Western Imperialism – focused on Africa and Asia

1800 - Europe controlled 7% of the world & 10% of Africa, by 1914, they controlled 84% of the world & all of Africa except for Liberia and Ethiopia.

‘Scramble for Africa’ - Between 1880–1900 -- Britain, France, Germany and Italy competed for African possessions.

·  During wars with Napoleon British took possession of Dutch settlement at Cape Town in South Africa.

·  by 1880 Afrikaner & British settlers took control of much of South Africa.

·  European trading posts and forts dotted the coast of west Africa.

·  Portuguese held their old possessions in Angola & Mozambique.

·  British conquered Boers in the bloody Boer War(1899-1902)

·  By 1890 Britain controlled Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda and Zanzibar.

·  Britain’s control of Egypt in 1883 became the model for the “New Imperialism”

Berlin Conference 1884-1885(hosted by Bismarck & Jules Ferry) - to prevent conflict between European nations.

·  Required that to claim a colony in Africa European power must effectively controlled that territory.

·  no single European power could lay claim to the entire continent of Africa

·  agreed to stop slavery

·  Recognized Leopold II of Belgium's Personal rule over a neutral Congo free state & declared there a free-trade zone.

After taking control of Egypt Britain pushed southward to the Sudan.

·  Battle of Omdurman (1898)

·  Fashoda Incident (1898)

India, Japan, and China also experienced imperialist impact.

·  French took Indochina.

·  Russians conquered Muslim areas in South Caucasus and Central Asia, also part of china's provinces in far East.

·  United states conquered Philippines

Causes of imperialism:

·  Ideology: nationalism and Social Darwinism

·  Industrialization

·  Economic motives

·  Each leading country saw colonies as crucial to national security, military power and international prestige

·  Special-interest groups

·  Spread of Christianity

·  "White Man's Burden"

Critics of imperialism:

Hobson, Luxemburg, Bukharin, and especially Lenin focused on economic factors, the rational pursuit of new markets and sources of raw materials.

Critics insisted to give captive people the freedom.

The people of the Non-Western World experienced a painful crisis of identity at the hands of European imperialists.

The initial response of the people of Africa and Asia was to attempt to drive out the intruders. Unable to defeat the Europeans militarily, many conquered people worked to preserve their own culture from westernization; while others, such as Ismail of Egypt, concluded that the West was indeed superior, and that his society should be reformed accordingly.

Conforming masses followed a few determined people who came to oppose Europeans. Reasons for opposition were:

·  An innate desire for human dignity.

·  Liberalism and modern nationalism.

Empire in India:

·  The British East India Company had conquered the last independent Indian state in 1848.

·  1857 and 1858- the years of great rebellion.

·  By 1858, India was ruled by the British Parliament in London.

·  The British introduced a modern secondary education system in India.

·  High-caste Hindus formed a new elite, influenced by Western culture.

·  Irrigation projects for agriculture, the world’s third largest railroad network and large tea and jute plantations were developed.

·  Masses saw little improvement.

·  The British imposed a unified state system of government on India.

·  European domination of India led to a rise in Indian nationalism.

·  In 1885, educated Indians formed the Hindu Indian National Congress at which point there were increasing demands for equality and self government.

Japan:

·  At the time of Commodore Perry’s entry into Japan, the country had a complex feudal system of government.

·  Radical samurai engaged in anti-foreign terrorism and assassinations between 1858 and 1863.

·  Meiji Restoration.

·  Meiji dropped anti-foreign attacks and began reforming Japan along modern lines.

·  In 1871, the old feudal structure was abolished and a unified state instituted.

·  Japan also instituted a powerful modern navy and army, borrowed western technology in industry, medicine and education.

·  Japanese adopted only those governmental features that were in keeping with their tradition.

The government became authoritarian; democracy was rejected, the emperor and his ministers had vast powers and the legislature only limited power.

·  Japan defeated China in a war over Korea, took Formosa (Taiwan)

·  competed aggressively with European powers for influence and territory in China, particularly Manchuria.

·  Russo-Japanese war 1904.

·  Japan had become a major imperialistic power by 1910.

China:

·  The Manchu dynasty which had ruled China for 200 years appeared on the verge of collapse by 1860.

·  Sino-Japanese War 1894-95.

·  "Hundred days of reform".

·  The traditionalists, including the famous "fists of righteous harmony" led the famous Boxer Rebellion in which several thousand Chinese Christians were killed.

·  In 1912, a spontaneous rebellion brought down the dynasty.

·  Revolutionaries proclaimed a western-style republic and called for elective parliament.