3b. New Imperialism S2 History Good Hope School PDF

Good Hope School S2 History 3b. European Imperialism in the 19th century (New Imperialism) I. Background Age of Discovery: Early European Colonial expansion (Old Imperialism) ⮚...

Good Hope School S2 History 3b. European Imperialism in the 19th century (New Imperialism) I. Background Age of Discovery: Early European Colonial expansion (Old Imperialism) ⮚ Initially (16th – 18th centuries): Americas and coastal Africa 18th – 19th centuries: Many European colonies in the Americas became independent (decolonization of the Americas) ⮚ Asia and Africa became the major focuses of European colonial expansion of the 19th century (New Imperialism) 18th – 19th centuries: Industrial Revolution ⮚ The need for raw materials and large overseas markets ⮚ European powers began to compete over raw materials and markets in Asia and Africa The White Man’s Burden: ⮚ A popular concept in the late 19th century ⮚ Justified European colonialism in Asia and Africa as a ‘civilising mission’: to ‘civilise’ / ‘educate’ the ‘inferior’ Asians and Africans ⮚ Spread of Christianity 1 II. Old vs New Imperialism 2 III. European colonial expansion in Africa (19th - 20th centuries) Scramble for Africa 瓜分非洲 ⮚ In the mid-19th century, Europeans began to escalate their expansion in the African interior as rich resources were discovered ⮚ Between 1884 and 1885, the Berlin Conference 柏林會議were held – attended by 14 countries (e.g. Britain, France, Germany, Italy) → Consensus over the colonial partition of Africa ⮚ By 1914, only Liberia and Ethiopia remained independent 3 IV. European colonial expansion in Asia (19th - 20th centuries) Gunboat diplomacy (砲艦外交): Asian countries were forced to accept Western demands for trade ⮚ China: Opium Wars 鴉片戰爭 ⮚ Japan: Opening up by the US Navy Trading companies (Chartered Companies 特許公司) were set up to trade with (and in some cases, administer and govern) Asian regions and colonies ⮚ E.g. Dutch East India Company (Indonesia) 荷蘭 東印度公司 ⮚ E.g. British East India Company (India) 英國東印 度公司 Siam 暹羅 (Thailand) remained the only independent country in Southeast Asia British colonies: India, Burma, Ceylon, Malaya French colonies: Indochina Dutch colonies: Indonesia Japan later emerged as a colonial power. 4 V. Impacts i. Political Colonial conflicts among European countries Increased rivalry between the major powers E.g. France vs Germany over Morocco ⮚ European political dominance Most Asian and African territories ruled / governed by Europeans → discrimination and oppression of locals Political power enjoyed by European officials and colonists Limited participation of locals Racism ⮚ Political modernization Introduction of European Political systems Parliamentary and judicial systems Rule of law ii. Economic Economic exploitation by the Europeans – loss of natural resources Economic imbalance: focus on cash crops; slow industrial development Destruction of traditional self-sufficient economies → served economic interest of the European suzerains / metropoles (home country of the colonial Empire, 宗主國) → economic impoverishment (e.g. famines) Development of infrastructure E.g. transportation – railways E.g. communication – telegraph iii. Social Improvement of living conditions: e.g. hospitals, schools Introduction of Western culture: e.g. European languages, education, religion, customs Multi-ethnic societies Population changes Indian and Chinese indentured labourers were employed in European colonies as a source of cheap labour (known pejoratively as coolies) Large Chinese communities in Southeast Asia (e.g. Malaysia & Singapore) E.g. Macanese people 土生葡人 and culture (Mixture of Portuguese, Asian, and Chinese culture in Macau) 5