Ch. 27: The Age of Imperialism

1. Ch. 27: The Age of Imperialism Sec. 1: The Scramble for Africa

2. Imperialism • - Industrialization stirred ambitions in many European nations. They needed natural resources to fuel factories and new markets for their goods. Many colonial powers looked to Africa. • Imperialism – The seizure of a country or territory by a stronger country

3. Africa • - In the mid 1800’s Africa was a mixed land. African people were divided into hundreds of ethnic and linguistic groups. Many followed traditional religions while others converted to Islam or Christianity. • - Even though European contact with Africans began in 1450, strong African armies were able to keep the Europeans from colonizing.

4. Congo • - Europeans were unable to travel inland due to complex rivers and rapids, as well as a fear of African diseases. • - Eventually Europeans did make their way inland.

5. King Leo • - By 1882 King Leopold of Belgium controlled much of the Congo River Valley • - He brutally exploited the Congolese by forcing them to collect sap from rubber plants • - Eventually the country became known as the Belgian Congo

6. European assault • Alarmed by Belgium’s takeover of the Congo, France, Germany, Britain, Portugal, and Spain were competing for African colonies. • - Europeans viewed an empire as a measure of national greatness so the competition for colonies became intense

7. Darwin • - The Industrial Revolution also played a role • Racism – The belief that one race of people is superior to others – usually your own race • Social Darwinism – Those who were fittest for survival were wealthy and successful and were considered superior to others

8. Darwin • - Since the Europeans were technologically and scientifically far ahead of the Africans, they felt it was their duty to bring these advances to Africa • - Christian missionaries were also pushing for colonies so that they could convert the local population

9. What factors enabled Europeans to colonize Africa? • 1. New and better weaponry • 2. Steam engine for traversing rivers • 3. Railroads and cables enabled better communication • 4. Advances in medicine protected Europeans from malaria and other diseases • 5. Africans failed to unify themselves against the Europeans

10. Berlin Conference • - The competition for African colonies grew so fierce that European leaders feared war among themselves • Berlin Conference (1884-1885)- Established ground rules for colonizing Africa. It divided the continent. This was done with no regard for how African ethnic and linguistic groups were distributed

11. Conference - No African leaders were invited to attend these meetings - By 1914 only Liberia and Ethiopia remained free from European control

12. South Africa • - For about 100 years (late 1700’s – late 1800’s) a series of wars were fought to control South Africa • - Eventually, the British came to control most of South Africa

13. Boers • Boers – Dutch farmers who had settled on the coast of South Africa in the 1600’s. They were farmers who would now be under British rule. • - They were also called Afrikaners • - The British and the Boers clashed frequently. The Boers eventually moved north to escape the British

14. War • - Discoveries of diamonds and gold led to a war in 1899 • The Boer War – Between the British and the Boers was the first “total war.” The Boers used guerilla tactics and commando raids and the British burned Boer farms and imprisoned Boers in concentration camps

15. Winner • The Brits eventually won the Boer war

16. Sec. 2: Imperialism

17. Methods of colonial control • Indirect control – favored by the US (in the Pacific) and Great Britain. This relied in existing political leaders. • - Local leaders handled much of the day to day management of the colony.

18. Indirect control • - The assumption was that councils would train local leaders in the British method of government and that a time would come when the local population would govern itself (Australia and Canada) • - The US chose the indirect method for its colony in the Pacific, the Philppines

19. Direct Control • Direct Control – Used by the French and others. They viewed the colonies as unable to handle the complex business of running a country so they took a more paternalistic approach • Paternalism – Providing for the needs of the colony but not giving them rights

20. French • The French brought in their own government officials and did not train local leaders • - The French also supported the policy of assimilation • Assimilation – The idea that in time, the local population would adopt French culture and become like the French

21. History • Case Study: Nigeria p. 781-782 • - While many African nations resisted colonization, they were no match for European military superiority with few exceptions • - Ethiopia played the European nations against each other as each wanted control

22. Ethiopia • Menelik II – The Ethiopian leader was able to purchase advanced weapons from France and Russia and built a powerful army. • - When Italy tried to colonize Ethiopia Menelik declared war. He was able to defeat Italy and continue to stockpile weapons in case another foreign power challenged Ethiopia’s liberty

23. Effects of colonization • Negative: • 1. Africans lost control of their lands and independence • 2. Many died from diseases such as smallpox • 3. A change in crops led to famines. The Europeans wanted cash crops grown • 4. Traditional culture was badly damaged • 5. The division of Africa led to friendly groups being split and hostile groups being grouped together in many cases

24. Positive • - These artificial boundaries continue to cause problems today • Positive: • 1. Reduced local welfare • 2. Improved sanitation, hospitals, and schools • 3. African products became available to the world market • 4. Railroads, dams, telegraph, and telephone lines were built • - Most of these changes were designed to benefit the Europeans not the Africans

25. Sec. 3: Europeans Claim Muslim Lands

26. Ottomans • - While most of the Muslim lands were controlled by the Ottoman Empire, the Ottoman power had been in a steady decline. Europeans began to compete with each other fro control of this region

27. Ottomans • - Beginning as early as 1566 trade routes began to bypass the Ottoman nations starting a slow decline. The Ottomans were not exposed to new technologies so they fell behind. • - A period of weak leaders led to corruption and financial losses • - Many Ottoman colonies wanted independence. Greece became independent on 1830 • - The Europeans watched this decline and devised ways of acquiring Ottoman land

28. Stuff • Geopolitics – Taking land for its strategic location or products • - The Ottoman Empire had access to the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean. This would be important for European trade

29. oil • - 1900 – Oil is discovered in Persia (Iran) creating European interest • After WWI – oil was discovered in the Arabian Peninsula and focused even more attention on the area.

30. Crimean War • Crimean War – (1853) between Russia and the Ottomans. The Ottomans won but only due to French and British help. • - The war showed how weak the Ottoman Empire was • - The Ottomans continued to lose land up to WWI

31. Egypt • - When Napoleon failed to win Egypt, the Ottomans sent Muhammad Ali to govern • - He immediately broke with the Ottomans and created a strong military and economy • Suez Canal – A canal that linked the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea. It was built with European loans and Egyptian labor

32. Stuff • - It opened in 1869 • - Other Egyptian projects proved to be very costly and Egypt could not repay its loans. • - The Suez Canal came under British control • Persia – p. 789-790

33. Sec. 4: British Imperialism in India

34. India • - The British economic interest in India began in the 1600’s but from 1757 – 1858 the British east India Company was the leading power in India • Sepoys – Indian soldiers. The British had an army in India but it was staffed by sepoys

35. Jewel • - Due to its natural resources and large market, Great Britain considered India the “Jewel in the Crown.” • Jewel in the Crown – The most valuable of all the British colonies

36. Negatives • 1. Britain wouldn’t allow the Indian economy to operate on its own • 2. Britain took Indian cotton and sent it to British factories for manufacturing • 3. Indians were forced to buy British goods • 4. Indian competition with British goods was prohibited • 5. Local Indian textile producers were driven out of business

37. Positives • 1. The British established an extensive railroad system • 2. The British set up telephone and telegraph lines • 3. They improved sanitation and public health • 4. They improved schools and the literacy rate increased • 5. They put an end to local warfare and banditry

38. Racism • - The Indian people felt that the British were racist towards them. They also felt that the British were trying to destroy their culture by making them more British and converting them to Christianity • - As their economic situation worsened, the Indians rebelled

39. Rebellion • Sepoy Mutiny – The uprising against the British. It spread quickly throughout India. • - It took a year for the British east India Company to regain control of India and they needed British military help to do it

40. India • - In 1858 the British government took direct command of India • - There were problems in India between the Hindus and the Muslims. Both groups distrusted each other and they also hated the British • - The Indians were tired of being treated as second class citizens in their own land and feelings of nationalism soon developed

41. Yeah…. • - By the early 1900’s, Indians were calling for self-government

42. Sec. 5: Imperialism in Southeast Asia

43. Pacific Rim • - The western powers valued the Pacific Rim nations as a strategic location along the route to China and also for tropical agriculture, oil, and minerals • Pacific Rim – Countries that border the Pacific Ocean

44. Pacific Rim colonies • - In the early 1800’s the Europeans established colonies in the Pacific rim: • Dutch – Indonesia • French – Indochina (today Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia) • British – Singapore • Germany – Marshall Is., New Guinea, Solomon Is.

45. Crops • - They valued high dollar non-European crops such as sugar cane coffee, cocoa, rubber, coconuts, bananas, and pineapples • - The result of Pacific Rim colonization are mixed. The economies grew due to export crops and railroads were established, but mostly for European business. Healthcare and schools also improved • - Due to labor needed on large plantations, the Europeans encouraged immigration. Today the region is a melting pot of ethnic, linguistic, and religious groups that clash still today

46. Siam • - One country that was not colonized was Siam • Siam – Present day Thailand • - It made social changes and improvements without European help and made itself neutral. The French and Brits wanted to prevent each other from gaining Siam so neutrality worked

47. America • - Many Americans opposed colonization as America was once a colony that had to fight for independence. • - But empire builders and business people saw opportunity in foreign lands • - The Philippines was a Spanish colony for 300 years but became and American colony as a result of the Spanish-American War in 1898

48. Philippines • - The Filipino population did not like trading one colonizer for another and wanted independence • - America did for the Philippines what the Europeans did for their colonies

49. Philippines

50. ????? • - The Philippines gained independence shortly after WWII