New Imperialism + Causes and Effects
Mostly occured in 1871-1914
Nature of New Imperialism
Geographic scope:
The abundant supply of material (rubber & tin) in Africa and the Far East
The crumbling Chinese empire promoted the amount of opportunities for trade routes
Maintaining peaceful relations:
There was an attempt to prevent conflict with the Treaty of Berlin (1885), laying down the rules of how Europeans should go about African expansion to avoid confrontation
The Treaty of Berlin outlined accepted, non-secretive borders, outlawed slavery, and kept the trade routes (Suez Canal) open.
New Imperial countries:
New imperialism was different, as not only the main European powers participated, but the USA, Japan, and other countries.
USA: seeked control over the Central and South Americas, and seeked trade in Asia. They needed a stronger navy as well as overseas bases
Japan: seeked greater power and influence over Asia, but went into conflict with Russia (Russo-Japanese war)
Factors Enabling ‘New Imperialism’
Medical Advancement:
Africa was known as the ‘white man’s grave’ because of uncontrolled diseases like malaria
French scientists made a treatment for malaria, which declined the fears and stigma of contracting diseases
Technological Advancement:
The industrial revolution caused the prices of manufacturing iron and steel to go down, yet the rates of manufacturing increased
The improvements made ships and boats more easy to travel though the Congo river.
The development of fast-firing rifles, machine guns, and artillery gave Europeans an advantage over Africans, meaning that their land could be taken with little resistance
Opposition to Slavery:
Most Euro governments had banned slavery in 1820, even though it was still very common in Africa
Theory of Racial Superiority:
Scientists believed in theories that white people were superior to other races
Livingstone believed that it was their god-given right to introduce Africans and Asians to “commerce, christianity, and civilization”