Questions for the PowerPoint Europe and the Age of
Imperialism
Teacher Key
1. Which empires were the largest in Europe at 1911?
Russia, Germany, Austria-Hungary
2. Give 2 technological developments that gave Europe (part of
The West) advantages over Africa and Asia.
Repeating rifle; smokeless gunpowder; Maxim machine gun,
Paixhans guns and shells; ironclad battleships; steam
engines/steam boats; assembly line production.
3. Why did repeating rifles offer an advantage to European armies?
Several shots could be fired before reloading.
4. Why would it have been important for a soldier to shoot
smokeless gunpowder if it were available?
Smokeless powder allowed him to remain somewhat hidden.
5. What was an important military advantage of the Maxim
machine gun?
It was light enough for military troops to carry it easily into the field
of battle.
6. Why did coal fueling locations become important after the
development of the steam engine?
Unlike wind-driven ships, steam-driven ships needed to replenish
their fuel supply.
7. What advantages did steam powered craft have over sailing
ships?
They did not depend on wind for movement. They could move in
rivers and along coast lines easily.
8. What advantage did “ironclad” ships have over wooden ships?
They withstood bombardment by explosive shells. Explosion from
these shells burned wooden-hulled ships.
9. Raphael Semmes, a captain in the Confederate States of
America, thought having an ironclad vessel would be to his
advantage. What did he think he could do with just one ironclad
ship? Why?
The ironclads were marketed as “invincible.”
10. Why was the “American system” of production important to gun
manufacturing?
Assembly line production was the American system. Many
interchangeable parts were made and materials, like guns, could be
mass produce.
11. What process lead to the mass production of steel?
The Bessemer process.
12. Why were steamships important to the civilian population?
Civilians began to travel to explore new lands. No longer was such
travel just for traders, military, missionaries, and explorers.
13. What by-product of crude oil replaced whale oil in the 1880s?
Kerosene took the place of whale oil in the 1880s.
14. Why is the cartoon in slide ____ captioned, “The New Siamese
Twins?” What countries are being connected by the English
Channel Cable?
England and France are being “joined at the hip” like Siamese
twins.
15. In what year was the placement of the transatlantic cable
completed?
The placement of the transatlantic cable was completed in 1866.
16. Why was it important to have brass cartridges instead of paper
cartridges when fighting in tropical climates?
Tropical humidity easily destroyed paper cartridges. Brass
cartridges could withstand humidity.
17. What drug was used to fight malaria?
Quinine.
18. Define the word “imperialism” in your own words.
Responses will vary.
19. What was the goal of imperialism in the 19th and early 20th
century?
The goal was to create new colonies or outposts.
20. Why did European countries want colonies or outposts?
Economically profitable colonies or outposts would increase a
country’s/empire’s wealth.
21. What are the 2 types of colonies?
Two types of colonies are direct rule and indirect rule.
22. How was a protectorate different from an area in a country’s
sphere of influence?
A protectorate was a territory where local rulers were expected to
follow the advice of European powers. A sphere of influence is an
area claimed for investment or trade privileges.
23. How was Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution used to justify
imperialism?
Darwin’s theory of evolution is about survival of the fittest. Social
Darwinism is also about survival of the fittest. The fit, strong
nations of Europe should dominate the weaker nations of the world.
The rich and powerful should dominate the poor and weak.
24. What did Rudyard Kipling mean by “White Man’s burden”?
The burden was the weight of all the poor and uncivilized people of
the world that the developed, rich, civilized world had to bear.
25. Which kingdoms were part of the African Trade States?
The African trade states were Mali, Songhai, the Swahili states, and
the Great Zimbabwe.
26. What trade goods traveled across the Sahara desert?
Salt, gold, ivory, textiles, jewels, copper, and slaves were all part of
the trans-Sahara trade.
27. What is the name of the Mali city that was a famous hub in the
trans-Sahara trade?
Timbuktu is the city in Mali.
28. Name three raw materials exported from Africa by European
powers in the 19th and early 20th century.
Rubber, ivory, copper, gold, diamonds, and oil were all extracted
from Africa.
29. European powers were interest in Africa for many reasons.
One was for trade/raw materials. What was another?
Other reasons for being in Africa were to convert the population to
Christianity and for science/exploration purposes.
30. According to the map of African Religions and Missions, 1913,
where was the Christian part of Africa?
The Christian area of Africa is located in southern Africa.
31. Who is the famous British missionary shown in slide ___?
David Livingstone
32. In which part of Africa was “Mohammedan” the principal faith?
Mohammedan faith (Islam) was practiced in north Africa.
33. Which people settled in southern Africa as early as 1652?
The Dutch, German, and French Huguenots who called themselved
Afrikaner.
34. Which company encouraged them to move to Africa?
The Dutch East India Company solicited them to settle near the
Cape of Good Hope.
35. What was/is the name of the settlement they founded near the
Cape of Good Hope?
Cape Town
36. What is the relative location of Johannesburg to the Cape of
Good Hope?
Johannesburg is northeast of the Cape of Good Hope in the province
of Transvaal.
37. What did the British call the Afrikaners?
Boers
38. What is the name given to the Boer migration across southern
Africa?
The Great Trek
39. What famous author was a British soldier in the Boer War?
Arthur Conan Doyle, author of Sherlock Holmes!
40. What Boer homeland eventually became the Union of South
Africa?
The Transvaal.
41. What 2 natural resources were found in southern Africa that
brought the area to British attention?
Diamonds and gold.
42. Who was Cecil Rhodes?
Rhodes was a British statesman and businessman. He held
government office in South Africa and ran the De Beers Mining
Company.
43. What was the De Beers Mining Company mining?
Diamonds.
44. According to the quote by Lord Frederick Lugard, why was
Africa important?
Africa would provide a place for emigration for British citizens and
would provide employment and trade opportunities.
45. What was the reason given for construction of a Cape to Cairo
road?
Such a road would have connected British holdings, north to south.
46. Where was oil being extracted in French controlled Africa?
French were getting oil from the Ivory Coast.
47. What was the name of the French fighting force overseas?
The French foreign legend fought overseas.
48. How would you compare French imperialism in northern Africa
to the European imperialism in southern Africa?
The French established outposts more than colonies. They
extracted raw materials and ruled their areas with strict control.
The British wanted to bring their culture to their colonies.
49. Which countries/empires were the main power brokers at the
Berlin Conference?
France, Germany, Great Britain, and Portugal were the main power
brokers.
50. Why was Africa desirable to those participating in the
conference?
Africa was desirable for its raw materials and markets.
51. Who hosted the Berlin Conference?
Otto von Bismarck of Germany.
52. Which Europeans were considered “objects of special
protection”?
Christian missionaries, scientists, and explorers.
53. What promises did King Leopold II make related to the Congo
Free State?
He promised to protect the native population, to end slavery, and to
guarantee free trade for European powers.
54. What happened to the native African people of the Congo Free
State while they were under Leopold’s control?
Leopold allowed slave labor, rape and mutilation of native
population, and torture of the population to force them to work.
55. Leopoldville was built on the banks of what major African river?
The Congo River.
56. What two authors helped reveal the horrors of the Congo Free
State?
Mark Twain and Joseph Conrad
57. Name the European countries/empires that had colonies in
Africa from 1885-1914.
Britain, France, Germany, Portugal, Italy, Belgium, and Spain.
58. Locate the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in slide ___. Which two
seas are near the rivers headwaters?
The Black Sea and the Caspian Sea.
59. Reference the area boxed off on the map titled The Macedonian
Empire, 336-323 BC. The boxed area marks the watershed of
the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. Into what water body do the
Tigris and Euphrates flow?
The Persian Gulf
60. Who was Marco Polo?
Polo was a European explorer who ventured to China and other
places in East Asia in the late 1200s, early 1300s.
61. Why did Italians and Muslims have some control of the spice
trade from India and Indonesia?
They controlled the ports and cities of the eastern Mediterranean.
62. Name 2 spices imported from Indonesia.
Cloves and nutmeg.
63. When did Vasco Da Gama land in India for the first time?
1498.
64. Give two reasons the Europeans succeeded in imperial
conquests of Asia.
They had advanced technology; strong, established military and
merchant outposts around the Indian Ocean; there was profit to be
made from spice trade; and the Europeans had a spirit of inquiry
about new lands and people.
65. What was the name of the main British trading company?
The British (or English) East India Company
66. Which trading company was established first?
The Dutch East India company was established first in 1602.
67. What was the Ottoman Empire?
The Ottoman Empire was an Islamic kingdom that stretched across
north Africa, southwest Asia, and southeastern Europe. The
Ottoman Empire ruled parts of southwest Asia and southeast
Europe for centuries!
68. Why was Russia interested in expanding into southwest Asia?
Though Russia has an extensive northern coast, it is effectively a
landlocked country. This is because the northern coast is frozen for
most of the year. Russia was after a warm water port.
69. Which German leader developed close ties with the Ottoman
Empire?
Kaiser Wilhelm II established trade relations with the Ottoman
Empire, trading military weapons and military training for
opportunities like railroad construction..
70. Which country/empire planned to build the “Berlin to Baghdad”
railroad?
Germany
71. When did the English (British) East India Company establish a
factory in Iraq?
1763.
72. On which river is Baghdad located?
The Tigris River.
73. Why was Iraq (Mesopotamia) important to the British? To the
Germans? To the Russian?
Britain wanted secure overland trade routes to India.
Germany wanted a railroad system to help it connect with its east
African colonies.
Russia wanted a way to a warm water port.
74. Who was the last Russian Tzar?
Nicholas II
75. Who was the religious leader who advised the last Tzarina,
Alexandra?
Rasputin
76. When were British troops fighting in Afghanistan?
1839-42 and 1878-1880.
77. How was the Afghan city of Kabul (a.k.a. Cabul) naturally
defended?
Kabul is nestled behind some high, steep mountains. There are few
passes that make access to Kabul possible.
78. Were British soldiers the only ones fighting for the British in
India?
The East India company had a fighting force. Also many natives
fought for the British military.
79. From the historical images found in the section on India under
British rule, how would you describe the British life-style in
India?
The British brought their “civilized” lifestyle and culture with them.
They did not “go native” in India.
80. What trade item from India and Ceylon was exported to the
British market? (Consumption of this item happens every
afternoon in British society.)
Tea.
81. What trade item from India was shipped to China in exchange
for silks and other goods?
Opium.
82. What transportation and communication innovations did the
British bring to India?
The British brought trains and railroads, mail service, banking, and
a common language of rule (English) to India.
83. Name four plantation crops that were grown on the island of
Ceylon for export to British markets.
Rubber, tea, coconut, and cocoa (chocolate).
84. Compare the street scene in downtown Colombo to the “native
section,” circa 1900. Describe the similarities and differences.
Similarities—a street is shown in both places.
Differences—the downtown Colombo scene shows a tidy, manicured
environment with people properly dressed, using modern
transportation. The “native section” appears to be crowded, full of
people using buggies not rail for travel, carrying basket of goods on
their heads. It seems unkept in comparison.
85. Which European country was influential in Burma?
Britain.
86. Which European country colonized Siam?
NONE!
87. Why would the British have been interested in building a
Burma-Siam-China railway?
It could open more trade routes to China.
88. What did the French call the area they colonized in southeast
Asia?
Indochina.
89. Name one export crop that was traded from French southeast
Asia.
Pepper and rubber are shown.
90. Who were the French leaders holding in prison or in stockades?
Insurgents and pirates trying to steal exports from French ships.
91. Why did the Opium Wars occur?
The Chinese rulers wanted to stop the British opium trade.
92. Who fought in the First Opium War?
British fought the Chinese.
93. What was decided by the Treaty of Nanjing?
Britain ceded Hong Kong; China opened port of Shanghai and 4
others to British trade and residence.
94. To what conditions did the Chinese agree at the end of the
Second Opium War?
China agreed to open 11 more ports and to permit foreign legations
at Peking (Bejing); sanction Christian missionary activity; and to
legalize the import of opium.
95. What lands did Russia annex at the end of the Second Opium
War?
Russia annexed Turkistan and Manchuria from China.
96. Why did Empress Dowager Tsu Hsi believe to be China’s main
defense against invaders?
She thought that the hundreds of millions of Chinese inhabitants
would be able to stop the invaders.
97. Which countries/empires fought in the coalition against the
Chinese in the Boxer Rebellion?
Japan, US, Austria-Hungary, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, and
Russia
98. What powers in the cartoon in slide _____ are “celebrating the
fall of Peking, 1900”?
From right to left: The US; Great Britain; Russia; Italy (?);
Germany; and France.
99. Using the slide titled, ASIA , 1892, determine which
empires/countries was (were) split, found in both Europe and
Asia.
Russia and Turkey (the Ottoman Empire)
100.
Which European countries/empires had colonies in Asia in
1914?
Britain, France, The Netherlands, Portugal, US, and Japan
101.
Using the map in slide ___ , explain the saying, “The sun
never sets on the British Empire.”
Responses will vary. Basically, Britain controlled holdings across
the globe!