Euro Review Imperialism

What was the principle by which the European powers established their claim to an African territory after the Berlin Conference?

"Effective occupation"; this meant Europeans would push relentlessly into interior regions from all sides and that no single European power would be able t claim the entire continent.

Cecil Rhodes

A firm believer in British rights across Africa. He successfully helped Britain gain control of South Africa and Rhodesia (named after him). Lived from 1853-1902.

What happened in 1898 at Fashoda?

A term coined by literary scholar Edward Said to describe the fascination and the stereotypical and often racist Western understandings of non-Westerners. How they misunderstood and described colonial subjects and cultures.

What is "Orientalism"?

A term coined by literary scholar Edward Said to describe the fascination and the stereotypical and often racist Western understandings of non-Westerners. How they misunderstood and described colonial subjects and cultures.

How were governments able to use empires to ease social tensions and domestic political conflicts in the 19th century?

Conservative political leaders manipulated colonial issues to divert popular attention from the class struggle at home and to create a false sense of national unity. They stressed that colonies benefited workers as well as capitalists.

Why did Great Britain chose to seize land in Africa and Asia in the late 19th century?

Economic motives played an important role. France, Germany, and the US were industrializing rapidly behind rising tariff barriers. Great Britain was losing its early economic lead and facing increasingly tough competition in foreign markets. In this new economic climate, the seizure of Asian and African territory by continental powers raised alarms. Fearing that France and Germany would seal off their empires with high tariffs, resulting in loss of future economic opportunities, the British followed suit.

Opium War

England's successful efforts to force China to allow the sale of opium in China, beginning in 1839. China's imperial government opposed the sale, but England's forces were too strong. England's colony, India, was a major source of opium and needed markets for the supply it produced.

Fashoda Incident

In 1898 England and France almost came to war over Fashoda, located in Sudan. The area was of no economic or political importance. This incident illustrated the dangers of imperialism, in that European nations were willing to fight over useless territory.

What is Kipling's, White Man's Burden about?

Kipling's White Man's Burden is about the idea that Westerners held responsibility for giving Africans and Asians the benefits of industrialization, Western education. Christianity, advanced medicine, and higher standards of living, which would eventually prepare them for self-governemtn and Western democracy. Basically it was the white man's job to civilize the more primitive nonwhite peoples.

What was the result of the Berlin Conference (1884-84)?

The Berlin Conference was a meeting of European leaders between 1884 and 1885 in order to lay down basic rules for imperialist competition in Africa. It established the principle that European claims to African territory had to rest on "effective occupation" (a strong presence on the ground) to be recognized by other states.

What country dominated the 3000 mile archipelago that is now Indonesia?

The Dutch

To what extend did the new imperialism result in economic gains and why?

The overall economic gains of the new imperialism proved quite limited before 1914. The new colonies were simply too poor to buy much, and they offered few immediately profitable investments.

Extraterritoriality

The right given to foreigners to live using their own laws rather than the laws of the nation in which they reside. Europeans and Americans in the nineteenth century often demanded and received this privilege

Taiping Rebellion

This rebellion attempted to overthrow the Qing dynasty in China. Hong Xiuquan, who claimed relations to Jesus, led it. It was defeated in 1864 after intervention by European nations.

What did Heinrich von Trietschke believe about colonies?

Trietschke's harsh statement about how colonies were essential to great nations reflects not only the increasing aggressiveness of European nationalism after Bismarck's wars of German unification, but also Social Darwinian theories of brutal competition among races.

Indirect Rule

Policy of controlling colonies by using local rulers to run day-to-day affairs of the colonies. Indirect rule allowed local officials to keep power as long as they operated under orders from the "mother" nation.

What medication proved to be effective in controlling malaria?

Quinine

What did Vladimir Lenin believe about imperialism?

The Russian Marxist and future revolutionary leader Vladimir Lenin concluded that imperialism represented the "highest stage" of advanced monopoly capitalism and predicted that its onset signaled the coming decay and collapse of capitalist society.

How did the Union of South Africa function differently than any other territory in Africa?

The Union of South Africa was established as a largely "self-governing" colony.

What was the goal of the new imperialism of the late 19th century?

The goal of the new imperialism was to create vast political empires abroad. To plant the flag over as many people and as much territory as possible. The new imperialism aimed primarily at Asia and Africa.