Unit 2 Terms -- Cambridge International History

Imperial Overreach

• “Imperial overreach” = Empire so large it is expensive to manage and stretched manpower

• The size of the British Empire was a double-edged sword

• Overreach made the empire vulnerable

Otto von Bismarck

• Bismarck’s goal was to increase German power in Europe, not create a huge overseas empire

• Also realized the newly formed Germany was weak and had to act very carefully

• Bismarck’s strategy was supported by Kaiser Wilhelm I

• Bismarck’s aims: Isolate France, Avoid a major war in Europe

• Support France against Britain

• Keep Britain out of continental affairs

• Don’t provoke by building a large navy

Kaiser Wilhelm II

• In 1888 Kaiser Wilhelm II came to power

• Temperaemental, overconfident, and worked poorly with others

• Obsessed with creating a large navy and overseas empire

• Fired Chancellor Bismarck in 1890

• Britain, Italy, and Austria vs. Russia and France

• Kaiser Wilhelm II was terrible at diplomacy

• Kaiser Wilhelm II adopted an anti-British stance after diplomatic failures

• Interfered with several British colonies

International African Association (IAA)

• King Leopold II of Belgium set up the International African Association (IAA) in 1876

• Stated aims: To end the slavery in Central Africa and open it up to trade

• Real Aim: “To get a slice of that magnificent African cake”

• Leopold commissioned Stanley and French explorer Pierre Brazzza to map the lower Congo

• Brazza secretly working for the French

• Failed, but returned to France a hero

Berlin Conference (1884-85)

• When conflict were too large the great powers called conferences

• “Safety valves”

• Called to regulate the situation in the Congo

• IAA, France, Anglo-Portuguese Treaty

• Control given to the IAA, free trade ensured

• German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck organized the meeting in Berlin, Germany, to prevent European nations from going to war over land and trade in Africa

“Scramble for Africa”

• New technology allowed Europeans to explore sub-Saharan Africa

• Reports back from explorers (Stanley, Livingstone, Rhodes, etc.)

• Press and geographical societies

• Interest:

• Economic (raw materials, new markets)

• Religion (conversion)

•  The Berlin Conference →Scramble for Africa

• Nearly every European nation tried to conquer as much of Africa as it could

• British businessman Cecil Rhodes sought to create a vast British colony in southern Africa

Suez Canal

• Suez Canal built by a French company in 1876

• Key to maintenance of British India

• French and Britain jointly take control of the nation’s finances

• 1881: Egyptian military led an uprising against European control

• France’s parliament vetoed sending troops

• Braitain’s parliament approved sending troops

• The British military put down the Urabi Revolt, which allowed them to become the sole rulers of Egypt and Sudan (“Anglo-Egyptian Condominium”)

• AND the Suez Canal

Mahdist War (1881-99)

• When Britain gained Egypt, it also gained Sudan

• A Wahhabist revolution led by the Mahdi (“redeemer”) broke out in Sudan in the 1800s

• “The Mahdist War” (1881-99)

• The British army defeated was forced to flee in Sudan 1883

• 10,000+ massacred

Fashoda Crisis (1898)

• Italy called on the British for help —> British moved troops up the Nile

• France saw this as a threat to their Central African colonies and sent troops to the Upper Nile

• Goal to dam the swamps of Fashoda to cut off water to Sudan and Egypt

• In response to the French move, British PM ordered the army to reconquer Sudan

• Army sailed further up the Nile River, toward Fashoda

• The French and British forces met, but on friendly terms

• However, the press reported a war was about to break out → public and government panic

• French government ordered a retreat, Britain returned to focus on the Mahdists

• As a result of the Fashoda Crisis, Britain and France agreed on an entente in Africa

• France accepts British control of Egypt

• Britain accepts French control of Morocco

• Technically Egypt and Morocco had native rulers, but they were European puppets

Moroccan Crises (1905/11)

• First Morcocan Crisis (1905)

• Kaiser Willhelm II stopped in Morocco on a Mediterranean cruise

• Intentionally greeted the Sultan as an independent leader

• Angered the French government

• Overt attempt to exert German influence

• Willhelm II then demanded a European conference on Morocco’s future and the resignation of French foreign minister Delcasse

• Delcasse resigned, conference was agreed on

• But… the other nations affirmed France’s special position in the country

• Second Moroccan Crisis (1911)

• The Morcoccan Crisis of 1905 risked a European war

• Germany → Schlieffen Plan

• 1911: Willhelm II stationed naval ships in Morocco’s Agadir harbor

• Britain threatened Germany, who backed down

• Pushed Britain, France, Russia closer