1. The Age of Imperialism

2. Imperialism: The takeover of a country or territory by a stronger nation with the intent of dominating the economic, political and social life of the people of that nation

5. Motives for Imperialism
Economic- need for new markets and raw materials
Political– boost national pride, expand territory, exercise military force
Social- racism, Social Darwinism, spread Christianity, white man’s burden

6. Economic Origins Of Imperialism
The Industrial Revolution
Industrialized nations took control of less developed nations
To gain raw materials for industry
Cotton, coal, metals, etc.
To gain markets for goods
Manufactured goods could be sold in the colonies

7. Origins of Imperialism
Political and Social
Origins of Imperialism
Nationalism
Competition between industrial nations led to a race for overseas empires
The “White Man’s Burden”
Many believed it was their duty to “civilize” people of other nations by introducing Christianity and Western culture
Social Darwinism
Many claimed it was natural for “the weak to be taken over by the strong”

8. “Whatever happens, we have got the Maxim gun, and they have not.”
One English writer put it this way:
“Whatever happens, we have got the Maxim gun, and they have not.”

9. Rudyard Kipling, author of The Jungle Book, was an Anglo-Indian – an Englishman who was born in India.
His ideas about imperialism can be seen in a poem he wrote in 1889, called The White Man’s Burden:
“Take up the White Man’s Burden –
Send forth the best ye breed –
Go bind your sons to exile
To serve your captives’ need;
To wait in heavy harness
On fluttered folk and wild –
Your new caught, sullen peoples
Half devil and half-child.”

10. The White Man’s Burden was the idea that Europeans had to conquer the rest of the world, to spread the benefits of Western Civilization.
This was supposed to help them…

11. Mahatma Gandhi was born in India around the same time as Rudyard Kipling. Gandhi lived in India and Africa and studied law in England, but he had different ideas about imperialism.
Reporter: “What do you think about Western Civilization?”
Gandhi: “I think it would be a good idea!”
Gandhi led India to independence from England through nonviolent resistance.

12. Gandhi and others thought that Europeans were just talking about helping the people they conquered.
The West wasn’t really civilized, according to Gandhi. It was brutally conquering the entire world and taking foreign countries’ natural resources.

13. Social Darwinism said that the strong should rule over the weak

14. Nations competed for overseas empires. Britain’s lead was challenged.
In the mid-1800s, Britain was the most powerful nation in the world.
It’s factories produced more good than those of any other country.
The British Navy guarded the oceans so that those goods could be shipped safely to ports around the globe.
British banks loaned the money needed to build factories, mines, and railroads worldwide.
By the late 1800s, however, Germany and the United States were challenging Britain’s economic leadership.
Faced with possible decline, Britain looked increasingly to its colonies for markets and resources.

15. Nations competed for overseas empires. Imperialism fostered rivalries.
Other countries followed Britain’s lead and came to see colonies as necessary for their economic well-being.
The French and Dutch expanded their holdings and by 1900 France had an empire second in size only to Britain’s.
Spain and Portugal attempted to build new empires in Africa.
Austria-Hungary moved into the Balkans.
Russia expanded into the Caucasus, Central Asia, and Siberia.
Countries that had no colonies set out to acquire them.
Belgium, Italy, and Germany all took over lands in Africa (with Germany also taking an interest in East Asia & the Pacific islands).

16. Nations competed for overseas empires
Nations competed for overseas empires. Imperialism fostered rivalries (continued).
Two non-European countries, the United States and Japan, also became involved in overseas expansion during this period.
Both the U.S. and Japan were interested in East Asia.
The U.S. was also deeply tied to Latin America.
Increasingly, Europeans viewed an empire as a measure of national stature.
Thus, the race for colonies grew out of a strong sense of national pride as well as from economic competition.

19. Management Methods Indirect Control Direct Control Characteristics
-Local officials were used
-Limited self-rule
-Goal to develop future leaders
-Govt’s based on European styles, but may have local rulers
-Foreign officials brought into rule
- No self-rule
-Gold assimilation
-Govt’s institutions based only on European styles
Examples
-British colonies such as Nigeria, India, Burma
-U.S. colonies on Pacific Islands
-French colonies such as Somaliland, Vietnam
-German colonies such as Tanganyika

20. Major Imperial Powers Great Britain France Germany Russia
The United States
Japan

21. Imperialized Areas Powerful industrial nations established empires in:
Africa
Asia
Oceania (Australia, New Zealand, and surrounding islands)

22. The Berlin Conference 1884-1885
European nations met in Berlin, Germany to settle arguments over African lands
European powers divided all of Africa (except Ethiopia and Liberia) and drew up new borders
Did not consider ethnic or language differences of African tribes
Africans had no say in the decisions
By 1902, 90% of all the land that makes up Africa was under European control.

25. African Resistance Movements
Most resistance was unsuccessful
Superior European technology
Alliances failed

26. African Resistance Movements
Maji- Maji Rebellion 1905
Germany began levying head taxes in 1898, and relied heavily on forced labor to build roads and accomplish various other tasks.
In 1902, villages were ordered to grow cotton as a cash crop (for export).
Each village was charged with producing a quota of cotton. The Headmen of the village were left in charge of overseeing the production, which set them against the rest of the population.
In 1905, a drought threatened the region. This, combined with opposition to the government's agricultural and labor policies, led to open rebellion against the Germans in July.
The insurgents turned to magic to drive out the German colonizers and used it as a unifying force in the rebellion.
A spirit medium named Kinjikitile Ngwale claimed to be possessed by a snake spirit called Hongo. Ngwale began calling himself Bokero and developed a belief that the people of German East Africa had been called upon to eliminate the Germans. German anthropologists recorded that he gave his followers war medicine that would turn German bullets into water. This "war medicine" was in fact water (maji in Swahili) mixed with castor oil and millet seeds. Empowered with this new liquid, Bokero's followers began what would become known as the Maji Maji Rebellion
Germans in East Africa squash spiritual uprising (26,000 killed)

27. Ethiopia- A successful resistance
Menelik II Emperor of Ethiopia
Purchases weapons from France & Russia
Defeated Italian forces in 1896
After defeating the Italians, he became the first black African king in modern history to engage in slavery of white European war captives held as slaves inside Ethiopia. Menelik expanded his kingdom to the south and east, expanding into areas that had never been under his rule.
Only African nation to resist Europeans

28. Positive and Negative Impacts of Colonial Rule
Local warfare reduced
Improved sanitation
Hospitals led to increased lifespan
Schools led to increased literacy
Economic growth
NEGATIVE
Loss of land and independence
Men forced to work in European owned mines and on European owned farms
Contempt for traditional culture and admiration of European culture = identity problems
Dividing up of Africa = artificial boundaries divided kinship groups and united rivals

29. The British Empire (1920s)
“The Sun never sets on the British Empire”

30. Imperialism in 1914

31. Imperialism in India India was Jewel in the Crown of English Colonies
300 million people= a huge potential market
Indian business competition was prohibited
Major supplier of Raw materials (Cotton, opium)

32. Sepoy Rebellion (1857)
Sepoys- Indian soldiers in British Army (mainly Muslim and Hindu)
Rifle Cartridges greased with beef and pork fat (violates religious law)
Leads to Sepoy Rebellion
Failed Rebellion leads to Direct Rule (Raj)
New Direct Rule (Raj) paid by Salt Tax (Gandhi leads Salt March Protest in 1930)
Growing Indian Nationalism / Modernization
Ram Mohun Roy “Father of Modern India”
Indian National Congress
Muslim League

33. Imperialism in India Positive:
Improved infrastructure, built schools, improved sanitation & public health, ended local warfare
Indians allowed to study abroad
Negative:
British held all political & economic power
Indians treated as second class citizens
Conversion to cash crops caused famine
Indian cultural values, beliefs & practices were threatened

35. Imperialism in the Pacific Rim
Source of tropical agriculture,minerals & oil
Hindus, Muslims, Christians & Buddhists
Dutch, British, French, US all raced to gain colonies
*Dutch East India Co. ruled Indonesia
*French ruled over Indochina (Vietnam)

36. The United States’ Empire
(1900)

38. Southeast Asia Power Lands Claimed Major Trade Products Dutch
Java, Sumatra, Borneo, Bali
Oil, Tin, rubber
British
Malaysia, Burma
Tin, Rubber
French
Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia
Rice
Americans
Philippines, Hawaii
Sugar, Bananas, Pineapples

39. Imperialism Stations
Walk around the room and analyze primary sources to determine motives for Imperialism.

40. Imperialism Project
See handout

41. So how did Imperialism lead to World War I?
I’m glad you asked…