Craig C. answered • 01/12/16
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Imperialism is a system where a powerful nation controls and exploits one or more colonies. In most cases the imperialist nation establishes control over this new territory through coercion – for example, through infiltration and annexation, political pressure, war and military conquest. Once conquered, this territory is claimed as a colony of the imperialist nation (sometimes benignly referred to as the ‘mother country’). Colonial governments are operated by the imperial nation or a subordinate puppet regime. A military presence is often stationed in the colony, to control native inhabitants, to deal with uprisings and to deter imperial rivals. The main advantages of imperialism, however, are economic. Colonies exist to profit and enrich the imperial power. In most cases this involves the supply of precious metals or other resources, such as timber, rubber, rice or other foodstuffs. Colonies can also be invaluable sources of cheap labour, agricultural land and trading ports.
Prior to World War I, Britain was the world’s dominant imperial power. The British Empire famously occupied one quarter of the globe (“the sun never sets on Britain” was a famous slogan of the mid 19th century). British colonial possessions in the late 1800s included Canada, India, Ceylon (Sri Lanka), Burma, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, several Pacific and Caribbean Islands, South Africa, Rhodesia, Egypt and other parts of Africa. Many of these colonies were acquired with little difficulty; others took more time, effort and bloodshed. Britain’s acquisition of South Africa, for example, was won after costly wars against native tribes like the Zulus, then two wars against South African Boers (white farmer-settlers of Dutch extraction). British imperialism was driven chiefly by trade, the importation of raw materials and the sale of manufactured goods. Britain’s imperial power was reinforced by her powerful navy, the world’s largest, and a fleet of mercantile (commercial) vessels.
imperialism world war one
A depiction of British imperialism in Africa, from ‘Cairo to the Cape’
Britain’s closest neighbour, France, was another major imperial power. French imperial holdings included Indochina (Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia), some Pacific islands and several colonies in west and north-west Africa. Spain once ruled the Philippines and large parts of South America, though her imperial power was rapidly dwindling. Germany’s empire included parts of China, New Guinea, Samoa and other Pacific islands, and several colonies in central and south-west Africa. Empires closer to home included Russia, Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman sultanate. Russia ruled over Finland, Poland and several central Asian regions as an imperial power; its disastrous war against Japan in 1904-5 was an attempt to extend Russia’s imperial reach further into Korea and northern China. Despite condemnation of European imperialism in America, the United States also engaged in a degree of empire building, particularly towards the end of the 1800s. Here is a list of the more significant imperial powers of the early 1900s:
The second half of the 1800s produced another ‘rush for empire’, fuelled by nationalism, increasing demand for land and raw materials and dwindling opportunities for colonisation. Two relative newcomers to empire-building were particularly keen on acquiring overseas colonies: the newly formed nations of Germany and Italy. The man who helped construct the German state, Otto von Bismarck, showed little interest in gathering colonies – but Bismarck’s view was not shared by other Germans. Formed in Berlin in 1882, the Colonial League whipped up support for German imperial expansion. The kaiser and his government formulated their own imperial designs, most of which focused on Africa. In 1884 Germany acquired Togoland, the Cameroons and South West Africa (now Namibia). Six years later a sizeable swathe of East Africa was under German control; this territory was renamed Tanganyika (now Tanzania). This expansion into Africa was well received by the German population – however it caused problems in Britain and France. Many in London dreamed of a British-owned railway running the length of Africa, “from Cairo to the Cape”; Germany’s imperialist presence in central Africa was an obstacle to this vision.
The scramble for empire in Africa also gave rise to several diplomatic incidents. Two significant crises stemmed from events in Morocco in north-west Africa. Though not a French colony, Morocco’s location placed it within France’s sphere of influence. As Paris sought to establish a protectorate in Morocco, the German kaiser intervened. In 1905 Wilhelm II traveled to the Moroccan city of Tangier, where he delivered a speech supporting the idea of Moroccan independence. This antagonised the French government and precipitated a series of angry diplomatic responses and feverish press reports. A second crisis erupted in 1911. As the French were attempting to suppress a rebellion in Morocco, the Germans landed an armed vessel, the Panther, at the Moroccan port of Agadir – a landing made without permission, prior warning or any obvious purpose. This incident triggered an even stronger reaction and brought France and Germany to the brink of war. These acts of German provocation were not designed to encroach into Morocco or expand its empire, rather to drive a wedge between France and Britain. In fact it had the opposite effect, strengthening the Anglo-French alliance and intensifying criticism of German Weltpolitik and ‘gunboat diplomacy’ in both France and Britain.
Imperial instability was another contributor to European tensions. Critical problems in the Ottoman Empire also affected the balance of power in eastern Europe. Described by satirists as the ‘Sick Man of Europe’, the Ottoman sultanate was in rapid political, military and economic decline by the second half of the 1800s. The Ottomans were defeated in several wars including the Crimean War (1853-56), Russo-Turkish War (1877-78) and First Balkans War (1912-13). These defeats, along with rising nationalism and revolutions in Ottoman-controlled regions, resulted in gradual but significant losses of territory. With the Ottoman Empire shrinking and at risk of complete collapse, Europe’s other imperial powers clamoured to secure territory or influence in the region. Austria-Hungary hoped to expand into the Balkans; Russia moved to limit Austrian expansion while securing access to the Black Sea; Germany wanted to ensure the security and completion of its Berlin-to-Baghdad railway. Britain and France also had colonial and trade interests in the region. The ‘Eastern question’ – the issue of what would happen in eastern Europe as the Ottomans withdrew – was an important talking point of the late 19th century. These developments drew the Great Powers of Europe into the Balkan sphere, creating opportunities for rivalry and increased tensions.
Prior to World War I, Britain was the world’s dominant imperial power. The British Empire famously occupied one quarter of the globe (“the sun never sets on Britain” was a famous slogan of the mid 19th century). British colonial possessions in the late 1800s included Canada, India, Ceylon (Sri Lanka), Burma, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, several Pacific and Caribbean Islands, South Africa, Rhodesia, Egypt and other parts of Africa. Many of these colonies were acquired with little difficulty; others took more time, effort and bloodshed. Britain’s acquisition of South Africa, for example, was won after costly wars against native tribes like the Zulus, then two wars against South African Boers (white farmer-settlers of Dutch extraction). British imperialism was driven chiefly by trade, the importation of raw materials and the sale of manufactured goods. Britain’s imperial power was reinforced by her powerful navy, the world’s largest, and a fleet of mercantile (commercial) vessels.
imperialism world war one
A depiction of British imperialism in Africa, from ‘Cairo to the Cape’
Britain’s closest neighbour, France, was another major imperial power. French imperial holdings included Indochina (Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia), some Pacific islands and several colonies in west and north-west Africa. Spain once ruled the Philippines and large parts of South America, though her imperial power was rapidly dwindling. Germany’s empire included parts of China, New Guinea, Samoa and other Pacific islands, and several colonies in central and south-west Africa. Empires closer to home included Russia, Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman sultanate. Russia ruled over Finland, Poland and several central Asian regions as an imperial power; its disastrous war against Japan in 1904-5 was an attempt to extend Russia’s imperial reach further into Korea and northern China. Despite condemnation of European imperialism in America, the United States also engaged in a degree of empire building, particularly towards the end of the 1800s. Here is a list of the more significant imperial powers of the early 1900s:
The second half of the 1800s produced another ‘rush for empire’, fuelled by nationalism, increasing demand for land and raw materials and dwindling opportunities for colonisation. Two relative newcomers to empire-building were particularly keen on acquiring overseas colonies: the newly formed nations of Germany and Italy. The man who helped construct the German state, Otto von Bismarck, showed little interest in gathering colonies – but Bismarck’s view was not shared by other Germans. Formed in Berlin in 1882, the Colonial League whipped up support for German imperial expansion. The kaiser and his government formulated their own imperial designs, most of which focused on Africa. In 1884 Germany acquired Togoland, the Cameroons and South West Africa (now Namibia). Six years later a sizeable swathe of East Africa was under German control; this territory was renamed Tanganyika (now Tanzania). This expansion into Africa was well received by the German population – however it caused problems in Britain and France. Many in London dreamed of a British-owned railway running the length of Africa, “from Cairo to the Cape”; Germany’s imperialist presence in central Africa was an obstacle to this vision.
The scramble for empire in Africa also gave rise to several diplomatic incidents. Two significant crises stemmed from events in Morocco in north-west Africa. Though not a French colony, Morocco’s location placed it within France’s sphere of influence. As Paris sought to establish a protectorate in Morocco, the German kaiser intervened. In 1905 Wilhelm II traveled to the Moroccan city of Tangier, where he delivered a speech supporting the idea of Moroccan independence. This antagonised the French government and precipitated a series of angry diplomatic responses and feverish press reports. A second crisis erupted in 1911. As the French were attempting to suppress a rebellion in Morocco, the Germans landed an armed vessel, the Panther, at the Moroccan port of Agadir – a landing made without permission, prior warning or any obvious purpose. This incident triggered an even stronger reaction and brought France and Germany to the brink of war. These acts of German provocation were not designed to encroach into Morocco or expand its empire, rather to drive a wedge between France and Britain. In fact it had the opposite effect, strengthening the Anglo-French alliance and intensifying criticism of German Weltpolitik and ‘gunboat diplomacy’ in both France and Britain.
Imperial instability was another contributor to European tensions. Critical problems in the Ottoman Empire also affected the balance of power in eastern Europe. Described by satirists as the ‘Sick Man of Europe’, the Ottoman sultanate was in rapid political, military and economic decline by the second half of the 1800s. The Ottomans were defeated in several wars including the Crimean War (1853-56), Russo-Turkish War (1877-78) and First Balkans War (1912-13). These defeats, along with rising nationalism and revolutions in Ottoman-controlled regions, resulted in gradual but significant losses of territory. With the Ottoman Empire shrinking and at risk of complete collapse, Europe’s other imperial powers clamoured to secure territory or influence in the region. Austria-Hungary hoped to expand into the Balkans; Russia moved to limit Austrian expansion while securing access to the Black Sea; Germany wanted to ensure the security and completion of its Berlin-to-Baghdad railway. Britain and France also had colonial and trade interests in the region. The ‘Eastern question’ – the issue of what would happen in eastern Europe as the Ottomans withdrew – was an important talking point of the late 19th century. These developments drew the Great Powers of Europe into the Balkan sphere, creating opportunities for rivalry and increased tensions.
