPERIALISM IN CHINA Qing Dynasty ChallengedSince 1644, rulers of the Qing dynasty had refused to adopt western ways. As a result, the economic, political, and military strength of European imperialists was able to challenge China's Middle Kingdom.The Opium War and the Treaty of NanjingBritish merchants began to trade opium in China in the late 1700s. China tried to halt imports of the addictive drug. In 1839, to keep trade open, the British fought with China in a conflict called the Opium War. Britain's superior military and industrial strength led to a quick victory.In 1842, Britain forced China to agree to the harsh terms of the Treaty of Nanjing. China had to pay for Britain's war costs, open ports to British trade, and give Britain the island of Hong Kong. China also had to grant British citizens extraterritoriality, the right to live under their own laws and be tried in their own courts. In the years that followed, other western powers forced China to sign unequal treaties. The western powers carved out spheres of influence, areas in which an outside power claimed exclusive trade privileges.Chinese Reactions to ImperialismForeign imperialism led to further clashes between the imperialist powers and China—and among the Chinese themselves.THE TAIPING REBELLIONFrom 1850 to 1864, Chinese peasants, angry at their poverty and at corrupt Qing officials, rose up in revolt. The Taiping Rebellion resulted in millions of Chinese deaths and weakened China.THE BOXER REBELLION In 1900, a group known to westerners as the Boxers assaulted foreign communities across China in a conflict known as the Boxer Rebellion. Armies from Japan and the West, however, soon crushed the uprising and forced China to grant more concessions to foreign powers. After this defeat, greater numbers of Chinese called for western-style reforms.SUN YIXIAN AND THE CHINESE REVOLUTION In the first decade of the 1900s, Chinese nationalism blossomed. Many reformers called for a new government. Sun Yixian, also called Sun Yat-sen, led the movement to replace the Qing dynasty. He had three goals:• To end foreign domination• To form a representative government• To create economic security for the Chinese people In 1911, workers, peasants, students, and warlords toppled the monarchy. Sun Yixian was named president of the Chinese Republic. IMPACT OF IMPERIALISM MULTIPLE PERSPECTIVESThe new imperialism had a major impact on the European nations and on their colonies.Effects on the ColoniesImperialism had a number of short-term and long-term effects on the colonies themselves. Some were negative; others were positive.SHORT-TERM EFFECTS Some effects were immediate.• Large numbers of Asians and Africans came under foreign rule.• Local economies became dependent on industrialized powers.• Some nations introduced changes to meet imperialist challenges.• Individuals and groups resisted European domination.• Western culture spread to new regions.• Traditional political units were disrupted or destroyed.• Famines occurred in lands where farmers grew export crops for imperialist nations in place of food for local use.LONG-TERM EFFECTS Other effects took longer to emerge.• Western culture continued to influence much of the world.• Transportation, education, and medical care were improved.• Resistance to imperial rule evolved into nationalist movements.• Many economies became based on single cash crops grown for export.Effects on Europe and the WorldThe West also changed because of imperialism.• The West discovered new crops, foods, and other products.• Westerners were introduced to new cultural influences.• Competition for empires created and increased conflict between imperial powers. These conflicts sometimes led to war.• The industrial nations controlled a new global economy.