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European Conquest & Imperialism (What were the results of imperialism?…
European Conquest & Imperialism
What made imperialism possible?
Politics
Experience of the Napoleonic wars was seared into the European minds
Great powers of the world emerged in 1815 (Russia, Prussia, France, Austria-Hungary); came together and decided to be proactive in terms of avoiding similar wars
1815-1914:
extraordinary period of European peace
; also held overseas
19th century: the ideas of allies outside of Europe becomes unthinkable; emergence of the
idea of a closed European centre
Military effect
1815:
Britain emerged as the predominant naval power of the world
> sea lanes of the world came under British protection
British had interest in maintaining open sea lanes & free trade
Explains the
astonishing amount of migration from Europe to other parts of the world
(60 Million)
Economics
After 1815:
emergence of an open European economy
, that is expanding incredibly fast
merchant shipping
becomes dominated by the Europeans
development of
sophisticated banking systems
Industrialisation
(immense improvements in human productivity) > rates of output increased &
scientific knowledge
(invention of the steam engine, chemicals, electricity)
What made imperialism likely?
Communciation
Shipping
: costs decrease and ease of trade increases
Railway
and
port
construction
Telegraph
: under sea cables
Weaponry
Ships
: ability to transform war making capacities
Various kinds of
repeating weapons:
kill people at a more efficient rate
Development of l
ight artillery
Advances in medicine
Patterns of unknown diseases prevented European powers from dominating other parts of the world
People now keep detailed records of diseases and are thus more equipped to manage diseases more efficiently
Migration
Early 18th century is a period of increasing birth rates, agricultural activity > people are leaving the land or are being driven off of it
Made possible by safe sea lanes and British annexation
Why did imperialism actually happen?
Managed peace but there was still economic & political rivalry within Europe
Economic rivalry:
Why can we not trade w/ China? If they won't trade by coercion > 1. Opium War;
All European states wanted to be involved & trade with China
Political rivalry: If you are a modern state, you have to be an empire
> driving force of imperialism
Imperial holdings were regarded as an economic advantage
Extraordinary shift towards cultural arrogance
European writings about East hitherto: natural, wonder
Changes early 19th century: China becomes by word for corruption & backwardness
Why
?
Revived notion of Christian Mission
:
Thousands of missionaries go out into the world
Teach the bible & what they consider to be essential values of monogamy, labour, etc.
Notion of the Standard of Civilisation
Evolutionary modes of though
t were popular in 19th century
Notion of stages
(from savagery to barbarians to civilised), measured by written language, technology, etc.
Linked to the idea of
sovereignty thought of as a scale; the more civilised could legitimately intervene in the affairs of the less civilised
Anti-Slavery
: Changes in approaches to slavery
Late 18th century:
domestic movement in Britain demanding the end of slavery the results in abolishment of slavery
Being opposed to slavery became a
marker of civilisation
Foreign countries often didn't have a unified opposition, which made it easier to dominate
due to their inability to present a united front to Western pressure
Significant sections of opinions that welcomed certain Western goods
What were the results of imperialism?
European settlement overwhelm, marginalises and sometimes completely
destroys indigenous populations which are reduced to minorities
, e.g. New Zealand & Australia
Settlement colonie where the i
ndigenous people remain the majority
, e.g. British India, large parts of Africa
Direct control colonies with no settlement
& metropolitan in charge
Protectorates
(not complete control & annexation but deep influence), e.g. British Invasion of Egypt
Spheres of influences
; semi partitions between great powers, e.g. British India & Russia
'
Defensive Modernization
': states want their own independence whilst still appreciating and adopting modernising factors