Imperialism Quiz Flashcards
Causes of Imperialism
- National Competition: looking for natural resources, trade, land…
- Economics: only wealthiest benefit; poor are exploited
- The White Man’s Burden: to help uncivilized people of the world become civilized
- Technological Superiority: guns, ships
New Imperialism
- 19th to early 20th century
- Major Nations: Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Japan
- Focused on Africa and Asia
- Full control
Leopold II and the Belgian Congo
1865-1908: Leopold’s private colony
1908: Belgian government takes over
Berlin Conference, 1885
European powers can divide up Africa
The Suez Canal (1869)
-British-built
Adowa, Ethiopia, 1896
-Ethiopians kicked out Italians
The Boer War
England fights the Dutch, fighting breaks out over gold
-England wins
India cash crops
cotton and opium
The Sepoy Mutiny (1857)
rebellion
- British government takes control
- Indians objected to how British greased bullets of guns (with animal fat)
British reforms in India
Modern education to train civil servants
Created unified state
Economic development and infrastructure
The Sutte
When an Indian man dies, they traditionally burn his body, along with his wife.
The Opium War (1839-41)
Chinese wanted to ban opium, British was making so much money from sales, so they smuggled it in
- Chinese seized British ship, imprisoned sailors
- Britain had modern-day ships, but Chinese ships had catapults
- Britain still wins
Treaty of Nanking
Result of the Opium War
- British gets port of Hong Kong for 99 years; at the end of 99 years, Britain has the option of renewing the deal
- British get right of extraterritoriality: right to be tried by British court/judge
- sphere of influence: area of China where Britain controls the trade
The Taiping Rebellion (1850-64)
Chinese rebels try to overthrow the Manchu government
The “Open Door Policy” (1899)
American government has a treaty to prevent British from overrunning China
- China will open more ports for trade
- European countries will respect independence of China
