IMPERIALISM RIVALRY AMONG NATIONS Imperial Rivalry 1870 1914

IMPERIALISM RIVALRY AMONG NATIONS Imperial Rivalry— 1870 -1914 A new balance of power emerged in 1871, the inhabitants of the continent would spend the next half century adjusting to the new situation. In particular, the rise of the wealthy, powerful, and aggressive new Emperor in Germany. The first signs of tension were miles away, on the fringes of various European Empires, and was not resolved until Europe itself exploded into a

Europeans still ominously call it, The Great War. The seeds were planted abroad, during the modern scramble for colonies which obsessed the great European powers at the end of the 19 th century. There is something funny about this, because for the half century before 1870, imperialism was unfashionable, or at best, a low priority for the great states of Europe. Liberalism tended to argue against imperialism. Following Adam Smith and American Independence, most European statesmen decided they could profit from an overseas market, or source of raw materials, without the trouble and expense of governing or defending it. Remember the

The three other causes were able to affect the beginnings of the war. Imperialism is defined as the governing of one people by another country, which was a recurring dilemma prior to WW 1 due to the industrialist movement. Although not all events that fall into the imperialistic category were about controlling another country, they contributed to the war, and imperialistic events were the foundation of the cause of WW 1. Within Europe, imperialism occurred at the height of industrialization. As European countries were discovering more about the sciences and mass production benefits via industrialization, a demand competition for more land

Germany and Great Britain were two powerful European countries that had been trying to establish control in Africa and Asia, two countries that were not as strong as them, and relatively vulnerable. Due to rebellions of the native people and interferences by each other and other countries, they were not entirely successful. This lack of cooperation between European countries in the attempt to govern and control weaker states so as to use their products for trade caused tension, and finally after it built up to a certain point, war was the only option left.

After 1820, the British government was influenced by Jeremy Bentham and other liberals, withdrew from the Holy Alliance, and took a hands off approach to south American independence. By 1830, Spain and Portugal had lost their overseas empires to independence movements. France had lost most of its colonial empire as a result of the Seven Years' War and the Congress of Vienna. Russia retained a vast empire in Eurasia, but sold Alaska to the US and withdrew from the Pacific NW. Only the Dutch and British retained large overseas empires. The Dutch retained Sumatra, Java, Borneo, and New Guinea in the far East. The British retained Canada, Cape Colony (South Africa), and a presence in India and Australia. Even this was controversial, so by 1852 the Tory politician Benjamin

Many intellectuals saw imperialism as a contradiction of nationalism, since one can't give other people self determination if you rule them as imperialistic powers. Germany and Italy were preoccupied with their own national problems, so why all the changes around 1870? The mad push for empire would last up to 1914. The revival of the empire after 1870 had five causes, the first being economic. It is true that the old mercantilist ideas of men such as Colbert had been exploded by Adam Smith. Yet that did nothing to stop individual Europeans from trying their luck abroad. Locals were simply assumed to be free traders as well, allowing them to buy and sell with minimal interference from local rulers, religious authorities, or native populations.

They were often perceived by locals as ignorant, arrogant, and totally insensitive to native power structures or customs. Two examples highlight this insensitivity. European trade with China was strictly regulated by the Emperor. One had to trade through specific ports and merchants. Beginning in the late 17 th century, the British began a lucrative trade in tea, importing tons from China. Only then did it really take off in Britain. Yet they had nothing of comparable value to sell to the Chinese except silver bouillon, resulting in a trade imbalance. According to mercantilist theory, this is impoverishes the nation.