Imperialism occurs when a powerful nation controls a ...



Imperialism – An Overview

Imperialism: What Is It?

Imperialism occurs when a powerful nation controls a weaker nation. During the 1500’s, many countries set up colonies in the Americas. Spain controlled most of Central and South America and shared control of North America with France and Great Britain. Colonialism, or the controlling of colonies, is very similar to imperialism.

By the beginning of the 1800’s, however, wars like the American Revolution had changed European nations’ opinions about colonialism. Colonies seemed to cause more trouble than they were worth. This all changed when these and other countries industrialized. By the end of the 1800’s, industrial nations from Europe shared control of much of the world with industrial nations like the United States and Japan. How did this happen? There are many reasons.

How Did Industrialism Help Imperialism?

The Industrial Revolution was one reason why imperialism spread. Factory owners in the industrialized nations needed natural resources of other countries. To keep the factories running, they needed coal, iron, gold, silver, tin, copper rubber and cotton. They could get these from colonies.

These same nations needed places to sell their manufactured goods. That is, they needed markets. By taking control of colonies, they could control markets. Each nation let its colonies buy only those goods manufactured in the mother country – the nation that controls the colony.

How Did Nationalism Help Imperialism?

Some countries thought that an empire would make them look important in the eyes of the world. Italy, Germany, Japan, and the United States thought colonies would make them look as powerful as Britain and France. Many leaders agreed with the idea that there has never been a great power without great colonies.

How Did Militarism Help Imperialism?

In the late 1800’s, many countries built up their military power. Industrial nations put lots of their energy and resources into building large armies and navies. The leaders and people of each nation took great pride in their powerful military equipped with devastating new weapons, developed because of advances in technology and industry. This type of nationalism or national pride is called militarism.

Sea power was especially important because it helped countries control trade routes. Mother countries could use their colonies as military bases. Ships from these mother countries could stop at colonial ports to get supplies for the military.

What Attitudes Helped Promote Imperialism?

Many people in Europe and the United States though that they were better than people from other continents. They thought that these people – especially Africans and Asians – were ignorant and uncivilized. Many Europeans and Americans believed that they should bring Christianity and “western” (European-style) civilization to the people of these continents.

What Was the Effect of Imperialism on Asia?

By the early 1700’s, Britain was the greatest sea power in the world. It would also go on to become the most industrialized power and the country that did the most trading. Because of all this, Britain wanted colonies in Asia and in many other places in the world. Soon, the British would brag that “the sun never sets on the British empire.”

Why Was India Important to Britain?

An empire called the Moguls ruled most of India in the 1500 and 1600’s, but that empire collapsed in 1707. India was then divided into many weak, independent states. By the mid-1700’s, France and Britain were fighting each other for control on India. Britain won. At first, the British ruled India through a privately owned company – the British East India Company. However, after a revolt by Indians in 1858, the British government took direct control over it.

For nearly 100 years, India was the single most important colony in the British Empire. It provided Britain with natural resources and raw materials for industry. Its large population also provided an important market for British manufactured goods.

India was so important to Britain, that British leaders called it “the Jewel in the Crown” – a reference to the crown jewels worn by the British monarch. Naturally, Britain did everything it could to protect its claim on India from other imperialistic countries. In the late 1800’s Russia threatened India on its northwest boundary. To protect India, Britain took over Afghanistan. It also took over an area called Burma to the east of India to keep the French from moving into India from that direction.

When Did Europe Insist on More Trade with China?

China lies east of India. For years Chinese rulers had allowed only limited trade with other countries. By the late 1800’s, however, this limited trade no longer satisfied the Europeans. They forced China to give them special trade rights. After 1842, Great Britain, France, Germany, and Russia took over Chinese land and important sea ports. These nations divided China up into four different trading areas. Historians call these areas spheres of influence. The Europeans said that China was still an independent country. However, its rulers had no say in the European-controlled trade.

What Happened in Japan in 1867?

For a while, people thought that Japan, too, might fall into Europe’s imperialism. This island nation had cut itself off from contact with European nations for almost 200 years. It was a country full of castles and knights (called samurai) and peasant farmers. It was using a feudal system to organize its society. Then a fleet of modern American warships lead by Commodore Matthew Perry, forced its way into Tokyo Bay. The Americans told the Japanese to open their country for trade or be invaded.

The Japanese did open their country, and the problems this caused led to a revolution in 1867. This revolution ended the rule of “the shogun” (a military dictator) and gave political power to Emperor Meiji. Even greater changes were coming to Japan.

After 1867, new leaders governed Japan in the emperor’s name. They introduced reforms, and Japan set out to become a modern, industrialized nation. It adopted western ideas about transportation and education. It got rid of the feudalism. Then the Japanese leaders wrote a constitution based on the German government’s.

How Did the Japanese Become Imperialistic?

Next, Japan began to develop a western-style army. In 1876, its leaders passed a law that ordered all young men to serve in the army. Soon Japan had a modern army and navy. The Japanese used their new military power to push into weaker countries like China, searching for raw materials to use in its new industries. From 1894 to 1895, Japan went to war with China. China lost and had to give up some of its territory to Japan.

In 1904, Japan went to war with Russia and won again. It took over Korea and gained important trading rights in Russian-controlled areas in China. Like many European nations, Japan had become an imperialistic world power.

What Effect Did Imperialism Have on Africa?

As discussed above, Europeans wanted colonies in Asia. They wanted them in Africa, too, for the same reasons. In the 1870’s, Europeans raced one another to claim colonies there. The race to claim colonies came to be known as the “Scramble for Africa.”

What Colonies Did Britain Control in Africa?

By the end of the 1800’s, Great Britain controlled what now the nations of Sudan, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and Uganda. In 1900, it took over Nigeria. South Africa became a British colony in 1909.

In 1859, Egyptian workers began to build the Suez Canal across the desert in Egypt. When it was finished over 10 years later, it connected the Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea. The canal made the trip from Europe to such places as India and China much shorter. In 1875, Britain took control of the canal.

A few years later, Egypt became a British protectorate. As a protectorate, Egypt stayed independent, but Britain controlled it interactions with other countries (its “foreign policy”). In return, Britain protected Egypt from attacks by other countries.

What Was France and Germany’s Role in the “Scramble for Africa?”

France established the largest European empire in Africa. It stretched 2,500 miles from the Atlantic Ocean to Sudan in the East. France’s claims in Africa were large but not rich. Much of what it claimed was the Sahara Desert. Still, other countries respected France for having such large African claims.

Because Germany had only united as a country in 1871, it entered the race for African territory late. Still, its military strength worried other European countries. When the German government asked other European countries to come to Berlin for a meeting about Africa in 1884, they came. The Germans and other were concerned about setting boundaries and keeping the peace between European countries. The meeting came to be known as the Berlin Conference. Even though it concerned the continent of Africa, no African nations were invited.

Many other nations were involved in this scramble, too. Spain and Portugal had the oldest colonies. They had been involved in the buying and transporting of slaves to the Americas since the 1500’s. Belgium controlled a large colony in central Africa. Belgian traders forced Africans there to harvest sap from trees for making rubber. Italians also came late to Africa because they had only recently unified as a country. Italy had little success claiming territory in Africa at this time.

Many European countries scrambled for empires, but some nations got little or nothing of value. These countries felt angry at those who got wealth from their colonies. This led to fighting.

Was Imperialism Good or Bad?

Europeans said that imperialism was good. It brought hospitals, railroad lines, and schools to Africa and Asia. It introduced the idea of constitutional government. It also brought jobs and industry to the colonies.

However, many of the colonial people thought that imperialism was bad. They felt that Europeans got more out of imperialism than they did. Factories in Africa and Asia supplied cheap goods to Europe. But these factories – owned by Europeans – destroyed native industries and trades. Many Africans and Asians lost their traditional jobs.

Also, the colonial people had no control over their government or their country’s natural resources. Europeans took the best land and the richest sources of gold, silver, copper, or other valuable natural resources found in the ground.

How Did Europeans Treat Native People?

Europeans thought they were better than the native people of Africa and Asia. They tried to change the religion, the language, and the ways of life of these colonized people. This showed that they had little respect for native beliefs and customs. In time, this led to a wave of nationalism among the people of Africa and Asia who struggled for their independence.

-----------------------

A British officer is waited on by Indian servants.

Industrial nations grabbing for important natural resources - imperialism.

A French political cartoon from the period which shows Great Britain, Germany, Russia, France and Japan dividing up China, who protests in the background.

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download