An Age of Western Imperialism

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An Age of Western Imperialism

• 1870-1914

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• Imperialism the domination by one country of
  the political, economic, or cultural life of
  another country or region.
• By the late 19th century, Western powers had
  taken over large tracts of land primarily in
  Africa Asia

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Pre-19c European Imperialism
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(No Transcript)
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• The Scramble
• for Africa

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EuropeanNationalism, Boost Prestige
Source For Raw Materials
MissionaryActivity
Industrial Revolution
European Motives For Imperialism
Markets forFinishedGoods
Military NavalBases
SocialDarwinism
Places toDumpUnwanted/Excess Popul.
EuropeanRacism
HumanitarianReasons
Soc. Eco.Opportunities
WhiteMansBurden
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• The growing industrialization of Europe required
  the Europeans to look to Africa Asia for the
  raw materials needed.
• Copper
• Manganese
• Rubber
• Guano
• Gold
• Diamonds
• They could also dump European surplus goods on
  foreign markets.

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• Now thats
• a big pile of sh...
• tinking crap!
• -Peruvian
• Guano Mine

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Diamond Mines
Raw Diamonds
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The White Mans Burden
Rudyard Kipling
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The White Mans Burden?
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Methods of Imperialism

• Superior Weaponry Technology
• Steam powered warships
• Railroads
• Rapid firing breech loading rifle
• Maxim gun/machine guns
• adds to militaristic tension between competing
  European nations
• Arms races alliance-building

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• Maxim gun

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Methods of Imperialism

• Well organized governments powerful armies
  navies
• Improved medical knowledge
• Medicines like Quinine
• (for Malaria) help Europeans
• survive deadly tropical diseases

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Forms of Imperial Control

• Colonies
• Send out governors officials to set up colonial
  bureaucracy
• Try to transform the society into westernized
  culture

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Colonies
Direct Rule Indirect Rule
Frances method Send officials Impose French culture on the population To create French provinces British method Use local rulers to govern Encourage children of the local ruling class to attend school in Britain
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Types of Colonies

• Settlement Colonies places where large numbers
  of Europeans their families moved to start new
  lives (i.e. Australia, New Zealand, Algeria)
• white dominions
• contested settler colonies
• Dependent Colonies a few European officials
  ruled over the native populations usually
  because of a large number of European soldiers
  (i.e. Angola)

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Spheres of Influence

• Areas where the Europeans did not technically own
  the land or run the government, but because of
  economic forces and often troops, European powers
  were able to control the area behind the
  scenes.
• Best example China

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European Imperial Claims

• British
• Eastern
• Southern Africa
• The Middle East
• India
• The sun never sets on the British Empire.

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Cecil Rhodes (1853-1902)
The Colossus of Rhodes
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European Imperial Claims

• French
• Western Africa
• Indo-China (Vietnam)
• Syria

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European Imperial Claims

• Belgium
• Belgian Congo
• A low point in Imperialism
• King Leopold II 1885
• Brutal imperial cruelty

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Harvesting Rubber
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Punishing Lazy Workers
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5-8 Million Victims! (50 of Popul.)
It is blood-curdling to see them (the soldiers)
returning with the hands of the slain, and to
find the hands of young children amongst the
bigger ones evidencing their bravery...The rubber
from this district has cost hundreds of lives,
and the scenes I have witnessed, while unable to
help the oppressed, have been almost enough to
make me wish I were dead... This rubber traffic
is steeped in blood, and if the natives were to
rise and sweep every white person on the Upper
Congo into eternity, there would still be left a
fearful balance to their credit. --
Belgian Official
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Belgiums Stranglehold on the Congo
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Leopolds Conscience??
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European Imperial Claims

• Italy
• Ethiopia
• Somalia
• Libya

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European Imperial Claims

• Germany
• Southwest Africa
• Cameroon
• Togo
• German East Africa

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European Imperial Claims

• Portugal
• Angola
• Mozambique
• Spain
• Rio de Oro

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American Imperial Claims

• Philippines
• Hawaii
• Guam
• Puerto Rico

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Uncle Sam The Colossusof the Pacific (A
Parody)
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Africa 1890
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Resistance to Imperialism

• Examples
• Sepoy Mutiny (India 1857)
• Zulu Wars (Battle of Isandhlwana, South Africa
  1879)
• Mahdist Revolt (Sudan 1881-1899)
• Maji Maji Uprising (German East Africa 1905-06)
• Boxer Rebellion (China 1900)
• Philippine-American War (1899-1902)

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Impacts of Imperialism

• Many of todays problems stem from imperialism
  ethnic fighting in Africa the Middle East
• Intense competition for colonies resulted in only
  two independent African nations at the turn of
  the century
• European rivalries contributed to tensions that
  led to the outbreak of World War I
• Social Darwinism in action paves the way for
  future ethnic racial policies