The New Imperialism
New Imperialism and its Causes• Colonization of Americas, South Asia, Africa
and China• Europe had little influence on lives of the
people• Strong, centrally governed nation-states had
emerged
New Imperialism and its Causes
Economic Interests• Manufacturers wanted
access to natural resources• Rubber, manganese, palm
oil• Colonies offered a valuable
outlet for Europe’s growing population
Political and Military Interests• Steam-powered merchant
ships and naval vessels needed bases
• Industrial powers seized islands or harbors
• Western leaders claimed colonies cause of national security
• Increased nation’s prestige
New Imperialism and its Causes
Humanitarian Goals• Missionaries, doctors and
colonial official believed they had a duty to spread the blessings of western civilization
Social Darwinism• Embraced natural selection
and survival of the fittest• European races were
superior to all others• Imperial conquest and
destruction of weaker races were simply nature’s way of improving the human species
Success of Western Imperialism
Weakness of Nonwestern States
• Older civilizations in decline• Ottoman Empire, Mughal
India, Qing china• Wars among African people
and the slave trade
Western Advantages• Strong economies, well-
organized governments, powerful armies and navies
• Superior technology & improved medical knowledge
• Quinine, Maxim machine guns, repeating rifles, steam-driven warships
Success of Western Imperialism
Resistance• Ruling areas tried to
strengthen their societies against reforming their own Muslim, Hindu, or Confucian Traditions.
• Many western-educated Africans and Asians organized nationalist movement to expel the imperialists from their lands
Criticism at Home• Anti-imperialists argued
colonialism was a tool of the rich and immoral
• Westerners were moving toward greater democracy at home but were imposing undemocratic rule on other people
Forms of Imperial RuleColoniesFrench• French practiced direct rule, sending officials
and soldiers from France to administer their colonies, impose French culture
British• British relied on a system of indirect rule, using
sultans, chiefs, or other local rulers• Encouraged the children of the local ruling
class to get an education in Britain
Forms of Imperial Rule• Protectorates– Local rulers were left in place but were expected
to follow the advice of European advisors– Cost less to run than a colony, did not require a
large commitment of military forces• Spheres of Influence• Area in which an outside power claimed
exclusive investment or trading privileges
THE PARTITION OF AFRICA
Africa in the Early 1800sSpoke hundreds of languages and varied governments
North Africa• Sahara Desert and Fertile land along the Med.• Close ties to Muslim world• Under rule of Ottoman Empire
Africa in the Early 1800sWest Africa• Islamic reform movement brought change• Usman dan Fodio preached jihad• New Muslim states arose, built on trade,
farming, and herding• Forest regions– Asante Kingdom
Africa in the Early 1800sEast Africa• Port cities carried profitable trade• Cargoes were often slaves• Marched from interior to coast with slaves• Ivory and Copper from Central Africa
Africa in the Early 1800sSouthern Africa• Shaka united the Zulu nation• Mass migration and wars• Zulus were battling Boers
Africa in the Early 1800sSlave Trade• Europeans began to outlaw slave trade• Slave trade continued to Middle East and Asia • Britain and US helped freed slaves resettle in
Africa• 1787 Sierra Leone as colony former slaves• Liberia free blacks from U.S.
European Contacts IncreaseExplorers• European explorers pushed the interior of
Africa• Mungo Park and Richard Burton set out to
map the course and sources of the Great African rivers
European Contacts Increase• Missionaries • Catholic and Protestant• Sought to win people to Christianity• Sincere in desire to help• Built schools, medical clinics and churches• Saw Africans as children in need of guidance• African cultures and religions were degraded• Urged Africans to reject their own traditions
European Contacts Increase• Livingstone• Crisscrossed Africa• Sympathy and less bias• Opposed slave trade• Henry Stanley trekked into Central Africa to
find Livingston
Scramble for Colonies• King Leopold II of Belgium hired Stanley to
explore the Congo River basin• Berlin Conference (1884)• No Africans were invited• European countries must set up government
in any claim in Africa• Established new Africans borders and frontiers• Redrew the map of Africa
Scramble for Colonies• Horrors in the Congo• Wealthy Belgium's exploited the riches • Forced to work for almost nothing, beaten or
mutilated• Leopold turn colony to Belgian government• Little or no role in government or economy
Scramble for Colonies
French Expansion• Algeria in North Africa• Med. into Tunisia• West and Central Africa• Britain Expansion• West and East Africa• Egypt and Sudan and Cape Colony (South Africa)• Boer War 1899-1902
Scramble for Colonies• Portuguese– Angola and Mozambique
• German Empire– Eastern and southwestern Africa
• Italy– Libya , horn of Africa
Africans Resist Imperialsm• Algerians battled French• Samori Toure fought French forces• British battled the Zulus• Asante in West Africa• Maji-maji Rebellion 1905Ethiopia• Menelik II modernized• Imported weapons and Europeans train army• Only nation to preserve independence
EUROPEAN CHALLENGES TO THE MUSLIM WORLD
Stresses in the Muslim WorldThree Muslim Empires• Mughals, Ottoman Empire, Safavids• 1700s in decline• CorruptionIslamic Reform Movement• Stressed religious piety and rules of behavior• Returned to purity and simplicityEuropean Imperialism• Won treaties giving favorable trading terms
Problems for the Ottoman Empire• Extended across the Middle East, North Africa,
and Southeastern Europe• Nationalists Revolts• Balkans, Greeks, Serbs, Bulgarians, Romanians
gain independence• Arabia, Lebanon and Armenia revolted• Lost control of Egypt
Problems for the Ottoman Empire• Efforts to Westernize• Reorganize bureaucracy and system of tax
collection• Built railroads, improved education, European
officers to train military• Men sent to study new sciences and
technology• Better medical care and revitalized farming
Problems for the Ottoman EmpireYoung Turks• Overthrew the sultan• Ended when WWI erupted Massacre of Armenians• Brutal genocide of Armenians• Muslim Turks distrusted the Christian
Armenians accused of supporting Russian plans against Ottoman empire
• A million + Armenians were killed
Egypt Seeks to ModernizeMuhammad Ali• Improved tax collection, reorganized the
landholding system, large irrigation projects to increase farm output
• Increased Egyptian participation in world tradeSuez Canal (1859)• Ferdinand de Lesseps • 100-mile waterway links the Med. And Red Sea• Egypt ruler unable to repay debt, sold his
shares to Britain prime minister
Iran and the European Powers• Qajar shahs ruled Iran from 1794-1925• Gov’t improved finances, sponsored the
building of telegraph lines and railroads, experimented with liberal constitution
• Russia and Britain set up sphere of influence in Iran
• Iranian gov’t granted concessions
THE BRITISH TAKE OVER INDIA
East India Company• Many people and cultures• British took advantage of Indian divisions• Main goal was to make money• Improved roads, preserve peace, and reduce
banditry.• Tried to convert to Christianity• Worked to end slavery and caste system• Improved position of women• Outlawed sati
Sepoy Rebellion• Unpopular moves• 1st Required sepoys to serve anywhere• 2nd a law allowing Hindu widows to remarry• 1857 issued new rifles to sepoys• Angry sepoys rebelled• Massacred British men, women and children.• British rallied and crushed the revolt• Revenge – torched villages and killed thousands of
unarmed Indians.• Parliament ended East India Company rule 1858
British Colonial Rule• Viceroy• Modernized India adopting technology and
culture• Market of raw materials• Built roads and railroad network• New methods of communication• Ruined India’s hand-weaving industry
British Colonial Rule• Nomadic herders into farmers of cash crops• Massive deforestation• Population growth put strain on food supply• Legal system to promote justice for Indians• Upper classes sent sons to British schools
Different Views on Cultures• Ram Mohun Roby combined Hindu and
Muslim cultures• Learn from the west• Condemned traditions, rigid caste distinctions,
child marriage, sati, purdah• Set up educational societies
Indian Nationalism• 1855 nationalist leaders organized the Indian
National Congress• Greater democracy would bring more power
to Indians• At first Muslims and Hindus worked together• Muslims grew to resent domination• Worried Hindu’s would oppress Muslims
CHINA AND THE NEW IMPERIALISM
The Trade Issue• China sold silk, porcelain and tea• China Enjoyed trade surplus• Westerners had a trade deficit• Two developments transformed China’s relations• 1st China entered a period of decline• 2nd Expanded markets for European goods
Opium War• British made huge profits by trading opium
grown in India for Chinese tea• Chinese became addicted• Chinese gov’t outlawed opium / Killed dealers• 1839 warships clashed with British merchants• Chinese easily defeated• Treaty of Nanjing• Huge indemnity, Hong Kong, opened five
ports, extraterritoriality
Internal Problems• Qing dynasty in decline• Irrigation systems and canals poorly maintained –
massive flooding in Huang He Valley• Hardships for peasants, tax evasion, official
corruption
Taiping Rebellion• 1850-1864• Most devastating peasant revolt in history• Hong Xiuquan wanted to establish a “Heavenly
Kingdom of Great Peace”• Endorsed social ideas
Land reform, community ownership of property, equality of women and men
• Taiping rebels won control for 14 years• 20-30 mil. deaths
Reform Effects• Scholar-officials no reasons for new industries• Disapproved of western ideas• Technology was dangerous• Empress Ci Xi• Imported western technology• Factories, shipyards, railroads, mining
War with Japan• Sino-Japanese War 1894• Japan gained Taiwan
Spheres of Influence• British– Yangzi River
• French– Land near Indochina
• German– Northern China
• Russia– Northern China
100 Days of Reform• Guang Xu• New laws set to modernize civil service exams,
streamline government, encouraged new industries
• Affected schools, military and bureaucracy
Qing Dynasty Falls• Boxer Uprising 1899• Expelled “foreign devils”• China admitted women to schools• Expanded economically• Business class emerged, new urban working class
Three Principles of the People• 1st nationalism, freeing China from foreign
domination• 2nd democracy• 3rd “livelihood”• Sun Yixian named president Chinese republic