Transcript China and the New Imperialism

Warm Up
• What did imperialism look like in Africa?
• What did imperialism look like in India?
• How were the results similar…different?
New Imperialism in Asia
Indochina
• French Colony
• Natural
resources
particularly
rubber
• Vietnam, Laos,
Cambodia
Thailand/Siam
• Independent
• “Buffer”
between British
India and
French
Indochina
China - Internal Problems
• By the 1800s, the Qing dynasty was in
decline
• A population explosion put stress on the
government
• An extravagant court, tax evasion, official
corruption, and bribery in the civil service
system led to an increased burden on the
peasant class.
• Emperors refused to change and
industrialize.
Trade Issue
• Prior to the 1800s, China placed strict
restrictions on trade
• European merchants and traders were
limited to a small area in southern China
• China sold the Europeans silk, porcelain,
and tea in exchange for gold and silver
• China enjoyed a trade surplus, exporting
more than it imported
• Westerners had a trade deficit, buying
more from the Chinese than they sold to
them
Fixing the Trade Imbalance
• During the 1700s, British merchants introduced
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Indian opium to China
The opium was traded for Chinese tea, which
had become extremely popular in England
Many Chinese citizens became addicted to the
drug
Silver flowed out of China in payment for opium
This disrupted the Chinese economy and
depleted the Chinese treasury
The Opium War
• The Chinese government outlawed opium and
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executed drug dealers
They called on Britain to stop the opium trade
The British refused , calling for free trade
In 1839, Chinese warships clashed with British
merchants, triggering the Opium War
British gunboats bombarded Chinese coastal and
river ports
The British used their superior weapons and
tactics to defeat Chinese forces
Unequal Treaties
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In 1842, Treaty of Nanjing ends Opium Wars.
The British gained the island of Hong Kong
China had to open five ports to foreign trade
British citizens were granted extraterritoriality,
the right to live under their own laws and be
tried in their own courts
This was the first in a series of “unequal
treaties” that forced China to make concessions
to western powers
During the mid-1800s, under pressure from the
West, China opened up more ports to foreign
trade and let Christian missionaries into China
The Taiping Rebellion 18501864
• As peasant misery increased, a rebellion broke
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out
The rebellion was led by Hong Xiuquan, a village
school teacher who thought he was brother of
Jesus Christ.
He wanted to establish a “Heavenly Kingdom of
Great Peace”- the Taiping
Hong’s ideas were considered radical by Chinese
leaders
He supported land reform, community
ownership of property, and equality for women
and men
Effects
• The rebellion almost toppled the Qing
dynasty
• The rebellion caused an estimated 20-30
million deaths
• The dynasty survived but was weakened
• During the rebellion, the Europeans kept
the pressure on China
• Russia seized lands in northern China
Self-Strengthening
Government
• In the 1860s, reformers launched the
“self-strengthening movement”
• They imported western technologymodern factories, shipyards, railroads,
mining, and light industry
• The movement made little progress
because the government did not support it
Spheres of Influence
• The western powers carved out spheres of
influence along the Chinese coast (areas
where Europeans had influence over trade
and government, not the Chinese)
• Britain, France, Germany, and Russia all
claimed a sphere of influence in China
• The United States did not claim a sphere,
but was worried that the European powers
would close trade to U.S. merchants
U.S. Open Door Policy
• In 1899, the United States called for an
“Open Door policy” in China
• No colonies but China remain open to
trading with all countries.
• The European powers accepted the policy
The Qing Dynasty Falls
• As the 19th century ended, the Qing
dynasty was in decline
• However, the Chinese did not like having
foreign troops in their country
• They also resented Christian missionaries
Boxer Uprising
• In 1899, the situation exploded
• A secret organization, the Righteous
Harmonious Fists, wanted to expel all
foreigners from China
• In 1900, the Boxers attacked foreigners
across China
• The western powers and Japan sent in
troops to put down the uprising.
Three Principles of the People
• The Boxer Rebellion led to increased
nationalism
• In 1900, a constitutional monarchy
was introduced
• Some began pushing for a republic
Sun Yixian
• Sun Yixian (also
known as Sun Yatsen) wanted to
rebuild China on
“Three Principles of
the People”
1. Nationalism- drive
out the foreigners
2. Democracyrepresentative
democracy
3. Livelihoodeconomic security
for all Chinese
Birth of a Republic
• The Qing dynasty fell in 1911
• Sun Yixian was named president of the
new Chinese republic
• However, for the next 37 years, China
faced constant warfare (foreign and
domestic)