lecture recording on 24 February 2025 at 09.17.56 AM

The Industrial Revolution and Imperialism

• Western European nations experienced a surge in industrial activity, resulting in factories that required energy resources and raw materials.

• The need for markets to sell manufactured goods contributed to the rise of imperialism.

Definition of Imperialism

• Imperialism: Control of weaker lands by a more dominant land.

• Motivations for Imperialism:

  • Resource Acquisition: Dominant nations sought raw materials and fuel for their factories and transportation that weaker lands could provide.

  • Market Expansion: The produced goods needed new markets for selling, which weaker lands could provide.

  • Geopolitics: The inherent value of land, due to resources or strategic location, made it desirable for more powerful nations to control it.

Geopolitics Explained

• Geopolitics refers to the idea that land has intrinsic value, which can be influenced by:

  • Natural Resources: Rich in minerals, energy sources, or favorable climates for cash crops.

  • Strategic Location: Example locations include:

    • Crossroads: Areas with critical waterways (e.g., Black Sea and Mediterranean).

    • Suez Canal: Important for trade between the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian Ocean.

    • Panama Canal: Significant for transportation between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

    • Pacific Islands: Important for coaling stations to service ships traveling to Asia.

Types of Colonial Control

1. Direct Control

• Military conquest or diplomatic agreements dictate that the dominant nation replaces the local government with its own administration.

• Introduces the dominant culture, education systems, and infrastructure primarily for extracting resources.

• Assimilation: The process by which the local population adopts the culture and practices of the dominant nation.

2. Indirect Control

• The existing local government remains but operates under the influence of the dominant nation.

• Local officials are kept in power as long as they align with the governing interests of the dominant country.

• Aim to create loyal subjects by implementing aspects of the dominant culture and systems for local benefit.

Types of Imperialism

1. Colony

• A territory governed internally by an outside power.

• Example: The United States was once a British colony, but the level of control could vary (e.g., salutary neglect).

2. Protectorate

• Maintains its own government but is under control of a foreign power.

• Example: Puerto Rico is a U.S. protectorate.

3. Sphere of Influence

• A foreign nation has exclusive trading rights in a specific region of an independent nation.

• Example: Western nations created spheres of influence in China, impacting local trade dynamics.

4. Economic Imperialism

• Corporations exert control over a foreign land, using its resources for profit.

• Example: The British East India Company in India, exerting both economic and political influence.

Paternalism

• The idea that larger countries provide care and assistance to diminished nations, much like a father figure.

• Underlying motives often include the desire for resources and control, using a guise of benevolence.

Social Darwinism

• A distorted interpretation of Darwin’s theory where dominant nations view less developed nations as inferior and justify subjugation.

• This belief system often rationalized imperialism as a civilizing mission.

Africa and Imperialism

• Scramble for Africa: Western European nations competed fiercely to claim territories, with most being colonized.

• Exceptions: Liberia (settlement for freed American slaves) and Ethiopia (led by Menelik II, who successfully modernized to resist colonization).

Key Regions of Focus

Ottoman Empire

• In decline in the 1800s, vulnerable to external pressures.

• Western powers sought to exploit its weaknesses, especially in the Balkans.

Afghanistan (Central Asia)

• Geopolitically significant for access between India and Europe despite limited resources.

• The Great Game: Competition for dominance between Russia and Great Britain.

Egypt

• Modernized under Muhammad Ali, leading to increased foreign interest and ultimate control by Great Britain post-revolt.

• The Suez Canal was a major construction project central to trade and military movement.

Persia (Iran)

• Vast resources but unable to develop them, resulting in concessions with Western powers which eventually led to spheres of influence.

India

• Initially under economic imperialism via the British East India Company, which eventually transitioned to direct control following the Sepoy Mutiny.

• The Raj: A period of direct British governance, which left a complex legacy of infrastructure and cultural impacts, alongside significant resentment from the Indian populace.