The Age of Imperialism
Chapter 11
1850-1914
What is imperialism?

The seizure (takeover) of a country or territory by
a stronger country
What is Imperialism?

Why do Europeans do this?

Industrialization sparks the need for:
Land perfect for establishing trading and military posts
 Natural resources and raw materials
 New markets for products

What is Imperialism?

Europeans want to control all aspects of their
colonies
Politics
 Society
 Economy
 Culture and customs

Types of Imperialism

Methods of Management

Direct Control
Paternalism – Europeans provide for local people but
grant no rights
 Assimilation – adaptation of local people to ruling culture


Indirect Control
Limited self-rule for local governments
 Legislative body includes colonial & local officials

Types of Imperialism

Forms of Control

Colony


Protectorate


Governs itself, but under outside control
Sphere of Influence


Governed by a foreign power
Outside power controls investments & trading
Economic Imperialism

Private business interests assert control
I. The Scramble for Africa

Africa Before European Dominion
Divided into hundreds of ethnic groups
 Followed traditional beliefs, Islam or Christianity
 Nations ranged from large empires to independent villages
 Africans controlled their own trade networks
 Europeans only had contact on African coasts

The Scramble for Africa (cont)

Nations compete for overseas empires

Europeans wanted more land

Contained large amounts of gold, diamonds, and rubber
Africa was a mystery to many
 Europeans who penetrated Africa were:

Explorers – seeking wealth and notoriety
 Missionaries – trying to convert Africans to Christianity
 Humanitarians – “westernize” the “savages”

The Scramble for Africa (cont)

Forces Driving Imperialism

Belief in European superiority
Racism
 Social Darwinism


Factors Promoting Imperialism in Africa
European technological superiority
 Europeans had means to control
 New medicines prevent diseases

The Division of Africa

The Berlin Conference (1884)




Europeans leaders divide Africa
No African ruler invited
Little or no thought about the
complex differences in ethnic groups
By 1914 – Only independent nations


Liberia
Ethiopia
According to this
cartoon, which
European countries were
fighting for a position in
Africa?
How did the Berlin
Conference lead to the
situation shown in the
cartoon?
South Africa

Three Groups Clash for Power

Africans



Boers



Zulu nation, led by Shaka, fought the British
Zulu nation lost to British in 1887
Dutch settlers that had controlled South Africa since the mid 1600s
Also known as Afrikaners
British

Gained control of South Africa after the Berlin Conference
Boer War

Fought between the Boers and the British
Many Africans fought with the Boers
 First example of “total war”
 British win in 1910


Established the Union of South Africa (British Rule)
Effects of
European
Imperialism
in Africa
II. Case Study: Nigeria

Britain’s control of Nigeria

Britain takes control by diplomacy & force


Nigeria very culturally diverse


All of Nigeria claimed as a colony in 1914
250 ethnic groups
British utilize indirect rule

Local chiefs resent limits on their rule
African Resistance

Africans Confront Imperialism


Unsuccessful Movements



Broad resistance, but Europeans have superior weapons
Algeria fights the French for 50 years
German East Africa resistance results in 75,000 deaths
Successful Movements




Ethiopia under Emperor Menelik II
Plays Europeans against each other
Stockpiles modern weapons
Defeats Italy and remains independent
Legacy of Imperialism

Negative Effects





Africans lose land and independence
Many lives are lost
Traditional cultures breakdown
Division of Africa creates problems that continue today
Positive Effects




Reduces local fighting
Sanitation improves
Hospitals and schools created
Technology brings economic growth
III. Europeans Claim Muslim Lands

The Ottoman Empire Loses Power

Empire begins to decline in 1566

Death of Suleyman I
Modernization movements are unsuccessful
 Greece and Serbia gain independence
 European Powers look to gain Ottoman lands

Downfall
of the
Ottoman Empire
Crimean War (1853)

Crimean War – Russia vs. Ottoman Empire

Russia seeks Ottoman land


Access to a warm-water port
Russia loses war
Ottomans are shown to be weak
 Russia still is able to take land

Europeans Grab Territory

England gains control of:
India – natural resources
 Suez Canal – international trade
 Persia – oil and tobacco


Russia gains control of:
Persia – oil, tobacco, & access to Indian Ocean
 Afghanistan – oil

The
Suez Canal
IV. British Imperialism in India

British Expand Control over India

East India Company
Controls India thru economic imperialism
 Company uses an army including Indian
soldiers known as “sepoys”


India was seen as the most important
colony
Due to its production of raw materials
 Known as the “Jewel in the Crown”

Effects of British Rule

Impact of Colonialism
Railroads move cash crops and goods faster
 British control political and economic power
 Cash crops resulted in loss of self-sufficiency and
caused famine
 Indian culture is disrupted due to racism and
missionaries
 Britain sought to “modernize” India

The Sepoy Rebellion

Indians Rebel

Sepoys refuse to use cartridges due to religious reasons





They had to bite them open – greased with pork fat
Considered unclean by Muslims
Many sepoys were jailed, others rebelled
British put down the rebellion
Results


Britain takes direct control of India
Increased distrust between Indians and British
Nationalism in India

Call for reforms
India adopts modernization movements
 Many Indians adopt western ways


Religious Issues Remain

Formation of the Indian National Congress (1885)


Called for independence from Britain
Formation of the Muslim League (1906)

Many Muslims did not trust Hindus within India
Imperialism in Southeast Asia

European Powers Invade the “Pacific Rim”

Lands of Southeast Asia that border the Pacific
Ocean
Britain – Malaysia, Burmia, and Singapore
 Netherlands – Indonesia
 France – Indochina (Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia)


Why?
Land perfect for establishing trading and military
posts
 Excellent for plantation agriculture

Imperialism in Southeast Asia

Results
Modernization helps the European businesses
 Education, health, and sanitation improves
 Millions migrate to find work
 Racial and religious clashes increase

England’s
Empire
Grows
V. Imperialism in China and Japan

China vs. The West
China was self-sufficient – no need for trade
 China kept a favorable balance of trade
 Europeans were able to shift the balance



Sale of Opium – addictive drug from poppy plant
Opium War (1839-1842)– China vs. Britain

China loses – signs Treaty of Nanjing
Extraterritoriality – foreigners were not subject to Chinese
laws
 Chinese power over the West ends

China vs. The West

Foreign Influence Grows


Growing Spheres of Influence
A Surge in Chinese Nationalism

Boxer Rebellion


Poor peasants and workers who resented foreign
priviledge
Beginnings of Reform
China tried to become more western
 Further added to internal problems

Imperialism
in China
Imperialism in Japan

Japan remained isolated from western world for
centuries – only traded mainly with China
Treaty of Kanagawa (1854) – ends Japan’s isolation
 Meiji Reform – Japan begins to modernize beginning
in 1867
 Japan was competitive with the west in many
modern industries

Imperialism in Japan

Russo-Japanese War (1904)

Treaty of Portsmouth
Japan gained Russian territory
 Russia forced out of Korea


Japan Controls Korea
Takes control of the peninsula in 1910
 Begins a period of extreme oppression

THE END