The Age of Nationalism and Imperialism Quiz

European Nationalism and Imperialism in the 19th Century

• France experienced increased nationalism after the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars, with the ideals of the revolution and standardized French language fostering a sense of "Frenchness."
• Japan fostered nationalism to counter potential colonial conquest, with the Yamato race theory and the role of Shintoism contributing to the dissemination of nationalism.
• Canada's 1867 Confederation led to the development of Canadian identity, reconciling Anglophone and Francophone communities, and fearing U.S. invasion and resentment over British power strengthened collective identity.
• Germany emphasized ethnic and linguistic solidarity, with Napoleon's actions fostering collective resentment and nationalism promoted through cultural forms like literature, music, and painting.
• Otto von Bismarck expanded Prussian lands and emphasized military virtues to encourage nationalism, ultimately leading to the political unification of Germany in 1871.
• Multiethnic empires like the Habsburg, Russian, and Ottoman empires faced challenges from ethnic groups seeking autonomy, highlighting the tension between minority nationalism in nation-states versus empires.
• The relationship between industrialization and imperialism led to the development of new technologies for empire building, such as steam power, cheaper guns, the telegraph, and quinine.
• Nationalism encouraged imperialism in countries like Britain, France, Italy, and the United States, with self-serving ideologies and a culture of imperialism permeating literature, theater, music, and public ceremonies.
• Social Darwinism and pseudo-scientific racism influenced imperialist ideologies, with the belief in the superiority of certain nationalities or socioeconomic classes finding supposed scientific proof.
• British colonization of India through the East India Company and later direct rule under the British Crown led to economic effects, such as the introduction of free trade policies and the concentration of new wealth.
• French colonization of Algeria led to changing population demographics, economic impacts on colons and Algerians, and the exploitation of language distinctions and tribal identities.
• European powers extended across Africa and Asia after 1870, with the Berlin Conference leading to the partition of Africa and the exploitation of tribal identities and economic resources by colonizers.