Attitudes towards imperialism in Britain Flashcards
Attitudes of British government before the mid nineteenth century ?
- the British government did not pursue a very active or interventionist role in empire
Why were the British not involved with Empire ?
- distances involved in an age of slow communications
- lack of institutions to deal with empire
- lack of commitment to intervention itself
How did politicians view Empire ?
- Empire was bound up with a sense of national prestige and identity, but it was the freedom of trade and access to markets that concerned the country most
Benjamin Disraeli views of Empire ?
- ” Those wretched colonies will all be independent in a few years and they are a mil - stone around our necks “
William Gladstone views of Empire ?
- went as far to promise “ to abstain from any territorial acquisitions and from contracting any new obligations ‘
Actions of successive governments in the first half of the 19th century ?
- successive government resisted calls to secure new territories, for example, they withheld charters from commercial colonising companies which did not feel viable
What did the Parliamentary Select Committee recommend ?
- recommended withdrawal from Britain’s West African settlements on the grounds of oat
Why did attitudes to empire shift in the 1870s ?
- as a response to the concern about the ambitions of other European powers
Why were British concerned about other European powers ?
- Other nations grew stronger industrially, Britain now found greater economic competition
- Britain’s economy was relatively unsophisticated as it was based on earlier industrialisation than its rivals
Reason for new interest in Empire ?
- European and American tariffs made it harder to flood the western hemisphere with British manufactured goods
- Industrialisation in Britain generated an enormous surplus capital which could not find investments within the country, therefore, sought other overseas
- Increase interest amounts working class and within popular forms of entertainment and literature
What did Disraeli start to assert ?
- asserted that the Conservatives were the party of Empire and that the liberals would allow it to crumble
Disraeli’s aim of Empire ?
- Disraeli’s aim specifically was to develop the commercial and strategic empire with the focus on the east rather than Africa
Role of Disraeli as PM ?
- established conservative party’s imperial attitudes and agenda by buying shares of the Suez Canal, a permanent strategic interest in the area
- Steered the Royal Titles Act through the House of Commons in order to bestow the title of ‘ Empress of India ‘ on Queen Victoria as a way of establishing control in India
Why did Disraeli attempt to turn Afghanistan into a client state ?
- to consolidate and expand the Raj
- respond to the Russian threat
How did Britain gain control over Afghanistan ?
- Lytton launched an invasion of Afghanistan in November 1878
- A conflict followed which as British Indian troops suffered a series of setbacks and almost 10,000 losses, before eventual victory
Why was Afghanistan important ?
- strategically important north - west frontier
How did Disraeli’s government embark on a similar statement of intent in South Africa ?
- annexed the Boer Republic of the Transvaal in 1877
- launched war on the Zulu and Pedi tribes in the hope of establishing a British confederation over Southern Africa.
What led to the return of the Liberal government under Gladstone and Conservative defeat ?
- setbacks in the Afghan and Zulu campaigns, including the humiliation of British troops at Islandlwanna
Beliefs of Gladstone ?
- Britain should concentrate on developing existing colonies, helping them towards self government.The distinguished between ‘ imperialism ‘ which he opposed and ‘ empire ‘ which he supported
Why did Gladstone become aware of the importance of empire ?
- Empire’s large economic terms and benefits
What did Gladstone urge during Mahdist rebellion, 1884 ?
- urged the withdrawal of Anglo - Egyptian troops and reflected the Sudanese were ‘ rightly strung;ling to be free ‘
Why did Gladstone become embroiled in Egypt ?
- for the sake of the safe passage to India
- as a result of public and press pressure
When did Gladstone become more involved in ‘ imperialism ‘ ?
- became more involved after the Berlin Conference of 1884-5 which officially started formal land grabbing across Africa
Where is Gladstone’s involvement in ‘ imperialism ‘ seen ?
- Resulted in the conversion of Somaliland and Bechuanaland into protectorates
What was power like in Bechuanaland ?
- local Tsuana rulers were left in power in Bechuanaland, suggesting Gladstone was reluctant to take on further management or costs
Why did the Empire start to fire up public imagination ?
- as a result of the reporting in the growing popular press
What did popular press show ?
- saw the value of the exotic, the heroism and of national one - upmanship
Impact of Education Act 1870 ?
- increased literacy rates
Impact of the extension of the vote in 1867 and 1884 Reform Acts ?
- made the public more politically aware
Impact of the press in British intervention in Egypt ?
- In 1882, Arabi Pasha’s revolt in Egypt that occupied reporters, who told the tale in such florid tones that Gladstone was well supported in his decision to intervene
Influence of the Times ?
- suffered in the period 1857-90 as circulation declined, almost at the point of collapse but then revived
- represented the traditional wealthy views and promoted imperialist agenda
Influence of Daily Telegraph ?
- Began in 1855 and was not especially successful early so had limited influence
Influence of Morning Post ?
- A daily conservative newspaper that had a real interest In foreign affairs including Empire
- Absorbed by the Daily Telegraph in 1937, resulted in it becoming more right wing
Influence of Punch ?
- a magazine, which influenced the middle classes, cartoon did create an impact and it tended to feature lots of imperial news, especially linked to India
Influence of Daily Mail ?
- tended to be a cheap paper, appealing current issues
- tended to have a jingoistic approach to many foreign and Empire issues
- Appealed to the lower middle class
Influence of the Illustrated London News ?
- world’s first illustrated weekly news magazine, primarily a conservative newspaper
- By 1963, magazine was selling more than 300,000 copies every week
- Contained a rich collection of world news and it presented a visual link between the colonies and Britain
Who were imperial heroes ?
- General Henry Havelock
- General Gordon
Why were these men considered imperial heroes ?
- British horrified by stories of massacre and tortures at Cawnpore during the Indian Mutiny.General Henry Havelock recaptured Cawnpore In July and Lucknow in September 1857
- Gordon considered a national hero after death
What literature was there ?
- Imperialist literature such as Ruder Haggard’s King Solomon’s Mines and She were filled with tales of adventure in the Empire
Impact of new comic genre ?
- told tales of adventure which appealed to younger readers
What was the Boy’s Own Paper ?
- Youth magazine which featured stories portraying soldiers and bravery across the globe
- Included contributions from Colonel Baden Powell, urging readers to lead ‘ manly and Christian ‘lives
- circulation of more than half a million
Influence of youth organisations ?
- Clubs and associations such as the Boys Brigade ( 1883 ) reinforced imperialist values by offering military training and reinforcing young men what it meant to be part of ‘ glorious ‘ British Empire
How were stories of explorers and missionaries spread ?
- By the 1870s, stories of explorer and missionaries were being read in British newspapers and magazines
Influence of heroic tales ?
- helped reinforce the idea of benevolence and superiority
British beliefs about empire ?
- saw Empire as an ‘ Empire of races ‘
- believed themselves infinitely superior to other indigenous peoples in tethering from religions and morals to law and political institutions
- believed they could ‘ civilise ‘ indigenous people, leading them away from their savage existence to law abiding citizens
Influence of science ?
- view of white races were naturally superior encouraged by publication of Darwin’s Origin of Species
- anthropologists seized on the theory to define racial attributes and categorise different racial groups
How was Britain’s moral right and imperial duty reinforced ?
- by the view that whites were natura;;y superior
What did popular exhibitions reinforce ?
- reinforced the sense of British Victorian society’s physical and social superiority
Success of Great Exhibition of 1851 ?
- received 6 million visitors
What was the International Exhibition ( 1862 )
- featured over 28,000 exhibitors from 36 countries
- represented a wide range of industry, technology, and the arts and splayed 9000 exhibits from India
- received 6 million visitors
What was the Colonial and Indian Exhibition ?
- practical demonstration of the wealth and industrial development of the outlying portions of the British Empire
- received 5.5. million visitors
What was the African Exhibition ( 1890 )
- celebrated explorer and colonisation and provided display of photographs and maps showing colonial expansion in Africa and routes of famous African explorers
- Exhibition stimulated and anthropological interest and appeared to justify British presence in Africa, bringing the word of Christian God to the natives
What did the 1884 Parliamentary reform act do?
Extended vote to 5.5 million men, promoting imperialism to get support for conservatives worked against for Lord Salisbury
What parts of Disraeli’s government was Gladstone critical of?
His foreign and imperial policies
How did Acts of C.19 make British public more politically aware?
Education Act of 1870 increase national literacy rate
Extension of vote in 1867 and 1884 Reform Act meant public were more involved in politics
Disraeli used this excitement for empire for his political gains
What are examples of the power of press to influence public attitudes to the empire?
British were horrified by the massacres during the Indian rebellion such as at Cawnpore
. Public thrilled by stories of brave soldiers such as Henry Havelock who recaptured Cawnpore and Lucknow in July and Sept 1857
. Press often missed information such as the atrocities of British troops such as at the massacre at Jahnsi (April 1858)
. Often told tales I’m very florid tones, such as Arabi Pasha’s revolt in Egypt (1882)
What happened at Cawnpore and what was the significance of it?
July 1857: 200 captive British women and children were murdered in rebel-held town of Cawnpore
- press presented it as Indians ‘savage’ nature
- British media promoted a violent response
- emphasis put on the INNOCENT British lives lost (were they really innocent after the rebellion?)
What school books did children read?
Ones with similar imperialist themes to the tales of bravery and adventure in ‘The Boys Own Paper’
What happened to clubs and associations during this period and what did this reinforce?
Became popularised, such as the Boys Brigade in 1883
- reinforced imperialist values by reminding young men of what it’s like to be part of the ‘glorious empire’ by taking part in military training
How did missionaries influence empire at home?
Reported back on their work they had done to convert ‘heathens’, which were used in missionary pamphlets and as Sunday school stories
On return to Britain, some lectured at meetings and sometimes even achieved celebrity status such as David Livingstone, showing the appreciation of empire at home
How did adverts promote the empire at home?
Used imperial images to sell products, showing the importance of the empire to the public
Many images showed British to be superior to indigenous peoples, reflecting the belief that the empire was a force for civilisation
