27 the new imperialism, 1869-1914
TRANSCRIPT
The New Imperialism, 1869-1914
The New Imperialism: Motives and Methods
The Scramble for Africa
Imperialism in Asia and the Pacific
Imperialism in Latin America
The World Economy and the Global Environment
Learning Objectives:
After reading and studying this chapter you should be able to discuss:
1. Understand the concepts of "New Imperialism" and "colonialism" and be able to analyze them in terms of motives, their methods, and their place in the development of the world economy and the global environment.
2. Understand the "Scramble for Africa" and be able to use concrete examples to illustrate the process of colonization and reactions to colonization in Africa.
3. Understand the process by which Central and Southeast Asia and the Pacific islands were brought under the domination of the great powers.
4. Understand and be able to analyze the causes and significance of free-trade imperialism in Latin America.
Focus and Essential Questions:
What motivated the industrial nations to conquer new territories, and what means did they use?
Why were imperialists drawn to the natural resources of Africa, and how did their presence on that continent change the environment?
What were the social and cultural effects of imperialism in Asia?
What were the economic motives behind imperialism in Latin America?
How did imperialism contribute to the growth and globalization of the world economy?
The New Imperialism: Motives and Methods
Europe had a long tradition of imperialism
reaching back to the twelfth century
New Imperialism was characterized by an
explosion of territorial conquests even more
rapid than the Spanish conquests of the 16th
century
Economic, cultural, and political motives
French leaders, humiliated by their
defeat in 1871, sought to reestablish
their nation’s prestige through territorial gain
The desire for impressive empire
overseas as a reflection of national
grander
Political Motives
Cultural Motives
Both Catholics and Protestants founded new
missionary societies, converting nonbelievers and
to export their own norms of “civilized” behavior
Western morals, medicine, hygiene, and monogamous marriages; Women sought
to reform cultures under the auspices of women’s rights
—sati
Many Europeans and Americans equated
technological innovations with “progress” and
“change”
Humanity was divided into several races based on physical appearance
and ranked in a hierarchy of “civilized”, “semi-
barbarous”, “barbarian”, and “savage”
Economic Motives
The industrialization of Europe and North America stimulated the demand for
raw materials
An economic depression from 1870-1890 caused European merchants,
manufactures, and shippers to seek protection against for foreign competition—
leading to the acquisition of colonies
The Tools of Imperialists
Nineteenth century technological
innovations began to tip the balance of power in
favor of Europe
The steamship, Suez Canal, Submarine
Telegraph cables, Breech loading/Muzzle-loading,
smokeless powder, machine guns
Colonial Agents and Administration
The system of administering and exploiting colonies for the
benefit of the home country is known as *colonialism
Colonial protectorates had traditional governments with
monarchs but European “advisors”
Most colonies operated with local military forces under the control of the European nation
The Scramble for Africa
Contact with Europeans
Initial phase: 1470s-mid1500sPortuguese trade in fish,
pepper, ivory, gold
Not colonizers or rulers; Africans treated as equal
partners
Some missionary work in the Congo
but not a long-term Portuguese effort
Introduced crops from
America: maize, tobacco, cassava,
tomato pineapple, sweet
potatoIndies: orange, lemon, lime, rice, sugar cane
By end of 15th century, trade mainly
gold and slaves.
Second phase: mid-1500s-1800
Other nations entered in:
England, France, Holland
Trade was focused
Little scientific curiosity, no interest in
colonization, attempts to Christianize or Westernize was
abandoned and slave trade was emphasized
Demand for Slaves
Labor intensive enterprises: Mining and plantations
Frontier conditions in the Americas: Africans survived in the tropics; Africans have
same immunities as Europeans
Slave labor enabled industrialization:
Textiles, sugar refining, distilling
Sources of slaves
Prisoners of war
Captured in raids
Domestic slaves and pawns
resold
Criminals
Effects of Slave Trade
Africa:Depopulation
Hindered economic
development
Atmosphere of fear and insecurity; increased war
and raids
Change in attitudes of Europeans toward
Africans
Colonization of Africa
1879 90% of Africa was independent
1900 all but a fraction of Africa was governed by European powers
Reasons for the Scramble for Africa
Economic: Europeans needed raw materials produced in
Africa to feed European factoriesAfrica was to be a new market for goods produced by the factories
Promise of mineral wealth: wish to gain and prevent other Europeans from gaining
Stability viewed as necessary for European trade
Political: Rise of nationalism in
Europe, colonies seen as mark of national pride
and prestige
France eager to restore prestige after loss in Franco-Prussian War
1870-71
Practical: New medicines lowered death rate of Europeans;
New guns made conquest possible
Ideological:European doctrine of
innate superiority
European duty to dominate
European rule viewed as privilege
Social Darwinism
European cooperation
Berlin Conference 1884-5 and others:
Europeans divided Africa among themselves
Division reflected power balance among Europeans, no relation to situation in
Africa
Prevented Africans from playing off one European
power against another
Relative Ease of African conquest
European guns superior; by 1885 banned importation of
guns and ammunition
Standing armies rare
States had dynastic rivalries, subject people revolted
Almost total absence of solidarity among African
groups
African colonialism
Period of establishment
1885-1915
Period of active development
1915-1945
Period of retreat 1945-1955
British colonies
The Dual Mandate in Tropical Africa
Govern in interests of both colonizers and
colonized
Colonies should be self-supporting
Colonies should allow expansion of British trade
British colonial rule
Indirect rule:Use of African chiefs and
political forms as modified by British
African leaders put in difficult middle position
Led to fossilization and undemocratic systems but retained some of tradition
French colonies
Goal of Assimilation:Educated could become Black
Frenchmen
Direct rule:Assumed African
institutions unacceptable
Control by French except on local level
Ratio of foreign rulers 1930s
Nigeria1315 British—20
million Nigerians
French West Africa3660 French—15 million Africans
French Equatorial Africa
887 French—3.2 million Africans
Education
British: Government didn’t
provide many schools but allowed
missionaries to open schools.
French:Held out goal of assimilation but provided little
education, controlled size of elite
Imperialism in Latin America and Asia
Two Types of European Imperialism
The first transplants European people to overseas locations.
The second attempts to dominate and manipulate the
economies of other peoples for European
profit.
Asian Response
Southeast Asia responded mostly
passively.
Ottoman Turkey tentatively and
uncertainly; China defensively and
reluctantly; Mughul India with confusion;
Japan proactively.
JapanThe arrival of
Westerners set in motion a revolt against the old
order.
Out of fear of becoming like the exploited Chinese, rapidly established a unified national state that came to match European
imperialists.
Asian Societies
None of these societies was weak in
the broad sense.
The people were tough and hard-working and had durable cultural
institutions.
Cultural Roots
Each society retained its cultural roots in the face of the West’s superior
strengths.
-military-industrial-scientific
Asian Weakness
The weakness lay in having a durable traditional culture
badly out of step with the twentieth century.
India and Southeast Asia leadership was disunited.
China was bogged down in
self-satisfied orthodoxy.
Japan was divided and uncertain.
Economic Difficulties
All these countries were undergoing economic
difficulties that reduced public faith in the
leadership.
The country that changed its leadership fastest was first off the mark into the
modern world.
That was Japan.