Theories of Empire



Theories of Empire

•J.A.Hobson: Overseas Investment

Imperialism, A Study (1902) by J.A.Hobson.

Purely economic explanation.

Partition of Africa = deliberate British policy for benefit of elite group of 'greedy capitalist' investors.

But

Most of the British investment in late C19 & C20 was going to the settlement colonies, the USA & Latin America, NOT Tropical Africa. (Economics & Empire (1973 - D.K.Fieldhouse))

•Lenin: Crisis of Capitalism

Imperialism: The Highest Stage of Capitalism (1916) by V.I.Lenin.

Purely economic explanations.

'A crisis in the capitalist economic system' in the late C19 was behind European expansion in Africa.

Too many nations chasing to few markets. Therefore colonial expansion was to maintain capitalism. (Porter says a similar thing in The Lion’s Share)

For new markets & raw materials.

European governments were simply 'the puppets' of capitalist businessmen.

•Schumpeter: Crisis of Hereditary Elites.

The Sociology of Imperialism (1951) J.A.Schumpeter

A non-economic explanation for imperialism.

Old aristocratic elites were losing out in industrialised nations. Colonisation was a search for aristocrats to regain their 'glory'.

Seeking power and imperial glory abroad due to feeling a threat of extinction from the rising business class and working class movements in Europe.

•Hobsbawm: Industry and Empire

Industry and Empire in 1968 by Eric Hobsbawm (Marxist)

Suggests that because Europeans had the ability to take the colonies then they did.

Suggests that the technical superiority was the cause, rather than just the pre-requisite of colonisation.

•Peter Cain and Tony Hopkins: 'Gentlemanly Capitalism'

British Imperialism: Innovation and Expansion 1688-1914 (1993) by P.J.Cain and A.G.Hopkins

Strong challenge to Marxist interpretations.

New London based capitalists developed along with existing elites into new 'Gentlemanly Capitalist Elite'

Not industrialists or labourors. Public school & Oxbridge educated. Wealthy. Shared values.

These are the investors in the empire. British government supported these people, as the British government was made up of these people.

Post 1870 investment abroad and pressure on government to protect their interests. Whilst government presented its actions as in the national interest - they were really in the interest of the Gentlemanly capitalist elite.

Theories of Empire

•••[Peripheral Theories]•••

Explanation looking at interactions between events in the colonies and European imperial ambitions.

•Gallagher & Robinson (1961)

'Africa and the Victorians: The Official Mind of Imperialism (1961) by Gallagher & Robinson.

Britain wanted 'informal control' of trade. Company control and not British government control. Only wanted to support formal rule when trade was threatened by civil disorder or the ambitions of a rival power.

Reluctant British government was 'dragged in' to control.

View that British involvement in South Africa was as a result of events in Africa, not as a result of pressure from London or capitalism or Britain. (argued that pull style involvement holds across all colonisation)

Belief that throughout the duration of the partition Britain looked at her strategic role in the world and took little notice of business lobbies or public opinion.

(A: Falklands is another good example of the Gallagher & Robinson theory that British intervention is reactionary to events on the ground in the colonised areas to protect British interests / principles. Protection of credibility and interests.)

•The 'Men on the Spot Factor'

Looks at the importance of 'men on the spot'.

E.g. Rhodes in South Africa, Peters and McKinnon in East Africa.

Claimed that these meant had their own schemes and built their own local power, subsequently gaining the support of their government to enact colonisation.

•African Nationalism

Emphasises the role of the Africans in the partition. Collaboration between African rulers, states and merchants and European powers.

Whilst some African tribes (e.g. Zulus) fought to retain their independence others sought agreements with the European powers.

E.g. One letter from African kings requests British control.

However, many African nations not 'nation states' with no specific boundaries.

Theories of Empire 3

•••[International Relations Theory]•••

Theories that set the partition of Africa within a Global framework.

•The Primacy of Political and Diplomatic Factors

'The struggle for the Mastery in Europe (1954 by A.J.P. Taylor)

Suggests Partition of African resulted from changes in the power politics and society in Europe. Advances that creation of Germany in 1871 upset the power balance in Europe. (France-Russia vs. Germany-Austria-Hungary became power balanced and therefore a power deadlock in Europe) Power deadlock led to growth of Nationalism, which was acted out in overseas colonisation.

Colonisation as a result of rivalry between European powers, not events in Africa

Explains the partition of Africa as a result of an international power game as opposed to 'on the ground' events in the African continent.

•The Rise and Fall of Great Powers

The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers (1988 by Paul Kennedy)

Examines the Partition in the context of rise and fall of major world powers in History.

Colonisation of Africa seen as the attempt by the European powers to emulate the British rise to status of a great power (during British industrial revolution from 1815-1870 when Britain had developed the free-trade, naval power, investment and colony model of power)

As European powers went for African colonies, Britain responded and did the same.

While Britain did not have the population for armies of conquest, it had the technology to do so. E.g. Guns etc.

View that for European powers colonies became seen as a sign of prestige as a result of Britain’s initial economically motivated colonisation during industrialisation.

This argument combines evidence from metropolitan and peripheral theories.

Has the advantage of explaining the motivations of all the European powers.

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