Scramble for Africa and Opium Wars

Flashcards covering key concepts about the Scramble for Africa, the Opium Wars, and the responses of China and Japan to Western influence.

Scramble for Africa

A period of competition among European nations to take over African land through imperialism.

Berlin Conference

A meeting where European nations divided Africa among themselves without the inclusion of African countries.

Social Darwinism

The belief that stronger nations have the right to dominate weaker nations.

Opium Wars

Conflicts between China and Britain over opium trade, resulting in China's forced opening and loss of land.

Isolationism

A foreign policy of limiting contact with other countries, practiced by both China and Japan before western influence.

Commodore Perry

He was crucial in forcing Japan to open its ports to U.S. trade, ending Japan's isolation.

Meiji Restoration

A period in Japan that restored the emperor and led to rapid modernization.

Imperialism

The policy of extending a country's power and influence through colonization or military force.

Colonization

The act of settling and controlling a land by a foreign power.

Westernization

The process by which Japan adopted Western ideas and technology, leading to industrialization.

Direct Control

A form of imperial rule where the colonizing country exerts complete control over the colony.

Indirect Control

A form of imperialism where control is exerted through existing local power structures.

Opium Trade

The illegal trade of opium by Britain to China, justifying it for profit while meeting resistance.

Imperialism in Africa vs. Asia

In Africa, imperialism often involved direct control and colonization; in Asia, it was more about indirect influence and modernization.

Japan vs. China Response to Western Influence

Japan embraced modernization and became powerful, while China resisted and weakened.