Imperialism, World War I, and the Great Depression Flashcards

Core Principles and Motivations of Imperialism

• Definition of Imperialism: Imperialism is defined as the process by which a stronger nation takes control over a weaker nation across three specific domains: economically, socially, and politically.

• Primary Drivers for Imperialism: There are three critical reasons that necessitating imperialism:     * Demand for Raw Materials and Natural Resources: The Industrial Revolution and ongoing industrialization created a massive need for resources to feed growing production demands. Specific examples of these materials include:         * Palm oil         * Rubber         * Oil         * Cotton         * Tobacco         * Diamonds     * Expansion of Markets: European powers required additional geographical locations to sell their exported goods. This is historically linked to the patterns established during the Triangular Trade.     * Humanitarian and Ideological Justifications: Imperialistic powers developed frameworks to justify their actions to themselves and the world, including:         * White Man’s Burden: The belief in a duty to "civilize" other nations.         * Social Darwinism: The application of "survival of the fittest" to human societies and nations.         * Assimilation: The policy of forcing or encouraging subject people to adopt the institutions and customs of the conquering nation.

The Colonization of Africa

• The Scramble for Africa: This period involved intense competition among European powers to colonize the African continent.

• Key Temporal Milestones: The transcript identifies significant years in the shifts of African territory as $1880$ and $1913$.

• Economic Motivation: Africa was viewed primarily through the lens of its raw materials and natural resources, which were essential as industrialization fundamentally transformed European society.

The British Opium Trade and Imperialism in China

• Trade Dynamics and Smuggling: The British smuggled opium from their colony in India into China. The volume of opium smuggled increased proportionally with the British demand for silver, which was needed to purchase Chinese tea.

• Economic Cycle of Opium:     * Cultivation: Opium was grown on plantations in India as a "cash crop."     * Exchange: Opium was traded to the Chinese in exchange for silver.     * Purchase: The silver was then used to buy Chinese goods, with a heavy emphasis on tea.     * Industrialization: Tea was treated as a raw material, shipped back to British factories, processed, and sold globally as an expensive export.

• Infrastructure: The British built numerous opium factories in India specifically for this illegal trade to bypass trade imbalances.

• Treaty Ports and Legal Impact:     * Following the Opium Wars, China was forced to agree to "treaty ports."     * Treaty Port Definition: A port area under the control of a foreign power where they are allowed to bring in any type of trade goods.     * Extraterritorial Rights: Foreign powers were granted rights that allowed their citizens to be exempt from Chinese laws while in China.

• Spheres of Influence: The weakening of China allowed other nations, including various European powers and Japan, to establish spheres of influence. A sphere of influence is an area where a foreign nation controls trade and investment.

Chinese Resistance and Rebellions

• The Boxer Rebellion:     * Goal: To rid China of all foreign influence, as the rebels believed all of China's problems stemmed from outsiders.     * Outcome: Although it was defeated by a coalition of foreign powers, it significantly increased Chinese nationalism.

• The Taiping Rebellion:     * Goal: Attempted to remove foreign influence, specifically targeting tobacco and drug products.     * Nuance: Unlike the Boxers, the Taiping rebels adopted certain foreign ideas, including Christianity and the concept of equality between men and women.

The Origins and "MAIN" Causes of World War I

• M = Militarism: The policy of maintaining a standing army and keeping it constantly prepared for war.

• A = Alliances: Formed due to growing mistrust and rivalries among Great Powers. Major alliances included:     * Triple Entente (The Allies): Led by England; included France and Russia.     * Triple Alliance (The Central Powers): Led by Germany; included Italy and the Austrian Empire (Austria-Hungarian Empire).

• I = Imperialism: The competition for wealth and global power through the takeover of weaker nations. Wealth is equated to power.

• N = Nationalism: Intense love for one's nation or the desire for independence. An example provided is the $13$ colonies’ desire for independence from England.

The Balkan "Powder Keg" and the Start of War

• The Balkans: Labeled the "powder keg of Europe" due to a long history of ethnic clashes and nationalistic uprisings.

• Serbian Ambitions: Serbia had a large Slavic population and aimed to create a "Greater Slav" nation by absorbing all Slavs in the region, a goal supported by Russia.

• Conflict with Austria: Serbia specifically wanted Bosnia, which was then part of the Austrian Empire.

• The "Spark": The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the Austrian throne, and his wife.     * The Assassin: A member of the Black Hand, a nationalistic group from Bosnia seeking independence.     * Significance: This event provided the immediate justification for nations to declare war, igniting the "powder keg."

Combat Dynamics and New Technology in World War I

• Trench Warfare: Characterized by a bloody stalemate where neither side could achieve a decisive victory. Conditions included:     * Muddy and damp environments     * Rat infestations     * Diseases such as Trench Foot and Trench Fever (caused by lice)     * The presence of dead bodies in the trenches     * Shellshock (psychological trauma)

• No Man's Land: The dangerous area located between opposing sets of trenches. Flanders Fields is noted as a specific location where forests were destroyed, leaving marked zones like "x217".

• New Weaponry:     * Machine Gun: Capable of firing $500\,\text{rounds/minute}$.     * Tank and Submarine (German U-boats).     * Hand Grenades and Flame Throwers.     * Modern Air Force and Zeppelins (German gas-filled balloons).     * Chemical Weapons: Poison gases included Mustard gas, Nerve gas, and Chlorine gas.     * Naval Protection: The Allies utilized the Convoy system to protect ships against U-boat attacks.

• Battle of Attrition: A war of endurance to see which alliance could fight longer.

• Total War: Nations committed all national resources to the effort. Imperial powers relied on colonial resources such as coal, iron ore, copper, rubber, cotton, and manpower (e.g., British Sepoys from India).

The Home Front and the End of the War

• Lusitania Affair ($1915$): A British liner sunk by a German submarine in $15\,\text{minutes}$. Approximately $1,260\,\text{dead}$, including Americans, creating a crisis for the U.S. government.

• Role of Women: Women assumed new roles in society, notably working in factories as men were called to the front lines.

• Propaganda: Used to influence public opinion, often featuring negative bias to portray Germany in a harsh light.

• Treaty of Versailles ($1918$): The treaty that officially ended the war with several harsh conditions for Germany:     * Germany was required to pay reparations totaling $33\,\text{billion dollars}$ to repair British and French economies.     * Germany lost all colonial possessions regardless of location.     * Germany was forbidden from having a standing military.     * The nation was divided into two portions and lost significant territory.     * Germany was barred from the League of Nations.

• New Nations: Territories lost by empires helped create new nations such as Poland and Czechoslovakia.

The Great Depression ($1929-1941$)

• Timeline and Statistics:     * Duration: October $1929$ to December $1941$.     * Unemployment: Rose from $3.2\%$ at the start of $1929$ to $25\%$ by November $1932$.     * 1933 Milestone: Over $15,000,000$ Americans were unemployed; half of all U.S. banks had failed.     * Industrial Production: Dropped by $50\%$.

• Causes:     1. Uneven Wealth Distribution: Most money was held by a few families who invested rather than spent.     2. Overproduction: Industry produced more goods than consumers could afford.     3. High Debt and Low Wages: Worker pay was low while personal debt was high.     4. Agricultural Crisis: Farmers suffered from severe drought and falling prices; many crops rotted in fields as farmers couldn't afford to harvest them.     5. Over-speculation: "Buying on Margin" — using borrowed money to buy stock and using those stocks as collateral for even more loans.

• The Crash: "Black Tuesday" occurred on October $29, 1929$. This triggered a ripple effect: Investor loss $\rightarrow$ Business profit loss $\rightarrow$ Worker job loss $\rightarrow$ Decreased consumer buying $\rightarrow$ Unpaid bank loans. This eventually became a worldwide depression.

FDR and the New Deal

• The New Deal Philosophy: Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR) believed the government must provide for those who have too little.

• Major Programs:     * PWA (Public Works Administration): Funded infrastructure like the Hoover Dam, Lincoln Tunnel, and San Antonio River Walk. Created $8,500,000\,\text{jobs}$ between $1935-1943$.     * CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps): Employed young men ages $18-25$ for environmental work (e.g., planting $3,000,000,000\,\text{trees}$). Created $3,000,000\,\text{jobs}$ over $9\,\text{years}$.     * Social Security Act ($1935$): Guaranteed income for the unemployed and retired to prevent senior poverty.     * FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation): Protects bank savings (up to $250,000$ today) to restore faith in the banking system.     * SEC (Security and Exchange Commission) ($1934$): Regulates the stock market to prevent fraud and unfair practices.

Historical Global Empires

• Aztec Empire ($1329-1519$): Notable for "Chinampas" (floating gardens), an aqueduct system, and a $365$-day solar calendar. Declined due to Europeans.

• Inca Empire ($1230-1533$): Known for an extensive road system, a system of runners, terraced gardens in the Andes, and the "Quipu" (knotted strings for records). Declined due to Europeans.

• Ottoman Empire ($1300-1923$): Reached peak power under Suleyman I ($1520-1566$). Notable for arts, astronomy, and gunpowder. Declined due to sea trade shifts, corruption, failure to modernize the military, and World War I.

The Green Revolution (1960s & 1970s)

• Mechanism: Scientists used cross-breeding to create hybrid seeds for larger crop yields.

• Important Distinction: Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) were NOT part of the Green Revolution, as they emerged later in the $1990\text{s}$ and early $2000\text{s}$.

• Transformations:     * Fertilizers: Switched from manure to synthetic, man-made versions.     * Mechanization: Hybrid crops required tractors and combines, leading to job losses and high costs for poor farmers.

• Positive Effects: Higher yields and lower food prices allowed countries like Mexico, India, and Indonesia to feed their populations.

• Negative Effects:     * Double Cropping: Planting more seeds in the same soil, leading to rapid nutrient depletion.     * Pollution: Chemical runoff into groundwater.     * Social and Economic Inequality: Women were excluded from management; poor farmers (especially in Africa) became dependent on purchasing seeds from large agricultural corporations.