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WHB Study Guide Unit 5 Test – The Age of ImperialismImperialism is a policy of extending the rule or authority of a country/empire over foreign countries, or of acquiring and holding colonies and territories. This rule is achieved through the use of aggressive diplomacy and military force. European ImperialismA major cause of Imperialism was European nations like Britain and France needed to find and control more natural resources to increase their industrial production at home.Western government control over colonies, in other words running them from the home country, was called “direct rule.”Colonization not only provided raw materials, but each person in a conquered region was a potential customer. And strict controls prevented colonials from buying manufactured goods from anyone other than merchants of the “mother” country.Village life in the colonies declined as families were forced (through both local regulations and economic necessity) to move onto plantations and into factory zones in order to find work to survive.European Advantages for Colonization around the WorldIndustrialized European nations had many advantages that allowed them to colonize most of the world. Paramount in this regard was superior, powerful military force. As Jared Dimon stated, “Guns, Germs, and Steel” allowed western nations to conquer the world.In the late 1800’s, western armies had automatic weapons, like machine guns, and high-quality artillery. Western navies had steel-hulled warships with long-range naval guns.European Colonization of Africa in the late 1800’sA similarity between imperial rule in Africa and India was that missionaries were sent into both areas to convert the natives to Christianity before economic and military penetration. European contact with Africa increased in the 1800’s as explorers and missionaries showed that travel into the interior was possible. Medical advances overcame localized diseases, and steamships were able to navigate up the larger rivers and streams. Africans actively resisted European rule because they believed they should rule themselves.The fact that colonial boundaries were drawn without regard to the areas occupied by ethnic groups led directly to regional conflicts.One of the main resources that Europeans craved was diamonds, which were abundant on the “Dark Continent.”Shaka Zulu (the Zulu king) united many tribes in southeast Africa who identified themselves as warriors. He was able to expand his empire through military conquest.Imperialism in the Middle EastOnce oil was discovered in Persia, Russia and Britain sent troops into the country to protect their economic and diplomatic interests.The Wahhabi sect in Arabia (part of the Ottoman Empire) rejected Ottoman theology and law, and wanted to return to Muhammad’s original teachings. The Wahhabi sect is still dominant in Saudi Arabia. The Ottoman regeime in Egypt lost control over the Suez Canal because it could not repay loans used to build the canal. Great Britain took over the administration of the Suez Canal because it bought up shares created to raise capital for loan repayment and daily operations.Imperialism in IndiaIndia was initially ruled not by the British government but by the East India Company, which had its own army and government on the sub-continent. After the Sepoy Rebellion, in which hundreds of thousands (or possibly millions) of people perished, the British home government disbanded the East India Company and took direct control of India.The Sepoy Rebellion erupted because the British wanted Indian soldiers to use cartridges for their new Enfield rifles that were greased with animal fat. The firing technique required the soldier to bite off the end of the cartridge to pour its contents into the musket barrel. Most Indian soldiers believed that both beef tallow and pork lard were used in the grease. Hindus were forbidden to taste beef (the cow was sacred) and Muslims had the same restriction as regards pork, which was unclean in their religion. Imperialism in ChinaAfter China’s defeat in the Opium War, Great Britain took control over Hong Kong in 1841. The British also increased their influence and unequal trading rights throughout China.Sun Yixian (Sun Yat-sen) was the first President of the Chinese Republic, which he did a great deal to bring into existence. He tried to resist Western Imperialism by focusing on trade and economics as a way for China to escape imperialist oppression. Sun tried to unite China and founded the Kuomintang (KMT) political party, whose leadership was eventually taken over by Chiang Kai-shek. Sun was ultimately unsuccessful in his vision of a united China (much of China remained under the control of regional warlords). He died in exile in Japan.JapanJapan followed in the tradition of Western imperialism by adopting the same attitudes and military aggression as the Western nations, and took control over the Korean Peninsula and Manchuria. The Koreans resisted Japanese rule through a widespread campaign of nonviolence. The United States forced Japan to open their country to trade through the classic imperialist tactic of sending a fleet of modern warships and threatening destruction for noncompliance. These modern, well-armed ships carried a letter from President Fillmore demanding trade, which the Japanese Shogun agreed to. MiscellaneousThe Maori natives in New Zealand unsuccessfully fought the British colonists in defense of their land.Canada achieved its independence through peaceful means, in contrast to the other countries of the Americas who achieved their independence through revolutions and war.The Monroe Doctrine (declared in 1823) was an attempt to justify American imperialism in Central and South America and to warn European powers that they should not engage in creating new colonies in the Americas. Regionalism became a political problem for Latin America because it made it difficult to establish a unifying central government in the newly formed countries. General Porfirio Diaz, dictator of Mexico until 1911, established a strong, centralized state but his policies increased the gap between rich and poor, and contributed to economic and political unrest and instability. European powers acquired Pacific islands in the 1800’s for use as coaling stations and useful ports for their warships and merchant fleets. The United States acquired Hawaii for the same reason – we needed a coaling port for our ships in the mid-Pacific on their journey to our newly acquired territory in the Philippines. The official reason for our annexing of Hawaii was due to pressure from American sugar growers in the islands, but the US also did not want another European power taking over the islands.Remember to check the message board for the essay question(s). ................
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