imperialism - portland art museum€¦ · imperialism imperialism is a broad concept that describes...

IMPERIALISM Imperialism is a broad concept that describes i , ' Imperialism: Methods employed by one various methods employed by one country to nation-state to gain power over an gain control (sometimes through territorial con- grea(s) and then to exerdse contm| oyer quest) of another country (or geographic area) jt and then to exercise control, especially political, economic, and territorial, over that country (or geographic area), and perhaps many other countries. The term comes from the Roman imperium (Markoff 2007: 609-14) and was first associated with domination and political control over one or more neighboring nations. The term "empire" is derived from imperium and it was used to describe political forms that had characteristics of Roman rule, especially the great power of the leader (the Roman imperator or emperor) and the huge chasm between the power of the ruler and the ruled (Gibbon 1998). Over time, the notion of empire, and of the process of imperialism, came to be associated with rulership over vast geographic spaces and the people who lived there. It is this characteristic that leads to the association between imperialism and globalization. In fact, many of the processes discussed in this book under the heading of globalization - trade, migration, communication, and so on - existed between the imperial power and the geographic areas that it controlled. The term imperialism came into widespread use in the late nineteenth century as a number of nations (Germany, Italy, Belgium, Great Britain, France, the United States) competed for control over previously undeveloped geographic areas, especially in Africa. (Before that, Spain, Portugal and the Netherlands had been other leading imperialist nations.) While used mainly descriptively at first, imperialism came to have a negative connotation, beginning, perhaps, with the Boer War (1899- 1902). Questions were being raised about the need for political (and cultural) control by the imperial powers. Vladimir Lenin (1917/1939), the first leader of the Soviet Union, was an impor- tant early theorist of imperialism, especially in his book, Imperialism: The Highest Stage of Capitalism (see also J. A. Hobson's [1902/1905/1938] Imperialism). The title of Lenin's work well expresses his view (and Hobson's) that the economic nature of capitalism leads capitalistic economies, and the nation-states that are dominated

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IMPERIALISM

Imperialism is a broad concept that describesi , ' Imperialism: Methods employed by onevarious methods employed by one country to nation-state to gain power over an

gain control (sometimes through territorial con- grea(s) and then to exerdse contm| oyer

quest) of another country (or geographic area) jt

and then to exercise control, especially political,economic, and territorial, over that country (or geographic area), and perhapsmany other countries. The term comes from the Roman imperium (Markoff 2007:609-14) and was first associated with domination and political control over one ormore neighboring nations. The term "empire" is derived from imperium and it wasused to describe political forms that had characteristics of Roman rule, especiallythe great power of the leader (the Roman imperator or emperor) and the hugechasm between the power of the ruler and the ruled (Gibbon 1998). Over time, thenotion of empire, and of the process of imperialism, came to be associated withrulership over vast geographic spaces and the people who lived there. It is thischaracteristic that leads to the association between imperialism and globalization.In fact, many of the processes discussed in this book under the heading of global-ization - trade, migration, communication, and so on - existed between the impe-rial power and the geographic areas that it controlled.

The term imperialism came into widespread use in the late nineteenth centuryas a number of nations (Germany, Italy, Belgium, Great Britain, France, the UnitedStates) competed for control over previously undeveloped geographic areas, espe-cially in Africa. (Before that, Spain, Portugal and the Netherlands had been otherleading imperialist nations.) While used mainly descriptively at first, imperialismcame to have a negative connotation, beginning, perhaps, with the Boer War (1899-1902). Questions were being raised about the need for political (and cultural)control by the imperial powers.

Vladimir Lenin (1917/1939), the first leader of the Soviet Union, was an impor-tant early theorist of imperialism, especially in his book, Imperialism: The HighestStage of Capitalism (see also J. A. Hobson's [1902/1905/1938] Imperialism). The titleof Lenin's work well expresses his view (and Hobson's) that the economic natureof capitalism leads capitalistic economies, and the nation-states that are dominated