Imperialism in Southeast Asia 2022

Imperialism in Southeast Asia

New Imperialism

• Timeframe: 19th Century to early 20th Century

• Influenced by the Industrial Revolution.

• Definition of Imperialism: Extension of a nation’s economic or political power over smaller, weaker nations.

Colonial Takeover in Southeast Asia

• 1819: Britain founds Singapore as a new colony for trade.

• 1824: Burma (modern Myanmar) is taken by Britain; strategic reasons:

  • Provides protection for India.

  • Establishes a route to China.

French Involvement

• France sent Christian missionaries to Indochina (modern Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia).

• 1857: France coerced the Vietnamese into accepting its protection to thwart British trade ambitions.

Protectorate Status

• 1884: France seizes Hanoi and establishes the Vietnamese Empire as a French protectorate.

  • Definition: A political unit that depends on another government for its protection.

Thailand's Unique Status

• Thailand was the only remaining independent state in Southeast Asia after Indochina's colonization by France.

• Britain and France competed for control over Thailand, but the Thai rulers successfully resisted.

• 1896: Britain and France agree to maintain Thailand as an independent buffer state between their possessions.

The Philippines

• Formerly a major trade hub for Spain for centuries.

• 1898: Following the Spanish-American War, the U.S. gains control over the Philippines.

• The U.S. engaged in a conflict with Filipinos until 1902, resulting in significant casualties, with estimates around one million Filipino deaths.

Colonial Spheres in Southeast Asia (Map Overview)

• Regions were divided among French, British, Dutch, and Spanish spheres of influence.

• Thailand yielded areas under its influence to act as a buffer state.

Indirect Rule

• Definition: Cooperation with local political elites;

  • Local rulers could maintain authority and status under colonial governance.

• Advantages:

  • Easier resource access.

  • Lower government costs.

  • Reduced impact on local culture.

Direct Rule

• Definition: Local elites were replaced with officials from the mother country when they resisted foreign control.

• Characteristics:

  • More expensive implementation.

  • Increased likelihood of local resistance.

Colonial Economies

• Main objectives of Western powers:

  • Exploit natural resources and open markets for manufactured goods.

  • Prevent development of local industries.

• Establishment of plantation agriculture:

  • Peasants worked as wage laborers on plantations owned by foreign investors.

  • Wage levels kept at poverty rates to maximize plantation owner profits.

  • Poor working conditions leading to thousands of deaths.

  • High taxation imposed by colonial governments.

Resistance Movements

• Resistance against foreign rule was prevalent among the local subjects.

  • Forms included both government-led and peasant uprisings.

• Early resistance often failed against better-armed Western powers.

• Emerging in the early 20th century:

  • Resistance movements based on nationalism arose, driven by a new urban middle class educated in Western ideals, protesting against Western disregard for local customs.