Imperialism
Causes and Effects
Mr. Bach
Hudson High School
Accelerated World History
Cause #1: Raw Materials


Industrialization
throughout
Europe
depended on raw
materials.
Countries need
to establish
colonies to
provide raw
materials.
Cause #2: Investment
Opportunities


Bourgeoisie could
make a great deal
of money
developing new
areas around the
world.
Example: Building
railroads across
Africa,
establishing
factories in India.
Cause #3: Military
Superiority

Weaponry of
the Industrial
Age gave
European
nations a huge
military
advantage
over the
people of
Africa, India,
and China.
Cause #4: Transportation
Improvements

New
advancements
such as railroads
and steamships
allowed
Europeans to be
able to
penetrate
deeper into
jungles and wild
areas than
before.
Cause #5: Medical
Advancements

Germ theory and
the discovery of
quinine (malaria)
gave Europeans
the physical
strength
necessary to
survive in
inhospitable
environments.
Cause #6: Philosophical
Justification

Philosophies of
racism and
Social Darwinism
provided
Europeans with
the justification
they needed to
conquer and
subdue native
peoples.
Cause #6: Philosophical
Justification
Cause #7: Imperial
Competition
 Imperial ambitions started
a slippery slope where
European nations
“scrambled” to divide up
the map as quickly as they
could.
Effect #1:
Interdependence
 People of varying cultures
interacted as never before
and the actions of one
group started to greatly
impact the lives of the
other.
Effect #2: Wealth
Transfer


Imperial conquests
established
wealthy families
and companies
(many that exist to
this day).
The wealth was
largely stolen from
the indigenous
peoples.
Effect #3: New Conflicts


Imperialism sowed the
seeds of many current
conflicts:
 Middle East
 African religious
conflicts (Sudan)
 African ethnic
conflicts (Rwanda)
Conflict between
European culture and
native culture.
Cause #4: Retarded
Development

Imperialism,
after an initial
spurt, slowed
economic and
political
development in
the native
areas that
were impacted
by European
influence.
Man-eaters of the Tsavo