Transcript Imperialism - Cobb Learning

European Imperialism
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Imperialism – The practice of a powerful
nation building an empire by establishing
control of weaker nations or regions.
Old Imperialism (1500-1800) Colonization by European nations during
the Exploration and the Commercial
Revolution. Declined by the early 19th
century due to high cost and rising
resistance caused by nationalism.
Modern Imperialism – (Since mid 1800’s)
– Industrialization began a renewed interest
in expanding their territories and empire
building. Imperialist nations are referred to
“Mother Countries”
Motives for Imperialism by
European Countries
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Cheap supply of raw materials from inhabited lands.
To create markets for the sale of manufactured goods
To provide investors opportunities for safe investment of
surplus capital
To provide outlets for growing populations in mother
countries.
To increase national prestige and provide “a place in the
sun” for the growing middle class.
Allowed Missionaries to spread Christianity throughout the
world.
To spread the advance western culture to what they
considered “backward” people of the world. Known as
“White Man’s Burden” (Social Darwinism).
Excerpt from Rudyard Kipling’s
White Mans Burden” - 1899
Take up the White Man's burden-Send forth the best ye breed-Go bind your sons to exile
To serve your captives' need;
To wait in heavy harness,
On fluttered folk and wild-Your new-caught, sullen peoples,
Half-devil and half-child.
Types of Imperialist Control
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Colonies or Annexation – A foreign nation
gains total control over a region and its native
population. It becomes part of the empire and
is under complete control of the mother
country.
Protectorate – The native ruler remains in
power but the mother country controls affairs
behind the scene.
Condominium – Regions in which two nations
ruled as partners
Types of Imperialist Control
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Concession – An underdeveloped country
grants economic rights and privileges to
foreign businesses or governments in return
for the building of infrastructure to develop
the mining or collection of natural resources.
Sphere of Influence – Regions in which a
nation is given exclusive economic privileges
that are respected by other nations.
Mandate (Trusteeship) – Areas of defeated
nations are put under control of victorious
nations following war. The ruling nation
pledges to prepare the native people for selfrule.
Berlin Conference (1884-85)
* Purpose  Otto von Bismarck convened the Great
European Powers to determine procedures on how to
divide Africa and provide for orderly establishment of
colonies. Africans leaders were not included.
The Scramble for Africa
French Control of North and West Africa
 French troops invaded Algeria in
1830. They were initially repelled
but eventually gained control.
 By the late 19th Century, French
interests in Northern Africa
increased:
 Many French citizens began
moving into Northern Africa
 French Industrialists desired
more access to the raw
materials and markets .
 The French gained control
of Tunis (now known as
Tunisia) by 1881 and
Morocco by 1904
 France eventually controlled
most of North and West
Africa
France’s Colonial Empire
Central Africa – The Belgian Congo
 In 1877, the famous American journalist/explorer Henry M Stanley
explored the area around the Congo River in central Africa
 King Leopold II of Belgium personally funded another expedition
(led by Stanley) into the Congo region
 In 1884-85, at the Berlin Conference, Leopold was granted a large
portion of Central Africa, surrounding the Congo River. It becomes
known as “Congo Free State”
 It actually serves as his own private plantation
 Between 1885 and 1908, under Leopold’s authority, the rubber
companies brutally force the native inhabitants of the Congo
River area to extract rubber and other products from the forests
 Those who do not extract enough are killed or mutilated.
 Beginning in 1906, the British press began to run articles on these
atrocities drawing world wide attention.
 In 1909, Leopold is forced to give up control.
 It becomes an official Belgian colony called the Belgian Congo
British Control of Egypt (and the Suez Canal)
 In 1859, a French entrepreneur,
Ferdinand de Lesseps, established a
company to construct the Suez Canal
with the blessing and assistance of
Egypt’s rulers
 The Suez Canal was opened by 1869
(at great expense to the Egyptians)
 Because of huge debts Egypt sold its
shares in the Suez Canal project to
Britain in 1875.
 After an uprising was put down by
English troops in 1882. Egypt became
a protectorate of England. It remained
this way until 1954
British Colonial Influence in Southern Africa
 First settled by the Dutch in 1652 – “Cape Colony”
 Over time these Dutch settlers, became known as as the Boers.
 As the British began to settle in South Africa, the Boers began
migrating to the northeast to escape British rule and formed two
independent Boer republics (1)Transvaal and (2) Orange Free
State.
 Major gold and diamond deposits were found in Southern Africa
in 1868 – causing more British fortune-seekers to migrate into the
area.
 These lands, many of which belonged to a large tribe known as the
Zulu’s, were annexed by the Cape Colony in 1871.
 In 1879, the British and Zulus went to war.
 In spite of early defeats, the British finally manage to win the war.
 The remainder of the Zulu lands were annexed to the Cape Colony
and granted to British settlers
British Colonial Influence in Southern Africa
The Influence of Cecil Rhodes
 Cecil Rhodes was a powerful and
wealthy businessman who enriched
himself with diamond mining in Cape
Colony– He founded De Beers
Consolidated Diamond Mining
Company
 Rhodes created two more British
colonies through takeover of tribal
lands. They become
 Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia)
 Southern Rhodesia (now
Zimbabwe)
 Rhodes became the Prime Minister of
the Cape Colony
The Boer War
 Gold was discovered in the Transvaal in 1886
 British prospectors and settlers quickly move into the Boer
republics
 Under the leadership of Rhodes, the Cape Colony attempted
to annex the Transvaal and Orange Free State by force in 1896
The attempt fails and Rhodes is forced to resign
 The British begin the Boer War to capture these areas
 The War lasts from 1899 – 1902
 The Boers at first succeeded using guerrilla tactics
 The British respond by sending in several hundred thousand
troops. They scorch Boer farms and set-up prison camps for
captured Boers (including women and children)
 The British win, but experience an international public
relations nightmare for their treatment of the Boers
Establishment of the Union of South Africa in 1910
 The settlers of European ancestry vote to establish the Union of
South Africa
Three major groups of people
 Whites (entirely of European ancestry)
 “Coloreds” – including ethnic Indians and peoples of mixed
African and European ancestry
 Native Africans
 In 1913 – South Africa’s Parliament passed the Native Lands Act
 Only White South Africans had the right to vote
 Native African peoples only allowed to live and own land on
reservations
 This created the South African system of Apartheid, which lasted
until the 1990s
 In response Mohandas K. Gandhi, a lawyer living in South Africa,
urged his fellow Indians to peacefully disobey these laws
 Black and “colored” peoples form the South African Native National
Congress, the forerunner of the African National Congress protest these
racist policies
By 1900 Europe controlled over 75% of the World’s
territory and 25% of the World’s Population
Britain Is Everywhere!
The Sun Never Sets
on the British Empire
India: The British Raj
The new “Empress of India” receiving the “Jewel in
the Crown” of her Empire.
British Imperialism in
India
British Imperialism
in India
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India around 1750
Power rested in the hands of local Muslim and Hindu
landed nobility. India was a collection of separate
principalities
The British East India Company influence and power
in India began increasing with presence mostly in the
Eastern coastal regions by about 1750.
The company recruited and funded their own branch of
the British army – containing British as well as Indian
troops called Sepoys
British Imperialism: India
Economic Opportunity
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Increase economic output
Increase private land ownership (to increase cash crop and
raw material production)
Increase jobs in trading ventures
Increase “power” and wealth to the local princes who often
supported the British
British Imperialism: India
Problems of British Rule
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Women and people of the lesser castes of India did not
benefit from British policies
New taxes were imposed on the people.
Only the higher castes socially and financially benefited
directly from British policies. The poor got even poorer
Collapse of the textile industry – due to Britain’s
successes in textile industrialization and utilization of
Indian cotton
Decreasing loyalties of the Sepoy regiments
British Imperialism: India
The Sepoy Rebellion
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Sepoys contained a mixture of ethnic and religious
groups – all forced to live and work together even
though some did not get along
New procedure as of 1856
Some Sepoys were to be ordered to be stationed
abroad (Ocean travel was forbidden by Hindu law)
Gun loading procedures of new Enfield Rifles –
open paper cartridge (sealed with cow or pork fat)
 Hindu soldiers upset – cow is a sacred animal
 Muslim soldiers upset – pig is an unclean
animal and consumption is forbidden by Islam
law
Due to these issues, the Sepoy regiments mutiny
against the British
British Imperialism: India
The Sepoy Rebellion
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The Sepoys were joined by Indian peasants
The British army finally put down this rebellion by March 1858
The British Government took firm control of India as a colony in
1858
 The last Mughal Emperor was removed from power
 British government took over control of India from the British
East India Co.
 The British Government establishes a centralized colonial
government and social structure
British Imperialism: India
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Secretary of State for India – British government official, stationed in
London, who effectively controlled government policies relating to India
A Viceroy (appointed by Queen Victoria) – Based in Delhi, this official
acted as the queen’s representative on site and lived in great splendor in
Delhi as a show of authority
Queen Victoria issued a proclamation affecting India in 1858
 All Indians were granted equal protection under British law
 All Indians were free to practice their religion and social customs
 Local princes (so long as they remained loyal to Britain) would be
allowed to have the same local control over their territories
 She was named “Empress of India” in 1877
An Indian colonial bureaucracy was established
British Imperialism: India
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Britain made economic and infrastructural changes in India after1857
British government spends millions in building ports, harbors,
bridges, canals, railroads, telegraph lines, sanitation systems and
plantations
Much of these were built and run by British companies and executives
employing Indian workers
Even though sanitation improvements were made, 4 in 1000 Indians
died of cholera until the early 20th century
Increased production of raw materials and cash crops
Increased importation of (British-made) manufactured goods
British Imperialism: India
Effects on Indian Colonial Society
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Very little social changes as most Indians remained in poverty
Most Indians benefitted little from the infrastructural
improvements
Destruction of Indian “cottage industries” due to British
manufacturing and importation
Rise in prosperity in India’s middle classes
Sporadic famine episodes – caused by an overproduction of cotton
on lands once used to grow wheat
Rise in Indian Nationalism.