World History II – October 2014

Empire - a large political unit or state, usually under a single leader, that controls many peoples or territories

Imperialism – the social, political and/or economic domination of one nation over another

Period of New Imperialism – (approximately 1830-1914) rapid conquest of African and Asian lands by European powers

Industrialization

Created the need for raw materials and markets Markets – people to buy the finished goods

Importing so many raw materials created economic instability (Remember Adam Smith?)

Internal political stresses Spread of liberal democracy led to many groups with different

goals and opinions

Leaders thought imperialism would unite their people behind a common cause

International tensions European nations were in fierce competition with each other

Inspired by Charles Darwin’s Origin of Species

Explained the theory of evolution

Social Darwinism applied these evolutionary theories to human beingsand societies

The strongest or fittest should survive in society, while the weak and unfit should be allowed to die Saw natives in Africa and Asia as weaker and unfit to survive, so justified taking land and resources away from them

ambassadors and leaders from 14 European countries met to divide up the territories of Africa

They believed that this land was “uncivilized” and should be colonized by white, Christian Europeans

Determined European spheres of influence A region of the world in which

one country is dominant Europeans thought that these

divisions would stabilize the balance of power in Europe

Berlin Conference (1884-85)

By the end of the 19th

Century, European nations controlled 85% of the globe!