The West and the World (1815-1914)

Question 1

Muhammad Ali modernizes Egypt

Answer 1

from 1805-1848. army was organized by the European examples, French and Italian officers were invited to train the fresh draftees and their Turkish commanders in military tactics. government bureaucracy was reformed, new lands were cultivated, communication networks were improved.

Question 2

First Opium War and Treaty of Nanking

Answer 2

from 1839-1842. Imperial government had to give Hong Kong to Britain forever, pay a high indemnity and open up 4 large cities for trade with low tariffs.

Question 3

Japan opened for trade

Answer 3

“opened” by Perry in 1853 using gunboat diplomacy (use of threat of military force to coerce a government into economic or political agreements).

Question 4

Second Opium War

Answer 4

from 1856-1860. Beijing was occupied and damaged by British and French troops. China made further concessions.

Question 5

Great Rebellion in India

Answer 5

insurrection by Muslim and Hindu mercenaries in the British army between 1857-1858 that spread throughout northern and central India before being crushed by the British.

Question 6

Reign of Ismail in Egypt

Answer 6

from 1863-1879.

Question 7

Meiji Restoration

Answer 7

in Japan in 1867, led by samurai. it was a restoration of the Japanese emperor to power, which led to subsequent modernization of Japan.

Question 8

Suez Canal opened

Answer 8

in 1869.

Question 9

Africa falls under European rule

Answer 9

from 1880-1900.

Question 10

Conference of Berlin

Answer 10

from 1884-1885. a meeting of European leaders held in order to lay down some basic rules for imperialist competition in sub-Saharan Africa.

Question 11

Russian expansion reaches Afghanistan

Answer 11

in 1885.

Question 12

in 1898

Answer 12

US takes Philippines, hundred days of reform in China (a series of western-style reforms launched by the Chinese government in an attempt to meet the foreign challenge), Battle of Omdurman (British vs Sudanese in Africa during the expansion).

Question 13

“The White Man’s Burden”

Answer 13

poem written by Kipling in 1899. the idea that Europeans could and should civilize more primitive nonwhite peoples and that imperialism would eventually provide nonwhites with modern achievements and higher standards of living.

Question 14

South African War

Answer 14

from 1899-1902. between Boers and British. Boers won many battles against the British but eventually the war ended with British victory. in 1910 South African state was created, but it still remained under British control.

Question 15

“Heart of Darkness” and “Imperialism”

Answer 15

Conrad and Hobson (radical English economist) publish the books respectively in 1902. both books criticised imperialism (and the implementation of imperialistic governments).

Question 16

Western-style republic replaces China’s Qing Dynasty

Answer 16

in 1912.

Question 17

Panama Canal opened

Answer 17

in 1914.

Question 18

the rise of global inequality

Answer 18

a gap between the core industrializing and the soon-to-be colonized/semi-colonized regions emerged and widened and this pattern of uneven global development became institutionalized. there are different interpretations as to why and how the West managed to cultivate such benefits while every other area didn’t.

Question 19

the world market

Answer 19

in the 19th century Great Britain took the lead in both import and export markets.
overall, the improved transportation systems promoted large-scale international trade. railroads in the colonies were built with European investments and worked in their benefit. steam power also revolutionized transport in both sea and land. the suez and panama canals as well as improved ports helped, too. advanced communication systems made transportation of goods and people easier. telegraph cables enabled rapid communication.
all this encouraged European investments abroad.

Question 20

neo-Europes

Answer 20

settler colonies with established population of Europeans, such as N-A, Australia, N-Z, and L-A, where Europe found outlets for population growth and its most profitable investment opportunities in the 19th century.

Question 21

the opening of China

Answer 21

the Chinese Imperial Qing dynasty carefully regulated trade with Europe in the beginning of 19th century. by 1820s the dominant British merchants had enough and used opium as an opportunity to break away from China’s harsh restrictions. after the Opium wars they had succeeded.

Question 22

Japan and the US

Answer 22

the first traders/missionaries arrived in the 16th century but by 1640 Japanese leaders had had a negative reaction to their presence. about 200 years later Americans felt like Japanese unwillingness to trade was very harmful for their plans. with the tactic of gunboat diplomacy, the Americans forced Japanese hand and they signed a treaty.

Question 23

western penetration of Egypt

Answer 23

after France’s departure when Napoleon was detained Muhammad Ali took over (1769-1849) and commenced a massive modernization programme. this attracted many Europeans. Ali’s grandson Ismail was a westernizing autocrat and the trends began under Ali continued but in a more harmful way to the peasants. Arabic replaced Turkish as an official language. Cairo was modelled after European cities.
however, by 1876 Egypt owed a colossal dept that it couldn’t pay. French and British used the situation to weasel their way in and effectively rule Egypt. in 1879 the Egyptian Nationalist Party was formed as a reaction. foreign rule did come with minor improvements but people were still dissatisfied.

Question 24

global mass migration

Answer 24

the mass movement of people from Europe in the 19th century; one reason hat the west’s impact on the world was so powerful and many-sided.

Question 25

the pressure of population

Answer 25

Europeans experienced the largest population growth at the time. this growth led to further expansion and increasingly more people emigrated. the number of both men and women who left rose, but the emigration patterns were different per country. those differences were due to differences in socio-economic conditions.

Question 26

European emigration

Answer 26

most emigrants were ambitious small farmers or artisans trying to not fall into poverty. most emigrants were young, ready to work and thus brought many benefits to the destination countries. many were spurred to leave by a spirit of revolt and independence.
some nationalities were more likely to repatriotize compared to others. when the possibility to still succeed back in home was strong people were enticed to return.
family and friendship ties played a crucial role in emigration. migration chains were common.

Question 27

Asian emigration

Answer 27

most Asians moved as indentured laborers to work in plantations and mines. Asians often started to replace Black slaves when slave trade was suppressed.
by 1880s some areas, mainly neo-Europes had instituted exclusionary acts to stop Asian immigration and thus stomp out any competition. emerging immigration policies were another show of Western dominance.

Question 28

nativism

Answer 28

policies and beliefs, often influenced by nationalism, scientific racism, and mass migration, that gave preferential treatment to established inhabitants over immigrants.

Question 29

new imperialism

Answer 29

the late 19th century drive by European countries to create vast political empires abroad.

Question 30

Afrikaners

Answer 30

descendants of the Dutch settlers in the Cape colony in southern Africa

Question 31

the European presence in Africa before 1880

Answer 31

British took over Cape Colony and forced the Boers to the interior (Great Trek). After 1853, Afrikaners proclaimed their independence and protected it from the English. By 1880, the two colonial powers had taken control away from the native African people. Elsewhere, Europeans had minor settlements in beneficial areas, but the interior was untouched by foreigners.

Question 32

the scramble for Africa after 1880.

Answer 32

by 1900 nearly the entire continent was under foreign European rule. European powers fought for the right to rule from 1880s onwards (check map on page 807 in McKay).

Question 33

imperialism in Asia

Answer 33

carving up Africa was definitely more ‘impressive’ but Asia was put under foreign control too. major players here, were US, Russia, NL, Britain, France, Germany (see map on page 811 in McKay).

Question 34

causes of the new imperialism

Answer 34

economic motives (especially for the British who had more competition in the markets at this point).
political and diplomatic reasons (important for national security and military power).
expansionism was fostered by technological and military superiority (Maxime machine gun, quinine against Malaria, steamships and telegraph) as well as social tensions and domestic political conflicts (class struggle, national unity). special interest groups also played a role (white settlers, missionaries, humanitarians, shipping companies, military and colonial officials).

Question 35

a “civilizing mission”

Answer 35

the most-liked idea was that westerners could and should civilize more primitive nonwhite peoples. another argument for expansionism was that imperial government protected natives from tribal warfare as well as from cruder forms of exploitation by white settlers and business people. European women played a central role in this mission. they worked as missionaries, teachers, nurses or just accompanied their husbands. Christianization was also central.

Question 36

orientalism

Answer 36

a term coined by literary scholar E. Said to describe the way Westerners misunderstood and described colonial subjects and cultures.
emergence of ethnography and anthropology in the 1880s closely relates to orientalist ideas.

Question 37

the pattern of response

Answer 37

the first general response by the local rulers was to drive away the unwelcome foreigners. soon, all realized that they could not fight against the superior military. some started to focus on protecting their culture and traditions, some reconsidered initial hostility, and some adopted certain aspects from Europeans.
nevertheless, support from subjugates was often shallow and weak. also, leaders who opposed European alway rose up (whether because they desired human dignity, economic emancipation, political independence or found the ideals (liberty, equality, nationality) to strive toward from the westerners).

Question 38

empire in India

Answer 38

India was ruled more or less absolutely by the British. last independent state was conquered in 1848 and the last revolt was broken between 1857-‘58.
British women played an important role in imperial enterprise. British families had their own communities where the women dominated. some, however, sought out the ‘white woman’s burden.’
modernization went underway and a secondary education, fully in english, was established. transport and communication were bettered and the biritsh managed to create a unified, powerful state.
in 1885 a predominantly Hindu Indian National Congress was created. in 1907 a radical branch started demanding for independence, which was achieved only in 1947.

Question 39

the example of Japan

Answer 39

when Japan was opened in 1853 it was a feudal society. (emperor -> shogun -> samurai). the samurai opposed the foreigners and the weak government aggressively between 1858-1863, and after further weakening of their government they seized control and pushed for restoration and subsequent modernization.
in 1871 a strong unified state was formed, and social equality was declared. a free, competitive, government stimulated economy was created. modern navy was established and army was reorganized along European lines.
by 1890 a more selective emphasis on the things foreign that were in keeping with Japanese tradition was prominent. the strong autocratic state was also powerful enough to expand.

Question 40

toward revolution in China

Answer 40

in 1860 the Qing dynasty seemed on the verge of collapse. This trend was reversed thanks to new effective leadership that was provided and the lessened foreign aggression.
However, move toward reform and chances for cooperation with the west collapsed because of Japanese imperialism (Sino-Japanese war between 1894-1895). the loss showcased Chinese weakness when presented with aggression and it spurred wester powers to renew the hunt for their own agenda.
this also incited a response of reform but it was not successful as a coup crushed any hopes for reform from above. Boxer rebellion emerged and was backed by imperial government. it was crushed in 1901 and China faced harsh consequences.
anarchy and foreign influence spread and in 1912, in a spontaneous uprising the Qings were pushed off the throne.