Chapter 25
New Imperialism
New Imperialism
► In
1880’s Europe began an unprecedented
expansion into Africa and Asia.
New Imperialism
Built on a foundation of technological advances
1. Fire Arms
►
►
Breech loading Rifles
rapid fire weapons (Gatling Gun)
2. Transportation
►
Steamships, Suez Canal
3. Communication
►
Telegraph
4. Medicine
►
Quinine, an effective treatment for Malaria
New Imperialism
Motivating Factors
1. Capitalism
► Markets for industrial goods
► Source of raw materials
New Imperialism
Motivating Factors
2. Social Imperialist
► Viewed imperialism as a means of solving
domestic issues
► Example: Overpopulation
New Imperialism
Motivating Factors
3. Exploration
► European Scientist (geologist, botanist,
cartographers) scrambled all over the word
► Published descriptions and statistics on
native peoples, lists of flora and fauna,
maps.
New Imperialism
Motivating Factors
4. Nationalism
► Colonies seen as a way of showing the
power and importance of the nation on a
global scale
New Imperialism
Motivating Factors
5. Religion
► Missionaries wanted to convert nonChristians
► Christian missionaries first Europeans to
penetrate central Africa
New Imperialism
Motivating Factors
6. Social Darwinism
► Belief that white races should be sovereign
over people of Africa and Asia.
► Goal to improve the moral and material well
being of non-whites
► “bind your sons to exile, to serve your
captives needs”
New Imperialism
Motivating Factors
7. Balance of Power
► Nations wanted colonies so that other
nations would not get them
India
► British
dominance of India began after withdrawal
of French after Seven Years War (1756-1763)
► During 19th century independent Indian territories
fell under British Control
► Sepoy Rebellion 1857
- British East India Company replaced by a
centralized colonial structure
► 1877 Queen Victoria declared Empress of India
► India was the “jewel in the crown” of the British
Empire
China
Informal Empire
► Spheres of Influence
- European states controlled economy of China
► “treaty ports” European nation gained direct
control over a series of ports along coast
► Boxer Rebellion- armed uprising, 200
westerners killed
- Europe responded with direct military
intervention, received increased concessions,
China forced to pay indemnity
Imperialism in Asia
► Russians
controlled Manchuria
► French controlled Indo -China (Vietnam)
► Dutch controlled Indonesia
► U.S.A. controlled Philippines, Hawaii
Africa
► Prior
to 1875,
Europeans had only
limited territorial
claims in Africa
Egypt
► Suez
Canal completed in 1869
(Britain and France)
► 1882 nationalist revolt in Egypt threaten European
control of Canal
► Britain responded with show of strength
► Chaos resulted, British restored order
► British occupied Egypt
► Joint British and Egyptian forces occupied Sudan
Tunisia
► French
heavily invested in Tunisia
► Financial crisis in Tunisia led to French
occupation in 1881
Sub-Saharan Africa
► King
Leopold II of Belgium establishes:
► International Association for the
Exploration and Civilization of Central
Africa in 1876
► Headquarters in Brussels
► Focused not on science or ending slavery,
instead on making territorial claims
► In response, European powers began push
inwards from Coastal outposts
Berlin Conference 1885
► Europeans
feared “mad scramble” for Africa
would lead to conflict in Europe.
► Berlin Conference established rules for
settlement of Africa
► Coastal Settlement would give nation claim
to adjacent inland territory
► Allowed Germany and Italy to occupy
unclaimed pieces of Africa
Berlin Conference 1885
► Territorial
lines paid no attention to ethnic,
tribal and linguistic characteristics of
indigenous population.
► No native Africans participated in Berlin
Conference
Fashoda Crisis (1898)
► As
French troops pushed East from West Africa.
- Wanted empire stretching west to east across
North Africa
► British troops pushed South from Sudan.
- Wanted empire from north from Egypt to Cape
Town
► Brink of war over obscure outpost
► French chose to give way rather than fight
Boer War 1899-1902
► Conflict
between Dutch speaking farmers,
the Boers, and British government.
► Britain had acquired Cape Colony during
wars of French Revolution
► The Boers resented British rule
► The Great Trek 1835-1837- Boers literally
leave Cape Colony and establish two
(racists) republics across Orange River
Boer War 1899-1902
► Diamonds
were discovered in the Boer Republics
in 1870’s-1880’s.
► Prospectors, many British poured in
► Cecil Rhodes gained monopoly on diamond
production (founder of De Beers, Rhodes
Scholarship)
► Became Prime Minister of Cape Colony
► 1899 Boers declared war on British
► British occupied Boer Republics after 2 years of
guerilla resistance
Cecil Rhodes
►
►
►
"I contend that we are the first race in the world, and that
the more of the world we inhabit the better it is for the
human race...If there be a God, I think that what he would
like me to do is paint as much of the map of Africa British
Red as possible...“
“Remember that you are an Englishman, and have
consequently won first prize in the lottery of life.“
"In order to save the forty million inhabitants of the United
Kingdom from a bloody civil war, our colonial statesmen
must acquire new lands for settling the surplus population
of this country, to provide new markets... The Empire, as I
have always said, is a bread and butter question"
British Rule in Africa
Scramble for Africa
► Almost
all of Africa divided among
Europeans
► Exceptions: Ethiopia and Liberia
Africa 1914