Download Imperialism: Europe Reaches Out

Imperialism:
Europe Reaches
Out
S. Anderson
In this unit, you will learn about
the spread of European
imperialism in Africa, Asia, and
the Pacific. You will also learn
how, through the spread of
imperialism, European ideas and
practices had a far-reaching
impact on the rest of the world.
European Imperialism
Imperialism refers to the political and
economic control of one area or country by
another. In ancient times, countries like Persia
and Rome built large empires by conquering
their neighbors. In the 15th century, European
nations developed the first overseas empires in
the Americas. In the 19th century, the
European Great Powers suddenly acquired
vast colonial empires in Africa, Asia, and the
Pacific.
European Imperialism
European countries had invested great efforts
building colonial empires in the Americas from the
16th to the 18th centuries. The independence of
the United States and Latin America had
therefore represented a great setback for
European imperialism. European rulers
questioned the value of colonies if they would
suddenly declare independence just when they
became valuable to the mother country. Even
so, imperialism never totally died out, even in the
early 19th century. It continued in India, South
Africa, the East Indies, and several other places.
The British “Raj” (Reign) in India
During the 18th century, the British had defeated
France and many local rulers to extend their control
throughout much of the Indian subcontinent. British
rule brought many changes. Some older customs,
like the suicide of widows when their husbands died,
were stamped out. The first railway in India was built
in 1853. Muslims and Hindus lived peacefully
together. European missionaries spread Christianity.
British schools and colleges opened. English
became the language of the government. Despite
the benefits brought by the British, many Indians
were still upset by this challenge to their traditional
ways.
India Under British Rule
The Sepoy Mutiny (1857)
The British were able to control India because
Indians were divided among themselves. The British
had better weapons and used trained Indian
soldiers, known as “sepoys.” In 1857, a large
number of sepoys rebelled. The rebellion quickly
spread, but the British crushed the revolt using loyal
Indian soldiers. After the mutiny, the British
government took over formal control of India and
abolished the East India Company. India officially
became a British possession. Queen Victoria of
England became the Empress of India.
The Impact of British Rule
During two centuries of British rule, many aspects of
Indian life changed:
Government: The British provided a single system of law
and government, unifying India. They provided jobs,
increased educational opportunities, and introduced
English as a unifying language.
Economic: The British built roads, bridges, and railroads
and set up telegraph wires. However, India’s cottage
industries, in which products were made by people in
their homes, were hurt by competition with British
manufactured goods.
The Impact of British Rule, cont’d
Health: The British built hospitals, introduced new
medicines, and provided famine relief. At the same
time, health care improvements led to a population
explosion without a similar increase in economic
opportunities.
Social: Indians were looked down upon by the British
and their culture was treated as inferior to European
culture. Indian workers provided the British with
inexpensive labor – working for long hours, often under
terrible conditions.
Other British Colonies
Britain also held several other colonies
outside of India. It took Cape Colony,
on the tip of South Africa, from Holland,
as well as several islands in the West
Indies. They also continued to hold onto
Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and
Singapore.
Other European Colonies
At the end of the Napoleonic Wars, France
regained some of its colonies in the West
Indies, as well as some trading posts on the
coast of West Africa and India. In the 1830s,
France conquered Algeria in North Africa. The
French also intervened in Indochina in the
1860s. Meanwhile, the Dutch continued to
rule over the Dutch East Indies, Spain held
onto its few remaining colonial possessions in
the Philippines, Cuba, and Puerto Rico.
The “New Imperialism”
At the end of the 18th century, imperialism
appeared to be on the decline. Britain had
lost most of its colonies in America, and Spain
and Portugal had lost most of Latin America.
A hundred years later, the world witnessed a
new wave of imperialism. From 1880 to 1900,
almost every corner of the Earth came to be
claimed by European powers. Africa, for
example, was suddenly divided up like a cake
to be eaten by hungry European powers.
The Causes of “New Imperialism”
Why did European imperialism suddenly revive? New
technological developments, based on the Industrial
Revolution, made the “New Imperialism” possible.
The steamboat made it possible to go upstream,
reaching the interior of Africa and other places
previously too difficult to reach. The telegram made it
possible to communicate with new settlements deep
in the interior regions of Africa and Asia. Later,
imperial powers built railroads to ship goods and raw
materials to and from their colonies. New medicines,
like quinine to treat malaria and antiseptics, and a
better understanding of disease made it possible to
explore the tropics with less risk. Military technology
like rifles could be used to control local people.
The Causes of “New Imperialism,” cont’d
There were many motives for imperialism. New countries
such as Belgium, Germany, and Italy sought colonial
empires of their own to establish their power on the world
stage. Even older colonial powers like France and Britain
joined the scramble for colonies. Britain seized control of
Egypt to protect the Suez Canal, which provided the
shortest route from Britain to India.
The Causes of “New Imperialism,” cont’d
European powers were also anxious to preserve the
“balance of power” between themselves. European
powers also hoped to obtain natural resources and
markets to sell their goods.
Finally, imperialists such as
Rudyard Kipling spoke of
the “White Man’s Burden” –
the duty of Europeans to
spread their cultures to
areas of Africa and Asia. In
some places imperialists
met with fierce local
resistance. The British
fought wars in the Sudan,
South Africa, and
elsewhere to gain control.
Reasons for Renewed Interest in Imperialism
Technology.
New technology – such as steamships, rifles,
telegraphs, and better medicines – made it possible
to penetrate deeply into Africa, Asia, and the Pacific
nations for the first time.
Economic Motives.
European industries needed raw materials to keep
their factories busy. Industrialists sought new markets
in which to sell their manufactured goods.
Reasons for Renewed Interest in Imperialism
Political Motives.
Europeans wished to acquire colonies to demonstrate
their power. European countries also sought to
preserve the balance of power among themselves.
When one country obtained a new colony, others felt
it necessary to do the same.
Social Motives.
Many Europeans believed in Social Darwinism – the
theory that some societies were more successful
because their cultures were superior. Other
Europeans wanted to spread Christianity.
The “Scramble for Africa”
In 1870, Europeans still controlled very little
actual territory in Africa. France had acquired
Algeria in the northwest in the 1830s, and
Britain controlled South Africa. Otherwise,
European activity was mainly limited to
coastal trading ports. Communities in the
interior of sub-Saharan Africa still remained
isolated. They represented an immense
diversity of cultures with many different types
of political structures.
The “Scramble for Africa”, cont’d.
Over the next 20 years,
this picture changed
dramatically. European
powers engaged in a
“Scramble for Africa”
(1870-1890), during
which most of Africa
came under their
control. In the 1850s and
1860s, European
explorers mapped out
the interior of Africa for
the first time.
The “Scramble for Africa”, cont’d.
In the early 1880s, a local revolt
threatened European use of the Suez
Canal. This canal, completed by French
engineers in 1869, provided the shortest
route from Europe to East Africa, India,
and East Asia. It became the lifeline
between Britain and its colony in India.
The British quickly moved to put down
the revolt and take over Egypt. Next,
British troops took over the Sudan.
The “Scramble for Africa”, cont’d.
Other powers – France, Italy, Germany, and
Belgium – eyed British actions jealously. They
wanted parts of Africa for themselves.
Diamonds and gold and other valuable
resources were also discovered in Africa in the
late 19th century. In 1884, at the Berlin
Conference, Bismarck and other European
leaders divided up the remaining parts of
Africa. By 1890, only Ethiopia (Abyssinia) and
Liberia remained independent. (Morocco
was under French influence).
Major Imperial Powers
The major European powers with colonies in
Africa were Great Britain, France, Germany,
Belgium, Portugal, and Italy. The French
acquired much of Central Africa and
Northwest Africa above the Sahara. King
Leopold II of Belgium ruled the Congo in the
center of Africa as his private estate. He
treated the natives harshly, killing millions to
increase production on his rubber plantations.
Major Imperial Powers, cont’d
The British established
colonies in West Africa, along
almost the whole length of
East Africa from Egypt to
South Africa. Cecil Rhodes, a
leading British imperialist,
planned to build a railway
down the eastern side of
Africa from Cairo in Egypt to
Capetown, South Africa.
Germany took Tanganyike,
Cameroon, Togo, and
Southwest Africa.
The Legacy of Imperialism in Africa
Before the arrival of European imperialists, boundaries
in Africa were loosely defined. They reflected
territories inhabited and controlled by different ethnic
and tribal groups. In their “Scramble for Africa,”
European powers paid no attention at all to existing
tribal boundaries. Wherever possible, they established
mining operations or cultivated cash crops to be sold
to Europe. Native Africans were used as cheap
workforce. Europeans also introduced advanced
Western technology and ideas. Imperialism thus had
both positive and negative effects on Africa.
The Legacy of Imperialism in Africa
Positive Effects:
• European medicine and improved nutrition
increased the life-span of Africans. This led
to an explosion in the population.
• Europeans introduced modern
transportation and communications, such as
telegraphs, railroads, and telephones.
• A small minority of Africans received
improved education and greater economic
opportunities. Some served as
administrators or in the army.
The Legacy of Imperialism in Africa
Negative Effects:
• European domination led to an erosion of
traditional African values and destroyed many
existing social relationships.
• African peoples were treated as inferior to
Europeans. Native peoples were forced to
work long hours for low pay under horrible
conditions.
• Europeans divided Africa artificially, ignoring
tribal, ethnic, and cultural boundaries. This had
led to continuing tribal conflicts in many African
nations.
“Informal” Imperialism
Even areas where they did not establish direct rule,
European powers often dominated an area’s
economy. Historians refer to this as “informal”
imperialism.
The European Powers and China
In China, European powers faced a different situation
than India or Africa. For thousands of years, China
had been united under its powerful emperors.
Nevertheless, China had remained isolated from the
world. By the 1830s, it lacked the military technology it
needed to oppose Western imperialism.
The European Powers and China
Western nations showed an interest in China because
its huge population offered a potential market for
European manufactured goods. It also possessed
valuable raw materials and produced local goods
sought by Europeans. In China, European powers
therefore developed a system of “informal”
imperialism. China’s local rulers remained in power,
but they become subject to foreign pressure.
The Opium Wars (1839 – 1842)
In the 1800s, Great Britain began selling opium in
China to obtain money to buy tea. The government
of china tried to stop this practice by sentencing
Chinese opium dealers to death. The British reacted
by declaring war. With their superior gunboats, the
British were able to fire on Chinese coastal towns.
China was defeated and forced to continue the sale
of opium.
The Opium Wars (1839 – 1842), cont’d
This damaged the Chinese
economy and created chaos
and political instability in China.
China was also forced to open
several “treaty ports,” giving the
British new trading privileges. The
British established several
“spheres of influence” -- areas of
China under their exclusive
economic control. A flood of
cheap British textiles hurt Chinese
industry. Other European
countries soon followed the British
example, demanding their own
sphere’s of influence in China.
The Opium Wars (1839 – 1842), cont’d
Increasing European interference was extremely
unpopular in China and weakened the prestige of the
ruling Qing (or Manchu) Dynasty. The defeat of the
Chinese army in the Opium Wars proved to the
Chinese that they were no longer the “Heavenly
Middle Kingdom.” Millions of Chinese were killed
when China’s rulers put down the Taiping Rebellion
(1850 – 1864) with European help.
America’s “Open Door” Policy
Fearing it would be shut out of China’s profitable
trade, the United States proposed equal trading rights
for all nations in China in 1899.
Boxer Rebellion (1899 – 1900)
A Chinese group, calling themselves the “Boxers,”
rebelled against the spread of foreign influence in
China. Hundreds of foreigners living in Chinese cities
were killed during riots led by the Boxers and their
supporters. An international force, composed of
troops from foreign powers finally crushed the Boxer
rebellion.
Boxer Rebellion (1899 – 1900), cont’d
The United States played a key role in suppressing the
rebellion because of the large number of U.S. ships
and troops in the nearby Philippines. However, the
United States sought to preserve China as an
independent country. American policy prevented
European powers from further dividing up China, and
kept it “open” to trade with all nations.
The Opening of Japan
Another Asian country to face Westerners in the late
19th century was Japan. Fearing foreign influences,
Japan’s rulers had cut Japan off from European trade
in 1639. Japanese citizens were forbidden to travel to
other countries, and foreigners were banned from
Japan, except for one Dutch outpost.
The United States Opens Japan
In 1853, the United States government sent a
naval squadron commanded by Commodore
Matthew Perry to Japan. In addition to
requesting better treatment for shipwrecked
sailors, the Americans sought to develop new
markets and establish a port where their ships
to China could stop to obtain supplies.
Fearing the example of what happened to
China, Japanese opened their doors to
American trade. Within a few years, the
British, Russian, and Dutch negotiated similarly
favorable treaties.
Commodore Perry arrives in Japan
The Meiji Restoration (1868 – 1912)
The Japanese samurai and daimyos (nobles) criticized
the Shogun, the Japanese ruler, for opening Japan to
the West. Under this criticism, the Shogunate
collapsed. The Japanese emperor, who had been a
mere puppet for over a thousand years, was suddenly
“restored” to power.
The Meiji Restoration (1868 – 1912), cont’d
Emperor Meiji, the new ruler, was convinced that
Japan had to adopt Western ways if it was to escape
future domination by the Western powers.
He sent scholars to other
countries to learn
advanced technologies
and foreign customs, and
received visits from foreign
ministers. Steamboats and
railroads were built and a
new constitution decreed.
Japan became the first
non-Western country to
successfully copy and
adapt to Western ways.
Latin America
Although Spain had lost most of its colonies in the
Americas in the early 19th century, it kept control over
Cuba, Puerto Rico, and a few other islands in the
Caribbean. Cubans rebelled against the harsh
conditions of its sugar cane workers in the 1890s. A
Spanish army was sent to Cuba to crush the rebellion
with brutal force. Many Americans were sympathetic
to the plight of the Cuban rebels.
Latin America, cont’d
In 1898, the battleship U.S.S. Maine was mysteriously
blown up in Havana harbor, killing 250 American
sailors. The United States declared war and quickly
defeated Spain. As a result of the Spanish-American
War, America acquired its first colonies – Puerto Rico in
the Caribbean and Guam and the Philippines in the
Pacific. Cuba became independent in name, but fell
under American influence.
Latin America, cont’d
American’s also annexed Hawai’i as part of their new
colonial empire. Many Americans opposed taking
colonies, but others argued it was necessary to copy
the imperial powers of Europe.
Latin America, cont’d
Meanwhile, the independent nations of Latin
America – in Mexico, Central America, and South
America – became dependent on both Great
Britain and the United States for their trade and
economic prosperity. Latin American elites studied
in Europe and sold their cash crops there. Britain
invested heavily in Latin America. Although no
longer colonies, Latin America became part of a
system of “informal,” or economic, imperialism.
Sometimes military strong men, known as Caudillos,
were needed to keep order while maintaining
trading ties with Europe.
Latin America, cont’d
The Panama Canal
The operation of “informal” imperialism was especially
illustrated in the case of Columbia. American ships
that sought to travel between the Atlantic Ocean and
the Pacific Oceans had to go 16,000 miles around the
Southern tip of South America. The United States
sought easier access between these two oceans by
building a canal across the narrow isthmus of
Panama. This would cut the length and time of the
journey. But Panama was still a part of Columbia. The
government of Columbia asked a high price for
permission to build the canal.
Panama Canal
Latin America, cont’d
American President Theodore Roosevelt encouraged
Panamanian rebels to declare their independence
from Columbia in 1904. Roosevelt protected the
rebels, who gave rights to the Panama Canal Zone – a
ten-mile strip of jungle through the center of Panama
– to the United States on advantageous terms. The
United States then applied advanced technologies to
dig the canal, which took ten years to complete.
Protection of the canal became an important
strategic priority for the United States. On the basis of
the Monroe Doctrine (1823) and its need to protect
the Panama Canal, American Presidents repeatedly
sent armed forces to intervene in the Caribbean area
in the early 20th century.