Transcript New Imperialism - sandestrange

New Imperialism:
Europe in the late 19th Century
What made new empires possible:
 2nd Industrial Revolution
 Transportation, communication
 Weapons
 Ag/industry and technology
 Growth of nation states
 Commanded loyalty, service, resources of
inhabitants
 Feeling of nationalism/pride in country
 Arrogant self confidence
 Feeling of superiority of their civ, way of life
 “white man’s burden” --Kipling
 History of imperialism
 16th C Spain, Portugal, France, Holland, Britain
 Only Britain left
Imperialism (from text)
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“the policy of extending a nation’s authority, prestige, and economic
base by territorial acquisition, or by establishing economic and
political hegemony over other nations”
Old Imperialism: based on colonization, settling with conqueror’s
people; and trade, “establishing trading centers to exploit the
resources of the dominated area”
New Imperialism
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All of the old reasons, PLUS:
Investing capital to develop resources (agriculture, mining, etc.) and
infrastructure (building railroads, bridges, roads, harbors, telegraph
systems, etc), transforming the local economies
To secure investments against political, military, cultural threats, the
state would “make favorable arrangements with local government either
by loaning rulers money or by intimidating them”
If that didn’t work, the European power (or American) would take over
control, ruling the country as a colony, or making it a “protectorate” with
local government enforced by the European state’s military
Euphemism = “sphere of influence”
Interpreting the “New
Imperialism”
 Hobson: Brit economist (radical) “monopoly stage of
capitalism” just before capitalism falls (Marxist)
 Lenin endorsed this interpretation.
 Dominant, monopolizing capitalists run out of profitable areas
of investment in their own countries
 So they influence their governments to take over other
countries so they can develop new sources of raw materials
and markets (capitalistic mercantilism)
 Doesn’t fit:
 Capitalists didn’t really invest much in the new colonies
 They often invested in countries NOT held by their countries
 Colonies didn’t provide good markets for these imperial
nations; areas they DIDN’T control as source of raw materials
Other Interpretations
 “white man’s burden”: duty to bring
benefits of higher culture, civilization and
religion to “backward” peoples: Kipling; de
Gobineau, Inequality of the Human Races
(1855) race=dominant issue in politics; all
history=contact with whites; Aryan=superior
 Tool of social policy
 Germany (deflect people’s interest away
from domestic political problems)
 Attract surplus population from
country and increase social welfare
for all
Political: dividing Africa
 Britain
 Suez Canal 1869: Egypt important because it controlled
route to India
 1880’s took control of Egypt from Ottoman Turks when
internal troubles threatened stability
 Advanced into Sudan to protect Egypt
 Later intervention of Italy, Belgium, etc for colonies lead
Britain to gobble up Zimbabwe and Zambia from Cape of
Good Hope, settled and claimed early in the century
 France
 N African expedition 1830 to suppress Algerian pirates
 Settlement of French in Algeria—by 1880’s France
controlled the country;
 Took over Tunisia so Italy wouldn’t get it--1882
 Annexed W Africa, Madagascar
 Germany
 1884-5 Bismarck declared “protectorates” in SW Africa
(Namibia), Togoland, Cameroons, E. Africa (Tanzania)
 All African colonies parceled to France/Britain after WWI
 Really only wanted colonies to improve Germany’s
position in Europe: prestige, to divert French hostility,
and as weapon vs Britain
 Equating political prestige with possession of colonies
 German annexation: parceling out of all of Africa—
Berlin Conference
 Italy
 Once unified, wanted prestige of colonial empire
 Slow start—War with Ottoman Turks 1911 over Libya
 Italian Libya (Mediterranean coast)—Italians granted civil
rights, abolished slavery, improved infrastructure
 Taken from Italy after WWII
 Portugal
 Longest history: from 1400’s (under Henry the Navigator—
da Gama, etc
 Monopoly in Indian ocean trade in 16th C; colonies all up and
down Africa, India, Indonesia/Malasia, China
 But too weak to defend against British and Dutch traders
during their wars vs Spain, so much reduced in extent
 During 1800’s lost most valuable, Brazil, in independence
movement 1822
 During late 1800’s scramble for Africa, kept and expanded
colonies including Portuguese West Africa: (now Angola),
Portuguese West Africa (now Mozambique), and Portuguese
Guinea (now Guinea-Bissau)
 Portuguese W Africa claims ran into Belgian claims for Congo
boundary in 1880’s, one of the main reasons for the Berlin
meeting called by Bismarck that divided up Africa
Belgium Revolted 1830:withdrew from
Dutch Union and set up a
Constitutional monarchy But
continual Tension between
Waloons(French speakers) and
Flemish
 Colonized Belgian Congo: originally
a private company, but King
Leopold of Belgium bribed Stanley
(British) to maneuver it for
Belgium, which after much
terrorism, took over the Congo
 King Leopold II of Belgium declared
himself the dictator and sole owner
of the new Congo Free State and
claimed he would Christianize and
modernize the Congolese people
 Actually, he brutalized with
forced labor of men, women,
children for ivory and rubber
–if they did not meet quotas,
army killed them or cut off
hands. The population
diminished during the early
20th C due to cruelty and
European diseases.
 Mounting international
criticism forced Leopold to sell
his colony to Belgium in
1908; Belgium continued to
exploit the population for the
rubber trade, with 5-8 million
deaths.
Berlin Conference 1884-5
 Called by Bismarck, who took charge
 Begun at behest of Portugal and
Belgium (quarreling over Congo)
 Everyone, even US, took part
 Divided Africa between the European
powers
 Outlawed slavery
 Guaranteed free access to rivers
 Established “spheres of interest” and
“protectorates”
Asia
 Emergence of Japan threatened
European powers out for influence in
China
 Russians railroad to Vladivostok
afraid of Japanese threat to
Manchuria
 US “Open Door Policy”: no political
takeovers, trade open to all on equal
terms (everyone OK’d except Russia)
Colonial Wars
 Spanish American War
 1898-1900: American drive for empire
 After little fighting, because of Spain’s
weakness, gained Cuba (made independent),
Philippines, Guam, Puerto Rico, other islands
 Britain:
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Boer War turn of Century
Zulu conflicts
Sikh wars/ other wars in India
Opium Wars—China
Mahdi Wars/Sudan Wars
Boxer Rebellion—International War
Boer War
 Establishment of South African settlements
 17th C Dutch; brought slaves from Indonesia and Malaysia;
intermarried—nomadic, independent Boers speaking
Afrikaans
 When Dutch mercantilism waned, British came in and settled
Capetown, but not many until brought in settlers to settle
between Boers and warring natives
 At same time, Boers, threatened by British influx, migrated
North and West to settle areas into independent states:
Transvaal (South African Republic) and Orange Free State
 Start of Conflict
 Status quo OK until discovery of diamonds at Kimberly,
territory claimed by both Boer republics
 British stepped in and took disputed territory for
themselves: influx of British and African labor took jobs
from Boers
 First Boer War 1880
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British took control of Transvaal
in 1877
Rebellion in 1880—Boers
defeated British and established
Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek
(“South African Republic"), or
ZAR under Paul Kruger.
 Discovery of gold = more influx
of British and African labor at
Johannesburg
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Jameson raid on ZAR in 1895
with tacit approval of Brit
Capetown government tried to
take over ZAR, spark uprising of
British in the Boer settlements
ZAR allies with Orange Free
State
Zulu Wars 1879
Shaka Zulu united military
under personal leadership
instead of clan chiefs and
forged Zululand empire
(assassinated and weaker
brothers took over)Zulu
rule was brutal, but it was
independent
 British tried to take over
Zululand; the Zulus
fought, with massacres
and victories at first;
British, with modern
weapons, won and took
over the territory
 As a result, the Boer
Republics felt pressured
between British controlled
states
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2nd Boer War 1899-1900
 Provoked war with British
demands for voting rights for
Europeans in Boer controlled
republics, Boer demands that
British take forces from borders
 British defeated Boers, but
continuing conflict (guerilla
warfare and scorched earth) for
two years
 After much negotiating, Union
of South Africa established
1910 uniting all states, but
with self government for Boer
states.
British conquest of India
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India had last been ruled as a unit under Mughul Empire (Buddhist/
Tengri from China, same as Mongols) from 15th through 18th C, but had
weakened because of internal conflict, so British E India co met only
federated collection of territorial rulers. Moghul rule was challenged by
Hindu rulers in the South, Sikh rulers in the north central area of India,
Afghani Moslem rulers in the eastnortheast.
Originally Britain, Portugal, France, Dutch established trading posts along
the coast of India to trade with these rulers. After the 7 years’ war,
Britain, (East India Company), dominated (though Portugal had a trading
colony there until much later).
In the early/mid 1800’s, the British company (with its private armies and
navy) provoked the moghul rulers into a series of small wars and
gradually took control of most of India, with the Moghul ruler restricted
to rule of the territory around Delhi. Indians rebelled against colonial rule
in the 1850’s, so the British exiled the last Moghul ruler and took over
rule.
Anglo-Sikh Wars
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Among the fiercest of these local wars
were the Sikh wars fought on the
borders of the Punjab in NE India
 The Sikh kingdom of Punjab expanded during the
early years of the nineteenth century while the British
East India Company's territories expanded until they
bordered the Punjab.
 The Sikh ruler maintained an uneasy alliance with the
East India Company, increasing the military strength
of the Khalsa (the Sikh Army, embodiment of the
state and religion), to deter British aggression and to
expand Sikh territory to the north and north west,
capturing territory from Afghanistan and Kashmir
Anglo Sikh Wars to The Raj
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When the strong ruler died in 1839, the Sikh Empire began to fall.
The East India Company goaded the Khalsa to invade British
territory, under weak and possibly treacherous leaders.
The hard-fought Anglo-Sikh wars (1845-1849) with brutal abuses
on both sides, ended in defeat for the Sikhs, who lost their
valuable territory to the East India company.
After the Indian uprising threatened the East India Company, the
British government voted to take over the rule of the
subcontinent. Victoria adopted the title “Empress of India,” and
the British government reorganized administration into what
became known as The Raj, British rule of India that lasted until
1948.
The British ruled directly or through subject local rulers; governors
and high officers were appointed in Britain, so many would come
from Britain to rule or to trade, then return richer or more
prestigious.
Opium Wars or Anglo-Chinese Wars
 Trade wars fought in the 183942 and 1846-60 over opening
China trade to the W
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1756 The Chinese dynasty,
trying to isolate itself from
masses of foreign traders,
closed all of China except one
port, restricted goods coming in
to China
The British East India Company
was losing money because all
the trade came FROM China,
with no opportunity to sell
British/Indian products in
China, so began selling opium
to British and US merchants to
take to China to sell there to
smugglers.
 The Chinese, alarmed at
the loss of money and
taxes and especially
alarmed at the growing
number of opium dens
and addicts, decided to
suppress the trade,
arresting and executing
smugglers and arresting
foreign traders.
 Britain attacked the
coastal cities of China
with advanced ships and
weaponry and forced a
treaty on the Chinese,
opening China for trade,
with all kinds of
concessions, including
British Hong Kong
Mahdi Rebellions/Sudan war
 After 1819 conquest by Ottoman backed Moslems, Sudan was
ruled from Egypt, but resented because of oppression and high
taxes
 In the mid 19th C, the Ottoman ruler got in financial trouble
because of his funding for the Suez Canal. Britain stepped in with
loans and financing in exchange for shares in the canal. But
because of their role, they insisted on some voice in Egyptian
government.
 In 1870, a Moslem cleric in Sudan preached a return to the faith
and liberation of the land, and claimed he was the Mahdi
(promised Moslem messiah). He attracted a wide following and
formed an army, which, though ill equipped, managed with a
surprise attack on an overconfident Egyptian force, to massacre
the troops sent to put down the rebellion.
 The Mahdi army began a long seige of the Egyptian governed
capital of Sudan. Britain, concerned with the rising debt from
this conflict, convinced Egypt to evacuate all their government
officers and army from the Sudan. Britain sent forces under
Gordon to manage the evacuation.
 However, Gordon delayed in forcing the evacuation through.
With his forces starving, suffering from cholera, and
outnumbered, he asked for British reinforcements, then
surrendered his forces. The Mahdi army massacred all of the
British and Egyptian army and government forces there.
 Britain battled Mahdi ruled
Sudan for years, off and
on. Then Italy tried to
take neighboring Ethiopia
and got into trouble there.
Britain decided to send in
forces to subdue Sudan to
make sure Sudan couldn’t
attack Ethiopia. Under
Kitchener, Sudan was
subdued. Britain ruled
Sudan until 1956.
Boxer Rebellion
 In China, a nationalist movement by the secret
"Righteous Harmony Society" between 1898 and 1901
 The society opposed “foreign imperialism” and
Christianity. The uprising took place in response to
foreign “spheres of influence" in China.
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They hated the opium trade, political invasion, economic
manipulation, and foreign missionaries
Concerns grew that missionaries and Chinese Christians could use
this decline in Chinese control to their advantage, appropriating
lands and property of unwilling Chinese peasants to give to the
church.
This sentiment resulted in violent revolts against foreign interests.
The Boxes would swarm into settlements and villages and kill all
foreigners, including missionaries and merchants, and all those
Chinese who stood up for them, were converts, or traded with
them
 In June 1900 in Beijing, Boxer fighters
threatened foreigners and forced them
to seek refuge in the fortified diplomatic
quarter of the city.
 Then the Empress, though reluctant,
was forced by conservatives of the
Imperial Court to support the Boxers
and declare war on foreign powers.
 Diplomats, foreign civilians and soldiers,
and Chinese Christians in the Legation
Quarter were under siege by the
Imperial Army of China and the Boxers
for 55 days. The Chinese government
was split between destroying the
foreigners in the Legation Quarter and
making peace.
 The siege ended when the 8
Nation Alliance (US, Britain,
France, others) brought 20,000
armed troops to China to defeat
the Imperial Army and capture
Beijing.
 The Boxer Protocol of 7
September 1901 ended the
uprising and provided for severe
punishments, including an
indemnity of 67 million pounds,
more than the government's
annual tax revenue, to be paid as
indemnity over a course of thirtynine years to the eight nations
involved.
 Overall assessment: European domination of
the world in trade and economics
 “The Sun Never Sets”—Britain as #1 colonial
power: set up Commonwealth with
 Dominion of Canada (1867); extended to the western
provinces in 1905; Newfoundland joined in 1949. The
Statute of Westminster (1931) confirmed Canada's
status as an independent nation within the
Commonwealth.
 Australia, originally penal colonies, a commonwealth
of the 6 English colonies granted independence in
1901
 New Zealand achieved independence 1907
 Republic of South Africa granted independence 1910