IR 2015 - Dr Spyros Katsoulas

Bismarck Age

  • Fought against:
    • Socialists (feared another Commune) with social measures (public welfare)
    • Catholics (feared loyalty to Pope) with education
    • Kulturkampf
  • Dismissed by Wilhelm II in 1890

Kulturkampf

  • Bismarck lost the battle for modern civilization.

Nietzsche

  • 1883: Struggle as the ultimate determiner of society.
  • God is dead: Idea of God can no longer provide values.
  • Man needs to become Superman.

The Great Divergence

  • Socioeconomic shift: Western Europe & New World emerged as most powerful & wealthy through Industrial Revolution & Nationalism.

Imperialism

  • Economic, political & cultural domination of one nation upon another.
    • Europe needed more resources & new markets.
    • Europe desired to export its values & advancements.

The European Equilibrium (1866)

  • Balance of Power: Logic of balancing power defined international politics on a global scale.

The Eastern Question

  • What to do with the Sick Man of Europe (Ottoman Empire).
  • Russia aimed to liberate Slavs & expand into the Black Sea.
  • Britain concerned over Russia’s ambitions for access to warm-water ports.
  • Congress of Berlin (1878): Bismarck brokered a compromise between Britain & Russia.
  • Britain got Cyprus.
  • Russia's desire for expansion & Britain’s desire to protect its waterways to India.

Suez Canal

  • Britain bought out the Egyptian shares of the Suez Canal Company (1876).
  • Start of British control over Egypt.
  • Britain declares Egypt a British Protectorate (1882)

The Great Game

  • 19th c. confrontation between Britain & Russia in Central Asia.
    • Russia fearful of British commercial & military inroads into Central Asia.
    • Britain fearful of Russia adding "the jewel in the crown", India, to its vast empire in Asia.
  • Britain ruled India through the East India Company.
  • Following two Anglo-Afghan wars, the British draw the Durand Line (1893).
  • Anglo-Russian Convention (1907) formalizing their spheres of influence in Persia, Afghanistan & Tibet due to rise of Germany.

China's Humiliation

  • Opium Wars: Fought over China’s banning of opium. Britain crushed China twice (1839-41, 1857).
  • Peace treaties favored Europeans.
  • Qing dynasty faced rebellions (poverty, corruption).
    • Taiping Rebellion wrecked China from 1850 to 1864.
    • Boxer Rebellion wrecked China from 1899 to 1901.

The Scramble for Africa

  • European powers began looking for colonies more aggressively.
  • Berlin Conference of 1885: Bismarck hosted to settle potential conflicts over African territories.
  • France took West Africa, Germany took parts in SW & SE Africa, Britain took NE & S Africa.
  • Britain & France nearly clashed in Fachoda (1898).
  • Britain won a White Man’s War in S. Africa (1899-1902) against the Boers (Dutch farmers).

Key takeaways

  • The Great Divergence set the West apart from the Rest of the world
  • Imperialism set the West on top of the rest
  • Balance of Power set the West in an equilibrium
  • They are all different shades of Desire for Power