1750-1914
The Age of European Hegemony
The West gains strength
• West now included North America
• Industrial Revolution began ca 1750 in
Great Britain
• Spread throughout Northern Europe, North
America
• Massive coal deposits in Europe, North
America aided industrialization
• Industrial, communication, transportation
improvements
Reasons for Western Expansion
Since 1750
• The Three “shuns” (only for memory
purposes, don’t use this term in essays!)
• Industrialization: wealth, weapons,
technology
• Organization: nation-state competition,
joint stock companies (corporations)
• Exploitation: the ability of West to
dominate and exploit other regions for raw
materials, markets for finished goods
Influence of the Enlightenment
• Use of reason, logic rather than reliance
on emotion, tradition
• Opposition to absolute monarchy, power of
the Church
• Call for freedom, religious tolerance,
constitutional government
• Adam Smith: The Wealth of Nations,
laissez-faire capitalism
Revolutions of Late 1700s
• American Revolution: Enlightenment
influence, opposition to British mercantile
policies
• French Revolution: American example,
Enlightenment influence, opposition by
bourgeoisie to absolute power of
monarchy.
• French Revolution: moderate, radical,
moderate phase (typical pattern)
• Moderate period 1789-1792: Constitutional
monarchy
• Radical period 1793-1794: Reign of Terror
• Second Moderate period 1794-1795
(Thermidorean Reaction)
• Napoleon Bonaparte in power 1797-1815
• Championed ideals of Revolution, but
declared himself Emperor
• Conquered much of Europe
• Armies spread Enlightenment ideals,
nationalism throughout Europe
• Napoleon defeated and exiled 1815
• Congress of Vienna 1815:
Conservative/Reactionary group
attempted to end Revolutionary ideals in
Europe
• Conservative rule lasts until 1848 in most
of Europe
• Conservatives: support traditional order,
powers of the King and Church
• Liberals: middle class franchise (vote), civil
liberties, constitutional governments (most
Europeans)
• Radicals: working class (factories)
democratic rule, limits or end to private
property
Utopian Socialism
• Advocated end to private property
• Government ownership of industry,
transportation, communication
• End to social classes
Marxism (Scientific Socialism or
Communism)
• Karl Marx: The Communist Manifesto, Das
Kapital
• History determined by economic forces
• Haves versus Have Nots in constant
struggle
• Proletariat (workers) will destroy
Bourgeoisie
• Classless society, no religion, no
government, no classes
Nineteenth Century Europe
• 1848 Year of Revolutions brought more liberal
governments in most countries
• Nationalism led to unrest in Austria, Ottoman
Empire, Russia, and other multi-national states
• Unification of Italy, Germany
• Industrialization continued, revolutions in
transportation, communications
• Demands for worker’s, women’s rights
• Artistic, scientific progress
• Technological development and nationalist
pressure led to increased militarism, arms
race
• Buildup to World War I
• Western societies in other areas: United
States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand
Imperialism
• Influence of Social Darwinism: survival of
the fittest
• Economic need for markets, raw materials
• Nationalist pressure for empire
• Need to provide employment, room for
excess population
• Laissez-faire capitalism
India Under British Rule
• British East India Company controlled
Mughal tax system
• Company controlled sepoy army (better
equipped than Mughal forces)
• 1757 Battle of Plassey, beginning of British
Raj (1757-1947)
• British East India Company controlled
India until 1857
• 1857 Sepoy Rebellion
• British government took direct control of
India after Rebellion’s end.
• Queen Victoria declared Empress of India
• “The Jewel in the Crown” of the British
Empire
• India forced into dependence on West,
industries bankrupted
• Similar policies followed by other
imperialistic powers: France, Germany,
Japan, United States, Belgium
• European industrial power, wealth, and
weaponry allowed imperial dominance:
machine gun, dum-dum bullets
• Battle of Omdurman
• Indigenous peoples exploited, killed off:
Belgian Congo, Tasmania, Hawaii
• New Zealand an exception: accomodation
between British, Maoris
• Scramble for Africa late 1800s (quinine
made Africa safer for Europeans) only
Liberia, Ethiopia,uncolonized
Three Types of Colonies
• White Dominions: “Little Europes” Canada,
Australia, New Zealand, US. Indigenous peoples
marginalized, powerless
• Tropical Dependencies: Large indigenous
populations controlled by small European
population: India, most of Africa, S.E. Asia
• Contested Settler Colonies: Indigenous
population equal to or larger than Europeans,
struggle for control: South Africa
South Africa and Boer War
• South Africa part of British Empire, Boers
retreated (Great Trek) to Orange Free
State, Transvaal, Natal
• Discovery of diamonds by Cecil Rhodes
led to British expansion into Boer
Republics
• Boer War 1900-02: British victory, but
confidence shaken
Latin America in Nineteenth
Century
• Spanish and Portuguese colonies
influenced by Enlightenment, American
and French Revolutions
• 1791 Haiti Revolution: hope to slaves and
mestizoes,mulattos, fear to creoles
Mexico
• 1810 Father Hidalgo led Revolution of
mestizoes, slaves, Native Americans.
Failure, no creole support
• 1821 Creole Revolution gained
independence from Spain
• Conservative
Brazil
• Portuguese colony
• Refuge for Portuguese royal family during
Napoleonic era
• 1822 son of King of Portugal declared
independence, became Emperor Pedro I
• Conservative revolution
South America
• Liberal revolutions patterned on American
Revolution
• Simon Bolivar (North) and Jose de San
Martin (South)
• Democratic governments set up modeled
on United States. Most overthrown by
military rulers (caudillos)
• US influence on Latin America began with
Monroe Doctrine 1823
• Mexican-American War 1846-1848 saw
loss of territory to US
• 1862-1865 French takeover of Mexico
(Maximilian von Hapsburg) ended after US
Civil War.
Ottoman Empire
• The Sick Man of Europe
• Wars with Russia, Austria, nationalistic
pressures in Balkans, European economic
competition
• Conservative influence of Janissaries
• Tanzimat Reforms 1839-1876:
Modernization and Westernization, decline
continued
Muslim World
• European domination
• Muhammad Ali attempted Westernization
and industrialization in Egypt, failed
because of British economic pressure.
• Mahdi Revolt (jihad) late 1800s SubSaharan Africa. Failed because of
European military power.
Qing Dynasty China 1644-1911
• China continued to be wealthiest country
until end of 1700s
• Height of power under Emperors Kangxi
and Qianlong
• Early 1800s: Corruption of examination
system. European economic pressure,
internal problems
• Opium trade (balance of trade)
• Opium War 1839-1842: British weapons
and naval power defeated Chinese
• Treaty of Nanking guraranteed
extraterritoriality for British
• Other European nations forced Chinese
into similar agreements
• “Carving up the melon” China carved into
spheres of influence.
• Taiping Rebellion early 1860s: semiChristian rebellion weakened China
• Self-Strengthening Movement 1870s1880s: Failed attempt at westernization
• Boxer Rebellion 1900: last attempt to drive
out Westerners
• 1911 Revolution, Chinese Republic under
Dr. Sun Yat-sen
Russia in the Nineteenth Century
• 1825 Decembrist Revolt: attempt to bring
more liberal government to Russia, failed
• Reaction under Tsar Nicholas I 1825-1856
• Crimean War 1854-1856: defeat for
Russia
• 1856-1881 Reforms under Tsar Alexander
II
• 1861 Serfdom abolished (same general period
as elimination of slavery and slave trade)
• Industrialization, construction of railroads
• Absolute monarchy maintained
• Terrorism increased in response to reforms
• Alexander II assassinated, repression under
Alexander III
• 1905 Revolution forced Nicholas II to grant
Duma, (legislature with little power)
Lenin
• Vladimir Ulyanov (Lenin) modified
Marxism to fit Russia, a country with small
bourgeoisie, little industry, large peasant
population
• Marxism-Leninism: Revolution will not be a
mass movement, but led by small, well
disciplined elites.
Japan in the Nineteenth Century
• Tokugawa Shogunate in power since
1600. Dutch Studies group studied outside
world
• Japanese aware of and concerned by the
exploitation of China in the 1800s
• 1853. US fleet under Matthew Perry
arrived in Tokyo Bay, requested
resumption of trade.
• 1868: Meiji Restoration began: Period of
rapid modernization,industrialization,
westernization.
• Zaibatsus established, cooperation
between government, business (still a
factor in Japanese economy).
• Constitutional monarchy established using
German model.
• Japanese military carved out sphere of
influence in China.
• Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905: Russia
defeated
• In face of rapid modernization, Japanese
revived traditional religion of Shinto