Consequences of Industrialization & Rationales for Imperialism

Consequences of Industrialization

Rationales for Imperialism

Nationalist Motives for Imperialism

  • European Nationalism: Desire for economic and strategic colonies, or for prestige.
    • British Control: Australia, South Asia.
    • French Control: Algeria, New Caledonia, Indochina.
    • Italy and Germany: New to the game, but not strong enough to establish a solid footprint in Africa.
    • Japan: Began settling in East Asia (Korea), sparking the Sino-Japanese War (1894-95).

Cultural and Religious Motives for Imperialism

  • Racial Ideologies and the Misuse of Science: Developed into racism.
  • Charles Darwin: Social Darwinism - survival of the fittest.
  • Cultural Ideologies: Language, politics, education, religious diffusion.
  • Religious Motives: Missionaries set up schools, taught secular ideals, medicine.
    • David Livingstone: Sub-Saharan Africa.

Economic Motives for Imperialism

  • East India Company: Quasi-government powers, including raising armies (raw materials, regional trade, control of natural resources).
  • Dutch East India Company (VOC): Replaced the Portuguese influences in the region (South Africa to Straits of Magellan), would eventually become the nation of Indonesia.
  • The “New Imperialism”: British settler colonies (Australia, South Africa, New Zealand) and market colonies for raw materials/natural resources.

State Expansion: Imperialism in Africa

  • Medical Advances and Technology: Fostered new approaches to colonial rule in Africa.
    • Quinine: Medicine to treat tropical diseases.
  • British Control of Egypt: Suez Canal built by corvée laborers (unpaid).
  • British West Africa: Spread education, language, Christianity.
  • French: Algeria became a settler colony.

European Scramble for Africa

  • Berlin Conference: 1884-85, called for an orderly colonization of Africa, colonial borders established.
  • South Africa/Boer Wars: 1880-81, 1899-1902 – Dutch speakers (Afrikaners) and Africans (Zulus) fought the British but were defeated. Concentration Camps developed along racial lines.
  • Congo: King Leopold II (Belgium), economic exploitation for personal gain.
  • Independent Countries: Abyssinia (Ethiopia) and Liberia.

Spheres of Influence

  • British Empire:
    • Taiping Rebellion: Qing government (1850) allowed foreign countries to exercise their influence over China.
    • Empress Dowager Cixi: Boxer Rebellion (eroded Chinese sovereignty).
    • Australian Penal Colony
  • The Dutch
  • The French
  • Only Siam Escaped Imperialism
  • The United States
    • Latin America: Monroe Doctrine.
    • Manifest Destiny: Natural right to expansion into the Pacific Ocean.
    • Spanish-American War: Guam, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Cuba.
    • Roosevelt Corollary: American intervention into unstable Latin American countries.
  • Russian Expansion: Into periphery nations/land and Alaska.

Indigenous Responses to State Expansion

  • Nationalist Movements in the Balkans: Serbia, Greece, Russo-Turkish War (aide to rebellious Balkan regions).
  • Indian Rebellion of 1857: Against British rule (not successful) gave rise to Indian Nationalism.
  • Vietnamese (French) and Filipinos (Philippine-American War)
  • Aboriginal and Maori
  • Sokoto Caliphate: (West Africa) Established slave trade to undermine the British.
  • Xhosa Cattle Killing Movement: (South Africa), Anglo-Zulu War.
  • Samory Toure’s War: In West Africa against the French (Guinea) 1883.
  • Mahdist Revolt: In East Africa (Sudan) fought against Egypt.
  • Yaa Asantewaa War: (Ghana) rebelled against the British.
  • Resistance and Rebellion in the Americas:
    • Tupac Amaru II: (Peru), last great rebellion against Spain.
    • Ghost Dance in the American Plains
    • Benito Juarez: Combatted French forces under Napoleon III in Mexico (Maximilian was successful for three years until executed and Juarez assumed power).

Global Economic Development

  • Technological Developments:
    • Railroads
    • Cecil Rhodes: De Beers Diamonds.
    • Steamships
    • Telegraph
  • Agricultural Products/Raw Materials: Export economies of cash crops, cotton, rubber, palm oil, ivory, minerals, copper, gold, diamonds.

Economic Imperialism

  • Opium War (1839-1842): Treaty of Nanking required more ports open to trade and Hong Kong given over to the British.
  • Dutch East India Company/East India Company: Culture systems (forced labor).
  • Open Door Policy: The United States inserted its influence into China for trade.
  • Hawaii (1898): Fueling depot and sugar plantation farming.
  • Latin America:
    • British investments into Argentina: Pampas breeding farms.
    • Spanish mining in Chile: Copper.
    • Brazilian rubber trade
    • **American “Banana Republics: