ImperialismChapter 26

McKay 873-879, Palmer 16.78, 16.81, 16.82

Imperialism• “The colonialism of the late

nineteenth century”• “New Imperialism” defined:

– Economic, political, military, domination of one nation over a territory, people, &/or nation

– Europeans made permanent settlements in Asia and Africa

– Heyday = 1880-1914• “Old Imperialism”

– Age of Exploration (1492-1860) • Usually set up trading posts

but did not exert political, cultural control of native peoples

– Exceptions= Spanish Empire, 13 Colonies

Reasons for Imperialism• Economic

– New Markets• Industrial Rev. created huge supply of

surplus goods• Rise of US, Germany led to intense

competition for markets– Raw Material

• Industrial Revolution caused high demand for rubber, oil

– Cheap Labor– Maintain high standard of living

• Nationalism & International Prestige– Every virile people has established colonial

power (Heinrich von Treitschke, a German nationalist)

– Means of distracting population from social/economic issues at home

• National Security– Alfred MahanAlfred Mahan, The Influence of Sea Power Upon

History, 1660-1783 (1890)– American Naval Officers– Said that in order to maintain power, nations

needed navies, and navies need coaling stations around the world

Cecil Rhodes Colossus: Cartoon illustrates the Cape-Cairo railway project. Founded the De Beers Mining Company & owned the British South Africa Company. He liked to "paint the map British red," and declared: "all of these stars ... these vast worlds that remain out of reach. If I could, I would annex other planets."

Reasons for Imperialism• Technical and Military Superiority

– Maxim gun (machine gun)– Medicine

• Quinine for malaria– Steam ship & telegraph

• Quick concentration of soldiers• Social Darwinism

– Herbert Spencer justified domination of superior races over weaker “inferior” races

• Missionary/Civilizing– Religious revival among bourgeoisie – Motivated to bring civilization &

morality to the world– Rudyard Kipling (Jungle Book)– White Man’s Burden

• Poem which calls upon the civilized world to accept its responsibility as a power and enlighten the savage world

The White Man's Burden (1899)Rudyard Kipling

Take up the White Man's burden--Send forth the best ye breed--

Go bind your sons to exileTo serve your captives' need;

To wait in heavy harness,On fluttered folk and wild--

Your new-caught, sullen peoples,Half-devil and half-child.

Take up the White Man's burden--In patience to abide,

To veil the threat of terrorAnd check the show of pride;By open speech and simple,

An hundred times made plainTo seek another's profit,And work another's gain.

Types of Imperial Territory• Colonies

– India– directly governed by white Euros

after 1857• Protectorates

– Egypt • rajah, prince maintained

territory and guaranteed to suppress upheaval

• instructed what to do by a European “resident” or commissioner

• IE. Puppet regime• Spheres of Influence

– China– Maintained its political

independence– Economically divided territory

where a Power would have exclusive trading rights

Marxist Critique of Imperialism• Vladimir Lenin

– Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism (1916) – Claimed that imperialism was the natural final stage

of capitalism– Developed industrial nations attempt to delay the

inevitable proletariat revolution by exploiting less developed nations for their resources and labor

– Predicted that communist revolution would begin in less developed (agrarian-based) nations and spread to the urban proletariat in developed nations

• J.A. Hobson– English socialist – argued that imperialism is unnecessary and immoral– result of the misdistribution of wealth – If more of the wealth was given to the workers their

would not be capital for export– It the workers had more purchasing power there

would be less need for external markets (Ford and the Model T)

• Classic Liberals disliked Imperialism– Gladstone- “ The lust and love of territory have been

among the greatest curses of mankind.”– Led to conflict and disrupted free trade– Libs loved ‘freedom’, economic and personal

New Imperialism Impact on the Dark Continent

New Imperialism Impact on the Dark Continent

1830 1871 1884 1899 1914

 France conquers Algeria

  Suez Canal (1869)

Great Trek" of Boers begins

“Dr. Livingstone I presume?”

Egypt becomes

protectorate state (1882)

Berlin Conference

begins

Ethiopians repel Italian conquest, at the Battle of Adwa (1896)

Boer War Begins

Fashoda Crisis

The Long Depression (1873-96

Belgian Congo

Free State (1885)

Pre Imperialism Africa• The Dark Continent• Europeans knew little of sub Saharan • called it Dark ContinentDark Continent• Sahara is almost as large as the who N. America• Centuries Euros only knew the coast (Gold, Ivory,

Slave), Nile, Niger, Congo Rivers• People black but very diverse physically, culturally

(over thousand languages)• Craftsmanship in arts, bronze sculpture, gold,

weaving• North was Islam, other areas were traditional

religions• Lived mainly in villages, agricultural or cattle

raising• Timbuktu was one great city• Ancient kingdoms were weakened by intertribal

wars, slave trade• Like Ottomans Africa came under European

assault when in was in weakened state• Before 1750 were no whites settlements in sub

Sahara• 1910 1.1 mil whites lived with 5 mil blacks

Dr. Livingstone• David Livingstone

– Explored central Africa in 1840s and 1850s

– Mapped and charted unexplored territory

• Explored & mapped Zambezi River • 1st white to look at Victoria Falls

– Performed medical, missionary, & humanitarian work for London Missionary Society

– no economic, political aims• Disappeared in 1865• Found by Henry Stanley 11/10/1871

– New York Herald (Yellow Journalism) went looking for him

– Found him and uttered: Dr. Dr. Livingstone I presume?Livingstone I presume?

• Sensationalistic articles created great Sensationalistic articles created great interest in Africa throughout the worldinterest in Africa throughout the world

Opening of Africa• Stanley saw vast economic possibilities in

Africa and got the King of Belgium King of Belgium (King Leopold II) to back him

• Belgian Congo– International Congo Association

founded in 1878 (a private enterprise of Leopold II)

• Stanley settled treaties with 500 chiefs – for trinkets, yards of cloth

• Other Europeans started to become interested (felt that they may miss out)

• The Scramble– Stanley’s exploits set off a mad rush to

claim African territory among major European powers

– German Karl Peters concluded treaties in East Africa

– French Brazza claimed the Congo River– Portuguese hoped to join Angola and

Mozambique

Berlin Conference of 1885• Bismarck had little interest in African colonies

– ‘like a nobleman wearing a fur coat who can’t afford underwear’

– Recognized it as potential for conflict• Wanted to keep on good side GB & other

nations he had humbled & maintain Bal of Power

• “my map of Africa lies in Europe. Here is Russia and here is France with Germany in the middle; that is my map of Africa.”

• Berlin Conference (1885-6)– Bismarck hosted conference (as honest broker) to

set up ground rulesset up ground rules for The Scramble (rush for African colonies)

– Powers must physically occupy territory to claim it– Gave façade of humanitarian façade of humanitarian goals– Prohibited sale of alcohol and firearms– End slave trade

• Congo Free State (1885) created– Recognized territory as personal property of

Leopold– Said that Congo should not be a colony but gave

administration to Leo– Congo River was internationalized, no tariff on

imports, slave trade eliminated

Congo Free State• Slavery was eliminated but Leo’s desire to make

Congo profitable let to horrible abuses• Europe and America demanded rubberdemanded rubber & Congo

was few places that could supply• Congolese were forced to meet quotas of sap

from rubber trees or face possible death– Enforcers had to return with 1 hand for every Enforcers had to return with 1 hand for every

bullet they usedbullet they used– “each time a corporal goes out to get rubber,

cartridges are given to him. He must bring back all not used; and for every not used, he must bring back a right hand…in six months, they had used 6, 000 cartridges…

• Rubber trees were destroyed with no provision to replace them

• Leo amassed personal fortune but still needed $ – borrowed from his own gov in 1889 and 95

• Press revealed Draconian methods Press revealed Draconian methods and Belgian gov took over in 1908 (year Leo died)

• Congo Free State became colony (Belgian Congo)1908

• Worst atrocities were eliminated

Egypt• Technically autonomous within Ottoman Empire• Suez Canal

– Built by Frenchman Ferdinand de Lesseps (French Engineer)

– Construction (1855-1869)– Connected Red Sea with Mediterranean– Financed as a joint stock company– increasingly important to Britain

• Khedive Ismail– Borrowed heavily to built an Opera House in

Cairo – Lavish lifestyle led Egypt to financial straights– Sold canal shares to Disraeli (PM)– 1879 repudiated Egypt’s foreign debt– GB and France forced the abdication of Ismail

• Egyptian nationals protested against British influence• Arab riots caused British and other foreigners to flee• British bombed Alexandria, sent in troops and put

new Kalif Tewfik under protection• Egypt became a protectorate of G.B

The Fashoda Crisis• France

– Still bitter about loses of Franco-Prussian WarStill bitter about loses of Franco-Prussian War– Bismarck encouraged them to be imperialists

• Suez Canal vitally important to Brits– Over 3 thousand ships passed thru in 1882– Linked GB with India

• Sudanese Mahdi (Guided One)– Led holy war against BritishLed holy war against British– Charles “Chinese” Gordon killed in battle just

before reinforcements arrived (1885)• General Kitchener with Winston Churchill under his

command started southward up the Nile and defeated local Muslims in 1898 at Omdurman – kept going south until he reached Fashoda

• Fashoda Crisis– showdown between Britain and France– French finally backed down (nervous about

Germany & dealing with Dreyfus Affair) and recalled General Marchand

• But led to increased tensions between GB & France

Cape to Cairo• Cecil Rhodes

– Quintessential British imperialist– Dreamed of building a RR through Africa

• Cape to Cairo– Cape Town S. Africa to Cairo

Egypt– 1890, prime minister of Cape Colony, – ran into independent Transvaal and

Orange Free State (Boers or Afrikaners)• Afrikaners

– descendants of Dutch of 1600s had made a “great trek”great trek” to escape British rule (started 1830)

• DiamondsDiamonds were then discovereddiscovered in Transvaal

• Transvaal refused to pass legislation needed for mining

The South African War• 1895 Rhodes sent armed irregulars to

start a revolution but were stopped• Kruger Telegram

– William II, German emperor, congratulated president Paul Kruger of Transvaal, for defeating the bully British

– Greatly inflamed tensions between Germany and GB

• 1899 British went to war• S. African (Boer) War lasted until 1902• 300 thousand Brits found elusive

enemy• They resorted to ravaging the

country, concentrations camps concentrations camps where 20 thousand died

• Once fighting stopped British, 2 states were united as Union of S. Union of S. AfricaAfrica and given semi independent status

• War left British very unpopular in War left British very unpopular in EuropeEurope

I express to you my sincere congratulations that you and your people, without appealing to the help of friendly powers, have succeeded, by your own energetic action against the armed bands which invaded your country as disturbers of the peace, in restoring peace and in maintaining the independence of the country against attack from without.[1]

Imperialism in India and China

Palmer 16.82 & McKay Ch 26 pgs 877-882

Roots of British Imperialism in India• Queen Elizabeth I

– granted English East India Company (later the British East India Company), a monopoly of trade from the Cape of Good Hope eastward to the Strait of Magellan in 1600.

– In 1639 it acquired MadrasMadras on the east coast of India

– Became principal European trading center

• Through bribes, diplomacy, and manipulation of weak native rulers, the company became the dominant political force

• English and French trading companies fought one another for supremacy

• Seven Years' War (1756-1763) marked the end of the French stake in the subcontinent

• Until 1858, however, most of India was still officially the dominion of the Mughal emperor

• Anger seething under the governor-generalship of James Dalhousie (1847-1856), upset cultural sensibilities by banning Hindu practices such as Sati

Roots of British Imperialism in India

Seapoy Rebellion• Was a dangerous rebellion in 1857• Led by seapoys (native Indian

mercenaries employed by the British)• Sepoys made up 5/6th of British army

there (Brits were busy with Crimean War and action in China)

• Many Indian natives saw the British as dangerous

• Banned widow burning, called sati (suttee)– Hindu widow threw herself on the

funeral pyre of her deceased husband• Suppressed the Thugs

– Small band of holy assassins

• Threatened to ban caste– British officer shot his mouth off about

this

• Displacement of land owners

The Attack of Mutineers, July 30, 1857"One of their leaders waving his sword, shouted 'Come on my braves!"

Indian Mutiny Continued• Muslim population was

also agitated• Wahhabi

fundamentalism, popular reform movement that sought to purify and sought to purify and defend religious defend religious practices of Islampractices of Islam

• Propaganda circulated to Propaganda circulated to Muslim sepoys that Muslim sepoys that cartridges were greased cartridges were greased with fat of a pig or to with fat of a pig or to Hindus a cowHindus a cow

• This put them over the top and they rebelled

• Rebellion was brutally put down

Execution by British cannon of Indian soldiers who participated in the Indian rebellion of 1857

British Rule in India• British re-examine their policies• British East India Company and the

Mogul empire were replaced with direct rule from Britain

• Allowed the local political structure to exist

• Rajahs and maharajahs (Indian Upper Class) would rule with the British crown

• Queen Victoria was proclaimed empress of India in 1877

• India’s supply of raw materials supported Britain’s position as the world’s workshop

• But they did very little trading with the impoverished 315 mil

• Suppressed native industries– “India can never again be a great

manufacturing country…”

John Tenniel, Disraeli and Queen Victoria Exchanging Gifts (Punch Magazine, 1876)(Queen Victoria granted Disraeli the title Lord Beaconsfield

British Rule in India• British favored education in

English (1835)• Historian T.B. Macaulay said

Indian languages were vehicles to barbarous and unenlightened ideas

• Class of westernized Indians grew to speak perfect English and were educated in England

• Demanded more of a role in the affairs of their country

• 1885 Hindu Indian National Congress

• 1906 All-India Muslim League• Nationalism spread as British

were targeted with criticism• Targets were capitalists• Nationalism took on a socialist

tone• Tone of independence was

established before WWI

Imperialism in Asia: China and the West

16.83

China before Western Penetration• The biggest bone of imperialism• China was a point of conflict between

western, imperial nations• Qing (aka Manchu) dynasty (1644-

1912) loosely ruled over all that was Chinese

• China considered the west to be barbaric and remained isolationistic– China was the Middle Kingdom and

everyone else were losers

• Qing dynasty was failing and unable to preserve order

• White Lotus Society revolted in 1800 but was suppressed

• Heavenly Reason Society tried to seize Peking (Beijing) in 1813

Taiping Rebellion of 1850• 20 million perished (population of GB)• Leader claimed to be brother of Jesus• Otherwise due to Chinese causes• Rebels attacked the Manchus (from

Manchuria 2 centuries before) as corrupt foreigners– They didn’t like poverty, extortion, rack-

renting, and absentee landlords• Taiping and Manchu leadership broke down• Chaos and banditry erupted• Warlords appeared• Manchu put down the Taiping rebels with

European help (after 14 years)– IE. British General Gordon- Chinese Gordon

who was later killed in Africa• Europeans began to extort concessions

from the Manchu and maintain the Qing dynasty at the same time

• Effect was to sustain instability within China and increase European access

Major-General Charles George Gordon (1833-1885)

The Opening of China to the West• Opium Wars 1839 – 1857• Trade with China was difficult• China desired few European

goods• British East India Company

solved problem by getting Chinese Tea by trading it for Indian grown opium

• China resisted and in 1857 France and Britain (17 thousand) burned the Emperor’s summer palace

• Stole vases, tapestries, enamels, jades

The Treaty System• Treaties of Nanking (1842) and Tientsin

(1857)• Complex interlocking agreements• Treaty system led to:

– Hong Kong ceded to Britain– Opened cities to Europeans as ports of entry– “Treaty ports” including Shanghai and

Canton (Guangzhou) gave European “rights”• Europeans were immune to Chinese law and

subject only to their own laws• American and European gunboats policed

Yangtze River• Settlements were established• War indemnities were charged to the

Chinese!• No import duty over 5 percent (nearly free

trade)• Money from duties went to Europeans to

pay the indemnities• Some money went to the Qing government

Annexations and Concessions• Russians moved

down the Amur River , established their Maritime province and founded Vladivostok in 1860

• Japanese recognized the independence of Korea

• British annexed Burma

• French annexed the Indo-Chinese peninsula (Vietnam, Cambodia)

Japanese Imperialism• Japan show imperialistic

tendencies• Revealed their imperialist

tendencies in 1894 when they used modern weapons, training, organization to defeat the Chinese

• Treaty of Shimonoseki (1895)• Annexes Formosa and Liaotung

peninsula (which reached into Manchuria)

• Recognizes Korea’s independence– Had designs on Manchuria which

Russia was also interested in (Trans Siberian RR)

• Japan relented under pressure from Russia, Germany, France and gave peninsula back to China

Japanese Imperialism• China borrowed heavily to

westernize (revenge against the Japanese)

• Loans open China further to western influence

• Partition of China seemed inevitable

• Germany obtained a 99 year lease on Kiaochow Bay and exclusive right in Shantung

• More territories are ceded • Russians obtained Port

Arthur (on Liatong Peninsula) and the right to build railroads in Manchuria

Open Door• U.S. demanded all nations have open

trade rights with China• China should remain territorially intact• Powers will have spheres of influence• The condition of China is humiliating

to Chinese• Imagine if foreign warships patrolled

Mississippi and foreigners were not subject to our law, NY had settlements were banking concentrated, foreigners determined the tariff, the Camp David was torched, Long Island and California annexed, New England being eyed by Canada and others (Manchuria)

• Imperialism is leading to agitation

Boxers Uprising• (western name) 1899 (the

Order of Literary Patriotic Harmonious Fists) broke into insurrection

• Pulled up railway tracks, killed Chinese Christians, and killed 300 foreigners

• Revolutionary movement in China aimed at expulsion of Manchus and foreigners grew under Sun Yat-sen

• Joined Euro, Jap, US forces put down boxers

• Charged an indemnity of 330 mil to Chinese (US got 24)