Imperialism and World War I

What was quinine?

A new medicine which allowed Europeans to survive tropical diseases

Why was quinine important in relation to Imperialism?

Its discovery made exploration and conquest of tropical areas much more practical

What was the goal of the Boxer rebellion?

To get rid of foreign influence in China

What were spheres of influence?

Areas in China that foreign countries controlled

What country was split into spheres of influence?

China

What was the battle of Omdurman?

A fight in Sudan where the British defeated the Sudanese, killing 10,000 while only losing 48

What conference led to the Scramble for Africa?

The Berlin Conference

What was the Battle of Isandhlwana?

The Zulu defeated the British in Southern Africa, despite the British having more troops

What was the first nation in Latin America to gain its independence?

Haiti

Who led Haiti’s independence movement?

Toussaint L’Ouverture

Why did the US refuse to recognize Haiti’s independence?

Because it was a Black-led country and Americans feared that Haiti’s successful slave revolt might inspire enslaved people in the U.S. to rebel

What two men are known as the liberators of South America?

Simon Bolivar and Jose de San Martin

What is Linqvuist’s thesis in Exterminate All The Brutes? (Put this answer in your own words).

The Holocaust was the result of a long history at European colonialism and racism, where the systematic killing and oppression of “inferior” peoples around the world created the ideas and practices that made such mass extermination possible

What happened to the Hereros?

They were forced into reserves, driven into the desert, and shot if found within German borders. Most died from starvation and exposure and only a few thousand survived, sent to concentration camps for labor.

First way that Things Fall Apart can be considered a response to White Man’s Burden.

Kipling argues that spreading Christianity is a noble duty to improve other societies, but Achebe shows that the church actually created conflict and division in the Igbo community

Second way that Things Fall Apart can be considered a response to White Man’s Burden.

Kipling presents colonized people as savage and uncivilized, but Achebe shows that Igbo culture is highly organized with law and religion

Third way that Things Fall Apart can be considered a response to White Man’s Burden.

Kipling describes imperialism as a selfless act to help others, but Achebe shows that this “help” destroys Igbo traditions and weakens their culture

Fourth way that Things Fall Apart can be considered a response to White Man’s Burden.

Kipling suggests that taking control of other societies is justified even if people resist, while Achebe shows that this control leads to loss of independence and harms the Igbo people

What did he list as the benefits of British rule (Humanity-wise)?

Stopped suttee, destroyed dangerous criminals, let Hindu widows remarry, gave help during famine

What did he list as the benefits of British rule (Civilization-wise)?

Started education for boys and girls, reduced superstition and social evils, revived Indian literature with some Western influence

What did he list as the benefits of British rule (Political-wise)?

Maintained peace and order, freedom of speech and press, better political awareness, improved native governments, protected life and property, reduced oppression, fairer justice, educated administrators

What did he list as the benefits of British rule (Material-wise)?

Loan for railways and irrigation, developed products, increased exports, introduced telegraphs

What did he list as the detriments of British rule (Political-wise)?

Broken promises in administration, limited political voice, disregard for natives’ feelings and views, skilled administration left

What did he list as the detriments of British rule (Financial-wise)?

Focused on taxing Indians, taxes were heavy and unfair, India forced to pay Britain’s debts and expenses

What did he list as the detriments of British rule (Material-wise)?

Huge drain of wealth from India to Britain, most were poor and barely surviving, loss of Indian manufacturing and skills, overall exploitation

Who was Hong Xiuquan?

A Chinese religious leader who believed he was the brother of Jesus and founded the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom to fight the Manchu rulers

Why did people follow Hong Xiuquan?

For his religious message, promises of equality, and opposition to the Manchus

What were the goals and promises of the Taiping?

They aimed to defeat the Manchus and create the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom with equality for men and women, shared property, strict moral rules, and rewards for followers this life and the next

Who was King Leopold?

The personal ruler of the Congo Free State. He controlled it independently than the Belgian government.

How did he justify his intervention in Africa?

By claiming that he was bringing “civilization” to Africa, abolishing the slave trade, establishing peace among local chiefs, and providing public services, but in reality these were false justifications

How were the natives in the “Congo Free State” treated?

Men were forced to work long distances under harsh conditions, while women and children and elders were taken as hostages. Soldiers used whips, mutilated villagers, destroyed homes, and killed those who resisted. Starvation, disease, and overwork were widespread, birth rates dropped.

What two products made the most money for the Belgians in Congo?

Ivory and Rubber

What were the four main causes of death in Congo?

Murder, Starvation + Exhaustion + Exposure, Disease, Plummeting Birth Rates

How many people died in Congo?

Around 10 million

How did the authors of the letter (Haiti Reading) use the ideals of the French Revolution against their French oppressors? 

They used the ideals of liberty and equality to expose the hypocrisy of the French, showing that keeping 480,000 people enslaved violated freedom, equality, and resistance to oppression (the rights they claimed to uphold)

What demands did they make in the Haiti letter?

General liberty for all enslaved people and general amnesty for the past

What did they promise to do if the demands in the Haiti letter were met?

To lay down their arms and return to the plantations and work for a set wage

What offer did the French make to the Haitian leaders (chiefs)?

They offered freedom only to the Haitian chiefs, not to all enslaved people

How did the Haitian leaders react after the French’s offer?

They rejected this offer

What were the underlying causes of World War I?

Militarism, Alliances, Nationalism, Independence Movements, Arms Race, Colonies

What was the “spark” that actually started the war?

Assassination of the Archduke

What was America’s role in the war in 1914 (start of the war)?

America was neutral, but was willing to sell supplies and weapons to both sides

Why did Britain enter the war?

Britain entered the war after Germany invaded Belgium, which was a neutral country. Britain had agreed to protect the Belgian neutrality, so this gave them a clear reason to enter the war

Who fought on the Allied side?

Great Britain, France, Italy, Romania, Russia, Montenegro, Serbia, Portugal, Belgium, Greece

Who fought on the Central Powers?

Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, Ottoman Empire

Give the name of and describe the German battle plan.

The Schlieffen Plan. The plan was to put most troops in the west to quickly defeat France, then move all those troops to the east to fight Russia

What were some of the new weapons used in WWI?

Machine guns, barbed wire, flame-throwers, bombs, poison-gas, tanks

What weapon was responsible for 75% of battle deaths in WWI?

Cannons

Why did the U.S. enter the war?

Because Germany continued to sink U.S. passenger ships without warning, and sent the Zimmerman Note asking Mexico to attack the U.S. in exchange for land, enraging U.S. and convincing Wilson to join the war

Why did Russia leave the war?

Russia had suffered huge losses, lost land, and faced food and supply shortages, causing unrest. The Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin, took power and signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, which officially took Russia out of WWI

Who was Russia’s new leader?

Vladimir Lenin

What were the Fourteen Points?

A plan proposed to try to end WWI and creating lasting peace

Who devised the Fourteen Points plan?

Woodrow Wilson

What were the provisions of the Treaty of Versailles?

Creation of League of Nations, Return Alsace-Lorraine to France, Military Restrictions, Reparations, War Guilt Clause

What was the Mandate System?

When the League of Nations let “advanced nations” take control of former colonies temporarily to “prepare” them for self rule

What major nation refused to join the League of Nations?

The United States

What changes were made to the map of Europe as a result of WWI?

Austria-Hungary split into 4 (Austria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia), Ottoman Empire lost most of its European land, Yugoslavia creation, Poland remade as independent country, Alsace-Lorraine returned to France, Germany lost territory

What was the Washington Naval Conference?

A meeting held by the U.S. President Harding where many nations agreed to limit the number of ships they built to prevent another naval arms race

What was the Lost Generation?

The group of people who were living/lived during WWI, its aftermath, and the Spanish Flu.

How was the Lost Generation lost?

Many died from war or flu so there were fewer men in generation (literally), Loss of purpose/loss of direction (metaphorically), they also felt betrayed/they’ve been lied to.

What were some common symbols in propaganda?

Spiked helmets and mustaches represented Germany, America often presented as heroic figures, Death/Skeleton shows consequences of war.

What were some common themes in propaganda?

Glorifying war, Duty and Guilt, Demonizing the Enemy, Blame, Rations

Who did most Asians favor in World War I?

Germans/Germany

Why did Asians favor Germany?

They hadn’t been conquering Asian lands unlike Britain and France, and Germany was allied with Turkey, the main Muslim power, which made it easier for Muslims in Asia to sympathize

Who was responsible for the Armenian Genocide?

Enver Pasha, Talat Pasha, Jemal Pasha, all who are leaders of the Committee of Union and Progress

How was the Armenian Genocide committed?

It was carried out through deportation, execution, and starvation. Armenians were forced from their homes and made to walk hundreds of miles to the Syrian desert, with only a few surviving, Able-bodied men were executed to prevent resistance, while women, children and elderly suffered the starvation, exposure, robbery and attacks along the way

What is the position of the Turkish government on the genocide?

They refuse to recognize it as a genocide, and often even question whether it happened

What was Dadaism?

An art movement that was used as a way to protest WWI, violence, and the idea that society was logical or civilized

What was the point of Dadaism?

To create meaningless art to show that society itself is meaningless

How do you write a Dada poem?

By taking a newspaper article, cutting out random words, putting them in a bag and shaking the bag, then picking out words one by one and gluing them down

Where did the first horror movies develop?

Germany

What are the two most famous examples of horror movies?

Nosferatu and The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari

What is Kafka’s opinion about World War I?

He thinks that WWI was absurd, cruel, and unstoppable.

How do you know this was Kafka’s opinion?

Like the killing machine, the war started by humans but continued on its own, causing suffering and death that no one person could end.

How does Owen represent the lost generation in both senses of the phrase?

He represents the Lost Generation (literally) as soldiers who are wounded, blind, and dying, and (figuratively) as a generation traumatized and haunted by the horrors of war