Imperialism:

Taking over the World

Definition

• Imperialism:

--one country takes control of another politically, militarily, and/or economically

--empire-building

Challenges to colonizing Africa

• Powerful African

armies

• Rivers not navigable

(rapids, cataracts,

changing flows)

• Disease

• Specialized trade

networks

David Livingstone

• British missionary

• “Disappeared” deep in

Congo interior

• Found by American

journalist Henry Stanley

• “Dr. Livingstone, I

presume?”

• Search was widely

publicized, sparked

interest in the Congo

Leopold II

• Belgian King

• Personal owner of

Congo

• Terrible abuses of

Congolese

• Natural Resource:

Rubber

• William Sheppard

William Sheppard

William Sheppard

Motivations

• Economic

--Natural Resources

--Naval bases

--Raw Materials

--New markets for

industrial products

--Overpopulation—more

jobs available in

colonies

• Cultural

--Source of troops for

bigger armies

--Spread of western

civilization: Social

Darwinism, “White

Man’s Burden”

--Spread of Christianity

--Medical help,

education

The White Man’s Burden

http://www.antiimperialist.com/webr

oot/PEOPLEdocuments/Membershi

p/Pictures/WhiteMansBurden.jpg

http://www.historycooperative.org/journal

s/jah/88.4/images/kramer_f5.jpg

Scramble for Africa:

European AdvantagesTechnology:

• Maxim gun—automatic

machine gun

• Steam engine—for travel

into African interior

• Telegraph

Medical Advances:

• Quinine—to control

malaria

Scramble for Africa:

Vulnerable to Conquest

• Huge variety of

languages and

cultures

• Wars between

ethnic groups over

land, water, and

trade rights

Scramble for Africa:

Berlin Conference

• 1884 Conference of European

powers in which Africa was

divided; no Africans attended

• By 1914, Europeans controlled

the entire African continent

except for Liberia (protected by

the U.S.) and Ethiopia

• Cash crops replaced food crops

grown by farmers to feed their

families

Scramble for Africa: South Africa

Three groups that clashed over

land and resources in South

Africa

• Zulus—led in early 19th c. by

Shaka

• British

• Boers (Dutch)—also called

Afrikaaners

First “total war”—waged against

civilians as well as armies

Scramble for Africa: Boer War

First “total war”—waged

against civilians as well

as armies

Outcomes of Boer War

• Britain won the war

• Union of South Africa

was created, controlled

by the British

• Cape Colony, apartheid

Cecil Rhodes--Rhodesia

British imperialist who

envisioned a British Africa

“from Cape to Cairo”

Rhodesia became

Zimbabwe 1979

Violent conflict over returning

gov’t to majority black rule

and redistributing property

owned by white landowners

since time of British control

Forms of Imperialism

• Colonies—Governed by mother country—

India, Rhodesia, French Indochina

• Protectorate—maintains local government,

which must answer to imperialist nation—

Niger River Delta

• Spheres of Influence—not governed by

imperialists, but identified as trading center

for different imperialist nations so they can

avoid competition with each other--China

Economic Imperialism:

• Used primarily by US, for example in Latin

America:

• 1. Paid workers w/ vouchers to be used only at

company stores, forced workers into debt w/

high prices; debt passed to next generation

• 2. Land distributed unequally—only wealthy

landowners had property

• 3. Supported military leaders who gained

fame/power during struggles for independence

and controlled new nations as military dictators

(caudillos)

U.S. Economic Imperialism:

Foreign Trade• 4. Latin American exports grew with steamship

and railroads and refrigeration

• 5. Foreign countries lent money to Latin

American governments for building facilities for

export industries; when they couldn’t pay back

loans, the foreign countries took over the

facilities and industries

• 6. Latin American countries didn’t invest in

infrastructure or fund programs for self-

sufficiency; US took advantage

Forms of Imperialism

• Paternalism—treating

indigenous people like

parents treat children

• Assimilation—based on

the idea that indigenous

people would adopt

European culture and

become like the

Europeans

West Africa

• Algerians, waged active

military resistance against

the French (lasted for 50

years)

• Samori Touré led

Mandingo against French

for 16 years; fell as a result

of famine

• French ultimately

controlled much of North

and West Africa

Maji Maji Rebellion

• German East Africa,

1905-06

• Villagers resisted

switch to cotton

(cash crop, not food)

• Belief in maji-maji

(magic water) for

protection

• Slaughter of 30% of

population

Imperialism: Ethiopia

• Successfully resisted

European imperialism when

King Menelik II

--played British, French and

Italians against each other

--built up arsenal of modern

weapons

--defeated Italians in Battle

of Adowa

--modernized Ethiopia

Imperialism Case Study:

Negative Consequences• Colonized people lost control of land and

independence

• New diseases (smallpox)

• Deaths from war, resistance, famine

• Loss of culture

• Artificial boundaries without regard to

ethnic rivalries or allegiances led to

longlasting political problems

Imperialism Case Study:

Benefits to colonized people

• Reduced local warfare

• Improved sanitation

• Improved hospitals and schools

--increased life spans

--increased literacy rates

• Economic expansion

• Constructed railroads, dams,

telephone and telegraph lines

China

• British established Opium trade in China, leading to

widespread addiction, and refused to end this drug trade

• China suffered humiliating defeat—forced to sign Treaty

of Nanjing

• Britain got Hong Kong

• Treaty Ports established

How did Europeans gain/ maintain control?

China• Taiping Rebellion and other resistance caused

internal pressure on Qing government

• Qing government tried to update education system,

diplomatic service and military with mixed results

• Foreign nations gained increasing control over China’s

economy; they established spheres of influence

• U.S. worried that it would be shut out if European nations

establish formal colonies—urged open door policy to

open trade between China and all foreign traders

• Outcome: Policy protected U.S. trade rights in China and

protected China from colonization

• Outcome: China still under control of foreign powers

China--Boxer Rebellion

Cause

• Growing frustration with

Chinese loss of power to

European powers

• Qing Dynasty (Dowager

Empress) refuses to allow

reform

• Peasants resented

privileges granted to

foreigners

• Resented Chinese

Christians

Effect

• International force of

19,000 troops marched

on Beijing and defeated

the Boxers

• Strong sense of

nationalism emerged in

China

• Dowager empress slowly

began reforms

• Five decades of unrest

Modernization in Japan

• American motive—to convince Japanese

to open their ports to trade

• U.S. benefits—U.S. could use two ports

• Meiji modernization—

--a. studied western gov’t and culture;

--b. adopted best aspects of western

civilization;

--c. modernized the military;

--d. universal public education;

--e. industrialization

Modernization in Japan• Korea—Both Japan and China

wanted trade and military posts in

Korea

• Sino-Japanese War—China sent

troops to help Korea’s king put

down a rebellion, violating its treaty

with Japan

• S-J War Consequences—Japan

drove Chinese out of Korea,

destroyed Chinese navy, gained

territory in Manchuria; Japan

gained first colonies

Modernization in Japan• Causes of Russo-Japanese War--

Russia refused to stay out of Korea,

Japan refused to recognize Russian

rights in Manchuria; Japan attacked

Russia

• Consequences—Japan forced

Russia out of Korea, captured

Russia’s Pacific fleet, destroyed

Russia’s Baltic fleet

• Ruling Korea—Harsh rulers: shut

down Korean newspapers, took over

schools, took land, prohibited

Koreans business

British Imperialism in India:

How did they gain/maintain control?

• Mughal Empire collapses; East India Co. gains control of

India

• British establish a railroad network in India to transport

raw materials and manufactured goods; India becomes

increasingly valuable to British

• British force emphasis on cash crops; cause famine;

villagers no longer self-sufficient

• Sepoy Mutiny occurs and uprisings spread over much of

northern India; British gov’t took direct control of India

British Imperialism in India:

Outcomes

Effects

• Nationalism grew in India, along with calls for

modernization and westernization

• Indians form Indian National Congress, which calls for

self-government

• British partition Bengal into Hindu and Muslim sections;

Indians find it more difficult to gain independence

because they were divided

Imperialism: Cuba and Latin America

Who were the Imperialists?

Originally Spain, then the U.S.

How did the US gain/maintain control?

Economic Imperialism▪US Businesses established holdings in Cuba

▪ 1898 Spanish-American War: When Cubans fought

Spanish for independence, US supported their fight

(probably more self-interested than concerned for

oppressed Cubans)

Imperialism: Cuba and Latin America

• U.S. feared that European powers would try to re-

conquer Latin American countries—issued

Roosevelt Corollary to Monroe Doctrine

• The U.S. built the Panama Canal

OUTCOMES

U.S. installed military government in Cuba and

exerted control over Cuban affairs; Puerto Rico,

Guam and the Philippines became U.S. territories

• Santa Anna—1821 fought for

independence from Spain and

in 1829 fought to keep Spain

from retaking control;

• Became Mexico’s president

four times (1833-1855);

• Lost Texas and California to

the U.S. in Mexican-American

War (1845-48);

• Exiled—returned to Mexico

poor, blind, powerless,

forgotten (1874)

Turmoil and Change in Mexico

Turmoil and Change in Mexico

• Benito Juarez—poor

Zapotec Indian, gained

education, law degree;

• Started liberal reform

movement, La Reforma

(1840s-50s);

• Became president 1861-

72;

• Legacy of peace,

progress and reform

Turmoil and Change in Mexico

• Porfirio Diaz—noted military

general;

• Took control of Mexico in

military coup 1876-1911;

• Offered land, power, and

favors to supporters and

terrorized opponents;

• Elections became

meaningless; rich got richer

and the poor got poorer.

• Francisco Madero—ran for

president, arrested by Diaz;

• Called for Revolution;

• Won election after Diaz stepped

down 1911-1913

• Replaced by military leader

Victoriano Huerta, who likely

was responsible for Madero’s

assassination

Turmoil and Change in Mexico:

Mexican Revolution

Turmoil and Change in Mexico:

Mexican RevolutionEmiliano

Zapata—led

army in

southern

Mexico;

called for

reform,

“Land and

Liberty”

Pancho Villa

—led army in

northern

Mexico;

“Robin Hood”

—stole from

rich to give

to poor

Overthrew Huerta to put

Venustiano Carranza in

power.

Venustiano Carranza—

overthrew Huerta’s government,

Turned his army on Villa and

Zapata (his former allies);

Began revising Mexico’s

constitution but did not support

final version—overthrown 1920

Civil War ended with more than

1 million Mexican people dead.

Turmoil and Change in Mexico:

Mexican Revolution

New Mexican Constitution

• Adopted 1917

• Promoted education, land reforms (broke

up large estates), and women’s rights

• Supported by new leader, Alvaro Obregón

• United Mexico with nationalist emphasis

• In 1929, Institutional Revolutionary Party

(PRI) took over; not tolerant of opposition,

but enforced period of peace, stability