6. The age of imperialism

Maira Gil CamarónSource: Vicens Vives

Differences between Colonialism and Imperialism

Colonialism is a term where a country conquers and rules over other regions. Imperialism means creating an empire, expanding into the neighbouring regions and expanding its dominance farIn colonialism, one can see great movement of people to the new territory and living as permanent settlers. Imperialism is just exercising power over the conquered regions either through sovereignty or indirect mechanism of control

Why was there imperial expansion?

Economic interestsIndustrialisation new markets to sell their surplus products and to obtain raw material and colonial products

A growing population19th century: population growth overpopulation in rural areas emigration to the colonies

Rivalry between the powersIndustrial powers wanted to expand their areas of influence to increase their political power race to control new territories

The myth of the master raceRacist and nationalistic attitudes of the time

The triumph of industrial capitalism

The second industrial revolution (1880-1914)Final 19th century: new energy sources emergedElectricity was possible after the invention of the industrial dynamo, and the alternator and the transformer made it possible to transport electric currentOil extraction combustion engine let to its use as fuel for carsNew industrial sectors emerged: chemical industry, aluminium industry, the automotive and aviation industries…

A new way of organising productionTaylorism (scientific management): manufacturing focused on mass production as the best way to increase productivity, reduce the time taken to make things and lower manufacturing costs. It was based on assembly linesMass production began in the USA and the Ford Motor Company was one of the first companies to use an assembly line in its car plant (Fordism)

Banking and industrial concentrationThe high capital investment required for technological innovations stimulated the relationship between banking and industry industry was becoming concentrating in fewer companies. In order to restrict competition, the major companies signed agreements to set prices and establish areas of influence:

Cartels: associations of manufacturers or suppliers with the purpose of maintaining prices at a high level and restricting competition

Trusts: an arrangement whereby a company holds property as its nominal owner for the good of one or more beneficiaries

Holdings: a company created to buy an own the shares of other companies, which it then controls

Monopolies: the exclusive possession or control of the supply of or trade in a commodity or service

Trade domination and international finance

19th century: industrialised countries dominated world trade. Europe controlled the world’s exports and imports, the shipping routes, the major commercial ports and had large fleets and stock marketsIt was possible by advances in transport (transcontinental railways, the opening of Suez and Panama canals…)Europe and USA dominated the world financially: their enormous wealth allowed them to invest capital across the world (in land, industries and transports9 huge profits

European migrants in the 19th century

The population explosion in EuropeThe population doubled in Europe thanks to agricultural reforms, industrialisation and advances in medicine and hygiene and a portion of this population migrated to other continents

Transoceanic journeysMigration was possible by new means of transport: transoceanic steamships. Thousand of people from all social classes sailed on them

Poor migrants and colonial elitesThe majority of the emigrants were poor peasants and middle-class people in search of better opportunitiesPeople from countries with large colonies settled in the new lands as farmers or forming part of the colonial administrationPeople from countries without colonies had worse conditions in the new lands becoming ordinary wage earners

Europe conquers the worldExploration and

conquest19th century: much of Africa, Asia and the oceans were unknown to Europeans. Colonial ambitions inspired the search for new territories and led to a number of scientific journeys and geographic explorationsMany of these expeditions were carried out by the British and the French, who travelled around and mapped out Central AfricaAfter the exploration phase, conquest was relatively quick and easy

Clashes between the colonial powers

The Scramble for Africa also known ad “the race for Africa” was a process of invasion, occupation, colonization and annexation of African territory by European powers between 1881 and 1914. The Berlin Conference (1885) established the rules for dividing the territory and the areas that each power would occupy

Different estates clashed in different conflicts. The most important were:The Boers Wars (Great Britain against the Dutch settlers in Southern Africa)The occupation of Asia The Opium Wars (conflict with China) The Boxer Rebellion

The organisation and exploitation of the colonies EXPLOITATION COLONY

COLONY. A country or territory governed internally by a foreign power

PROTECTORATE. A country or a territory with its own internal government but under the control of an outside power

SETTLER COLONY DOMINION. Settler colonies of the British Empire

(Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa) OVERSEAS TERRITORIES. The name of the French

colonies (Algeria) OTHER COLONY TYPES

CONCESSIONS. An area assigned to a metropolis for a period of time (Hong Kong)

STRATEGIC ENCLAVE. A small territory in a strategic location (Suez Canal, Gibraltar)

How did the colonial empires divide up the world?

The British EmpireIn the late 19th century, GB had the largest colonial empire and controlled maritime trade routes.Africa: from Cairo in the north to Cape Town in the southThe main British colony was India, being the major market for British products and an important supplier of raw materials.

The French EmpireThe second-largest colonial empire, settled in North Africa and South AsiaAfrica: France consolidated its rule in a large area that spanned Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia and further southTheir presence in Southeast Asia (Conchinchina) from the mid-19th century grew stronger with the establishment of a number of new protectorates as French Indochina (Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos)

Non-European Empires: USA and JapanTwo non-European countries, the USA and Japan, also became involved in overseas expansion during this period.Both were interested in East Asia: Japan took Korea and Taiwan, USA took Philippines in Asia and Cuba and Puerto Rico in the Caribbean after USA-Spanish war

The legacy of colonialismModification of the territory

Europeans created new countries and drew new borders changing the landscape and economic and political structure of the continent. These changes took place without any consideration for the indigenous peoples’ tribal, linguistic and religious differences countries with serious problemsThe dismantling of traditional societies: the colonisers did not respect the ways of life of the indigenous peoples and social structures changed. The new working patterns disrupted tribal life and the system of hierarchies. Ethnic groups were divided or united artificially, which forced opposing groups to live together

The demographic impactHospitals, vaccines… fewer epidemics demographic growth altered the balance between population and resources and led to chronic malnutrition

Cultural colonisationMany of the indigenous costumes and oral tradition did not survive to the impact of the western culture they lose much of their identity. Education spread so they adopted European languages, beliefs (Christianity) and lifestyles acculturation

Economic consequencesThe economic interests of the colonises were imposed on the colonies, so the colonisers took over land, abandoned traditional crops that ensured survival of indigenous families and replaced them with large plantations to grow products that benefitted the metropolis. The indigenous population were forced to work in these plantation in order to survive and had to buy food because the settlers imposed a cash market economy the production of traditional crafts ended as it could not compete with industrial products imported from the metropolis at cheap prices in large quantities

The transformation of science and technology

Advances in medicineMajor medical advances: vaccines and antibiotics

The information and communication revolutionRevolutionary advances in communication methods: telegraph, telephone, radio… 20th century: new technological revolution

Advances in transportCars and aeroplanes… Space rockets

Transformations in daily lifeHousehold appliancesPhotographyCinematograph (new leisure option)