The West and the World (1815-1914) Flashcards
Muhammad Ali modernizes Egypt
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.
First Opium War and Treaty of Nanking
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.
Japan opened for trade
“opened” by Perry in 1853 using gunboat diplomacy (use of threat of military force to coerce a government into economic or political agreements).
Second Opium War
from 1856-1860. Beijing was occupied and damaged by British and French troops. China made further concessions.
Great Rebellion in India
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.
Reign of Ismail in Egypt
from 1863-1879.
Meiji Restoration
in Japan in 1867, led by samurai. it was a restoration of the Japanese emperor to power, which led to subsequent modernization of Japan.
Suez Canal opened
in 1869.
Africa falls under European rule
from 1880-1900.
Conference of Berlin
from 1884-1885. a meeting of European leaders held in order to lay down some basic rules for imperialist competition in sub-Saharan Africa.
Russian expansion reaches Afghanistan
in 1885.
in 1898
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).
“The White Man’s Burden”
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.
South African War
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.
“Heart of Darkness” and “Imperialism”
Conrad and Hobson (radical English economist) publish the books respectively in 1902. both books criticised imperialism (and the implementation of imperialistic governments).
Western-style republic replaces China’s Qing Dynasty
in 1912.
Panama Canal opened
in 1914.
the rise of global inequality
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.
the world market
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.
neo-Europes
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.
the opening of China
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.
Japan and the US
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.
western penetration of Egypt
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.
global mass migration
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.