Transcript The West and the World

The West and the World
Chapter 25
Imperialism
 Fueled industrialization;
industrialized nations had a
“leg up” on most of the
world
 They used their
technological advantage to
subdue non-Western
nations
Contrasting Colonialism and Imperialism
 Colonialism:
 Indirect rule; get raw materials and ship them to the mother
country; have similar if not equal rights; settlements; older form of
European relationships with non-Western world
 Imperialism:
 – Direct rule; occupation; territories have few rights; exist to serve
as market for the mother country; starts in mid-late 19th century
Imperialist Ambitions
 Starts after the unification of
Germany and Italy
 New problem: Central Europe is no
longer a playground for the great
powers of Europe
 Imperialism: expansion of empire by
gaining territories to rule as a sign of
prestige
 Inherent in imperialism is racial
superiority; European nations
believed themselves to be better
because of their “dominant” culture
(military and technological)
Attitudes and Foundations of Imperialism
 Social Darwinism led many to
believe that they were superior
because of their advancements
 Technological superiority enabled
European states to take over less
advanced states
 “Improving impulse” fueled
imperialists, who desired to raise
the rest of the world to European
levels of culture (considered to be
the best and highest form of human
life)
 Belief in racial superiority: ex.
British assimilated themselves at
the top of the Indian caste system
European Economic Dominance
 As industry continues to grow, new markets and raw material
sources were sought
 European nations found overseas possessions to be the answer to
both problems
 By owning these lands, European powers continued to enrich
themselves and simultaneously export their own culture and
ideals
Communication Improvements
 Telegraph, telephone and rapid sea transit through steam powered
vessels makes ruling easier
 European monarchs and presidents are able to rule through
intermediaries such as viceroys and other people immediately
accountable to the heads of state
 European dominance asserted through impressive military
victories and native peoples are subdued (ex. Omdurman)
Opening China
 Chinese government had been
tremendously inward looking since the
1450’s and uninterested in overseas
nations; only in trading for gold and
silver in exchange for porcelain, jade,
tea, and lacquered goods
 Europeans had been interested in
Chinese trade since Marco Polo’s
accounts in the 13th century
 Once Europeans established a clear
technological advantage, they forced
increasingly uncomfortable changes on
China through military force
Opium Wars (1839-42)
 British sought markets for their opium crops in Afghanistan
and a means of balancing trade
 Defeated China, forcing them to accept opium trade and
wrested control of port which became Hong Kong
Opening Japan
 Historically, Japanese had expelled all
Europeans
 Mainly feudal society
 One Japanese port remained open once
a year to European trade with the
Dutch
 United States asserted itself in 1853
 Recovering shipwrecked sailors from
maltreatment
 Commodore Matthew C. Perry sailed
into Edo bay with a major gunship
force to open negotiations
 Edo was location of new shogunate
 Some daimyo tried to fight US forces
and were demolished
Egypt
 Construction of the Suez Canal by
France led to British interest
 British work with Egyptian
leaders descended from those who
overthrew Ottoman Turks under
Muhammad Ali (born in Albania)
 British want to maintain control
over Suez Canal as main link
between Indian possessions and
homeland
 Occupied Egypt completely in
1882
European Migration
 Europeans migrated in huge numbers seeking economic
opportunity and civil freedoms
 Not only to the United States, but also:
 South America – Uruguay, Argentina, Brazil
 Asia – Hong Kong, Southeast Asia
 Australia and New Zealand
 Africa – Kenya, South Africa, Mozambique
The Scramble for Africa
 Explored by David Livingstone
and Henry Stanley (Christian
missionaries)
 Their reports became basis for
European nations’ African land lust
 British, French, Spanish, Italians,
Belgians, Dutch, and Germans
carved up Africa amongst
themselves at Berlin
Conference,1880
 Colonial possessions played well at
home
Boer Wars
 Dutch settlers of the Cape Colony
fought British troops 1899-1902 in
the Boer War
 Most Dutch were Calvinist
Protestants who coupled their
beliefs with a strong anti-black
racism
 Could not accept equal status with
black Africans
 Captured Dutch were interred in
“concentration camps” by the
British
Opposition to Imperialism
 Socialists critiqued imperialism for exploiting new workers
and failing to care adequately for original working class
people
 Native peoples who were educated in European liberties and
freedoms saw the inequality of their own situations
 Modernizers and westernizers vs. traditionalists
 Examples:
 Sepoy Mutiny (Sepoy Rebellion)
 Russo-Japanese War
 Boxer Rebellion
Sepoy Rebellion (Mutiny)
 Native Indian troops, both Muslim and Hindu, rebelled at
rumors of usage of animal fat-greased gunpowder packing
 British East India Company lost control of India to the British
crown
 PM Benjamin Disraeli presented Queen Victoria with title
“Empress of India”
 British introduced many improvements to modernize India
and make it like the rest of Britain
 Educated Hindus formed the Indian National Congress to
press for greater rights of native peoples
Victoria Memorial - Calcutta
Japanese Advance
 Under Meiji Restoration, Japan
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embarked on efforts to attain level
of industrialization of Western
Europe
Studied European governments,
modeled theirs after Prussia
New state was unified, powerful,
militaristic and expansionist
Took over Korea and parts of China
Humiliated Russian forces in a
series of battles during the RussoJapanese War, 1904-1905
Chinese Revolution and Boxer Rebellion
 Qing dynasty collapses, 1890’s
under Dowager Empress Tzu Hsi
who had managed to maintain
some stability during European
encroachment
 Key concepts:
 Law of extraterritoriality
 Open Door policy
 Boxer Rebellion: anti-foreigner,
anti-Christian movement; put
down by international invasion
force (1900-03)