AP Euro - 7.7 - Imperialism's Global Effects

Berlin Conference

• Starting in 1884, Otto von Bismarck called a series of meetings in which the imperial powers of Europe could colonize Africa peacefully through discussion and negotiation

• The Africans were not invited

Fashoda Crisis

• Both Britain and France wanted to connect their African empires via railroad

• Sedan was a key location for this

Fashoda Crisis Outcome

The French withdrew and ceded Sedan to Britain because they were outnumbered and to have an ally (Britain) to defend against Germany and its growing influence in Africa and Europe

Entente Cordiale

In 1904, Britain and France signed this which established friendly relations between those two nations

Moroccan Crises

• In 1905 and 1911, the Germans backed up Moroccan rebellions against the French

• Since France was assisted by Britain, the parties resorted to solving the conflict through diplomacy with France retaining its control of Morocco

• France grew closer to Britain and more bitter towards Germany

Joesph Conrad

• In the Belgian Congo, he witnessed the violent policies established there by King Leopold II of Belgium, who kept it for himself and not Belgium

• Wrote “Heart of Darkness” which outlined these abuses in graphic detail

Edmund Morel

• Formed the Congo Reform Association to address violence in the Congo

• Gathered many notable writers of the age to outline Leopold’s violent policies in the Conogo

• The Europeans saw these arguments against Leopold’s imperialism and forced him to transfer imperial rights of the Congo to Belgium itself

J.A. Hobson

Argued that imperialism was ultimately a detrimental economic system in the long run because it depended on unstable markets

Vladimir Lenin

• Did not like capitalism

• Partially agreed with Hobson

• Believed that imperialism was the fulfillment of capitalism and that they (the isms) both had to be scrapped

Nationalist resistance in Africa

• In their colonies Natal and Zululand, the British had forced the native Zulus into working diamond mines

• The Zulus gathered an army of 40,000 and scored many victories for about 6 months

• The British were ultimately successful

Nationalist resistance in Ethiopia

Ethiopian King Menelik II purchased industrial grade weapons from France and Russia, allowing the Ethiopians to successfully defend against the invading Italians and remain independent

Nationalist resistance in India

• Due to the rapid westernization occurring in India and the feeling that their native traditions and cultures were being lost or degraded, a surge of nationalism led the Sepoy to rebel in the Sepoy Mutiny in 1857, which spread rapidly across India

• The British eventually won

• The possession of the colony was transferred from the British East India Company to the British government