European Imperialism

3.07 Evaluate the effects of colonialism on Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Europe.

4.04 Examine the causes and effects of the Russian Revolution and its effect on Russia and the world.

4.05 Evaluate the causes and effectiveness of nineteenth and twentieth century nationalistic movements that challenged European domination in

Africa, Asia, and Latin America.5.01 Analyze the causes and course of World War I and assess its

consequences.

1

The New Imperialism

• Under new imperialism, European countries began to seek additional territory.

• Why?– Economics– Politics– Cultural Reasons

2

The New Imperialism

Economics • Countries wanted to control new markets to sell their manufactured goods

• Countries wanted access to raw materials that they couldn’t supply (sugar cane, rubber, tea, etc.)

Politics • Countries wanted to prove that they were the best

• Being the best meant having the most territory – this included colonial possessions

Cultural Reasons • Many upheld the theory of Social Darwinism

• Said that it was their country’s mission to “civilize” these areas of the world

Imperialism in Southeast Asia

Major Regions of Control

•

Colonial Rule • Indirect rule– Local rulers were allowed to

maintain their authority.

– Access to natural resources was easier.

– Cheaper because fewer officials were needed

– Affected local culture less

Colonial Rule • Direct rule– European officials replaced local

authorities and governed.

– Used by French and British whenever local peoples resisted colonial rule

Colonial Rule • The colonial powers stressed exporting of raw materials and used the local populace as the labor force for the colonizers.

• Colonial governments brought benefits as well. Highways, railroads, and other structures were built, and modern economic systems were introduced.

Resistance Movements

• Resistance from the existing ruling class, or government officials loyal to the current regime, were the first to fight the westerners.

• Peasant revolts offered another method of resistance, as farmers and peasants driven off the land vented their anger at the foreign invaders.

• The most successful revolts came from nationalistic movements.

• Started by educated, middle-class urban dwellers, these movements generally transformed from defending traditional systems to nationalistic activities.

Imperialism in Africa

• Virtually all of Africa was under European rule by 1900.

• As slave trade in Africa declined, other raw materials, such as peanuts, timbers, hides, and palm olives, were sought after by Europeans.

Imperialism in Africa

Imperialism in Africa

Imperialism in Africa

• West & North Africa

– European countries exercised increasing control over West Africa and North Africa, especially once the Suez Canal was completed.

– The French built the Suez Canal linking the Mediterranean and Red Seas.

– Britain, seizing the opportunity to gain access to India quicker, tried to gain as much control as possible over the Suez Canal area.

Imperialism in Africa

• Central & East Africa– Central Africa was an uncharted,

tropical region. British explorer David Livingstone wanted to find a river that would open Central Africa to European commerce and Christianity.

– Belgium, Britain, Germany, and Portugal all fought for control of Central and East Africa

– In 1884 and 1885, the European powers met at the Berlin Conference to settle conflicting claims. No African delegates were present at the conference.

Imperialism in Africa

• South Africa– the British and Dutch fought for

control of the region– The Boers, or Afrikaners, were

descendents of Dutch settlers who had lived in South Africa since the 1600s.

– The Boers fought the Zulu and practiced policies of discrimination against the native people until the 1990s

Imperialism in Africa

• Effects– Indirect rule kept younger and talented

African political leaders out of power.– Some nations attempted to assimilate the

local peoples, destroying local and traditional culture.

– The rise of African nationalism began in the early 1900s. Led by young, generally Western-educated Africans, the movement took the ideas of the West and attempted to apply them to the African states.

– Africans of all classes faced condescending relationships with Europeans. Clubs, schools, churches, and other social institutions were segregated.

Imperialism in India

• Sepoy Mutiny– British East India Company, was

given the right to become actively involved in India’s political and military affairs.

– To help rule the company often employed sepoys

– In 1857, a growing distrust of the British and rumor that the rifle cartridges were greased with cow and pig fat led to a rebellion of the Indian sepoys.

– As a result of the mutiny, the British Parliament transferred powers of the East India Company directly to the British government. Queen Victoria took the title Empress of India in 1876.

Imperialism in India

• British Colonial Rule– Positive Effects of British

Colonization• Colonization brought order and

stability to India.

• An efficient government bureaucracy was established.

• A new school system was set up using the English language

• Roads and railroads were built.• A telegraph system and a postal

service were introduced.

Imperialism in India

• British Colonial Rule• Negative Effects of British

Colonization

• British economic pursuits brought poverty and hardship to Indians.

• Access to resources and local industries were destroyed.

• Local tax collectors increased taxes and forced peasants to become tenants.

• Farmers were encouraged to switch from food production to cotton production, limiting the food supply for the growing population.

• British rule was very degrading and insensitive to Indian culture.

Imperialism in India

• Nationalist Movements– The first Indian nationalists were

upper-class and English-educated, and came from urban areas

– In 1915, a young Hindu named Mohandas Gandhi used his experiences in British South Africa to become a leader in the Indian movement for independence.

– Gandhi utilized a non-violent method of resistance to attain his goals of improving the lives of the poor and gaining independence for India.

Imperialism in India

Imperialism in Latin America

• Inspired by the American and French Revolutions, Latin Americans started their own revolts for independence.

• Latin American nations wrote constitutions similar to the Constitution of the United States.

• After gaining independence, Latin American nations experienced staggering economic and political problems.

Imperialism in Latin America

Vocabulary 1. Imperialism: the extension of a nation’s power over other lands

2. Exploit: to make use of meanly or unfairly for one’s own advantage

3. Export: to send a product or service for sale to another country

4. Indigenous: native to a region