6.2 & 6.3

The balance of Power

  • Napoleon had shifted the balance in his favor

  • after the fall of Napolean: how to make European nations more equal and stop the rise of another Napolean?

Desires to ensure the balance of power stays in the hands of the monarchies + the rise of the Industrial Revolution = scramble for Africa

Berlin Conference (1884)

  • Organized by German Chancellor Otto Von Bismarck

  • Purpose: divide up land and trade routes among European powers

  • Not present? African tribal leaders

Case Study: Congo Free State

  • King Leopold II of Belgium himself controls the colony

    • The Belgian government was hesitant to get involved in colonization

  • Purpose: $$ through rubber and ivory

  • Absolutely cruel to the people living in the colony

Leopold II loses Power

  • Word of Leopold’s atrocities gets back to Belgium

  • Power taken away from Leopold

  • “Congo Free State” becomes “Belgian Congo”

Where else does this happen?

  • Switch from non-state to state control:

  • British East India Company loses control of India to British government

  • Dutch East India Company loses control of Indonesia to the Dutch government.

India: Context

  • The British East India Company

    • Joint stock company founded in 1600

    • Started with trading posts, expanded control in India

      • Both directly and indirectly

      • Controlled about ½ of all global trade in 18th -19th centuries

  • Mughal Empire

    • Muslim empire that unified India

    • Early 1700s: Empires begin to fracture due to invading forces and encroaching EIC

  • Forces of Shah Alam (Mughal Emperor) lost to EIC (1764)

  • Shah Alam kept in power BUT

  • Grants Diwani of Bengal to EIC

    • Right to collect revenue from 20 million citizens

    • EIC will return to Shah Alam a fraction out of this revenue

  • EIC control over India continues to expand

    • Majority control by 1857

Indian Rebellion of 1857 (aka Sepoy Mutiny) (aka Indian Mutiny)

  • Sepoy = Indian soldier working for EIC

  • Tensions start to arise between Indians and the British

    • Fear of forced conversion to Christianity

    • Outlaw of the Hindu practice of Sati

    • Gunpowder cartridges spread with cow or pig fat (?)

  • Outcome

    • British troops brutally suppressed rebellion

    • Thousands of unarmed Indians massacred

    • EIC is dissolved

  • British government now in control (aka British Raj)