UNIT 6: IMPERIALISM
Q & A
Don’t forget, this isn’t the only info that’ll be on the test. Additionally, don’t forget about the maps, which can be found in the map section of the textbook.
What was the cause of the Opium War between Britain and China? The British East India Company was making a great profit off of selling opium to the Chinese, but opium addiction was wrecking Chinese society. The Chinese gov’t asked the BEIC to stop, BEIC said no, and war erupted.
What is neomercantilism, and where did it originate? As everybody industrialized towards the end of the 1800s competition began to threaten home markets. So people jacked up tariffs and began depending once more on their own colonies.
What is the importance of Joseph Chamberlain? As colonial secretary he suggested both a move towards dominion status for colonies in hopes that they would cooperate with the mother country and a neomercantilist move back towards self-sufficiency within the empire.
What were the motives for Russia declaring war on Turkey during the Russo-Turkish War? What was the outcome? After getting drubbed in the Crimean War, Russia was fuming. They still wanted to take down the Ottomans. When the Ottomans resisted the pan-Slavic movement – a movement for the independence/self-determination of Slavic people that would have broken down the Ottoman Empire in the Balkans, one of its most crucial holdings – Russia, the self-appointed big brother of the Slavs, used this as their way in. Since this was actually a legitimate argument, the West stayed out, and the Russians crushed the Turks. The outcome was the Treaty of San Stefano which saw Russian liberation of several Balkan states; a Russian gain in Caucus territory; and a new Bulgaria, a state that would likely be dominated by Russia. Europe, especially Middle-East-minded Great Britain, was in an uproar, so they decided on…
What was the Congress of Berlin? How did it differ from the Berlin Conference of 1884-85? …the Congress of Berlin in 1878. This said the Treaty of San Stefano was void, and that even though the Russians could keep minor territory in the Caucus and the Serbs and Romanians would be free, Bulgaria was divided into three zones under imperial influence in A-H and the Ottoman Empire. Bosnia was basically an A-H province. (Keep an eye on that one- it causes MAJOR problems next unit…) The Berlin Conference was King Leopold’s gathering in Bismarck’s Berlin to calm down the confusion in Africa. It was here that countries made up rules for African occupation and colonization.
Were there any other factors in the Sepoy Rebellion besides the rumors about pig/cow fat on cartridges? Yes. Remember, that was just the last straw. The Indians were facing some gradual cultural erosion at the hands of the BEIC, and sepoys were told they’d have to travel overseas to fight, a violation of their religion. Toss in some pig/cow fat, and we’ve got a rebellion.
What was the British reaction to the Sepoy Rebellion? How did the influence of G.B. in India change afterwards? Think of the pictures. The British blasted some of them off of cannons and hanged others, but many were pardoned by Queen Victoria in a good P.R. move. Show mercy, gain trust and respect. As the British moved in to fill the void of the BEIC, they started industrializing like they did in every other conquered land, building railroads, telegraphs, etc. It became a little more modernized.
What were Abdul Hamid’s motives for the Ottoman Empire? Why was he so repressive after 1876? His goal was simply to rule, but to do so he had to dupe the people into liking him – hence his pretending to go along with parliament in 1876-77. Yet as his dissolution of parliament and dismissal of Midhat Pasha show, he was a frightened man, very paranoid. His repressive rule was a direct result of the xenophobia exemplified in things like his expulsion of Western-minded Young Turks and his slaughter of Armenians and Bulgarians
Why did liberalism change in the late 19th Century? This is pretty broad; take a look at pages 607-612 for a good outline of the situation. Primarily, liberalism was focused on the man, the rational individual before. Now people saw economic and philosophic challenges to the classical liberalism, as well as a move towards liberalism being concerned with things like welfare.
What was the Treaty of Portsmouth? It settled the Russo-Japanese War by giving the Liaotung Peninsula to the Japanese, splitting Sakhalin between the Japanese and the Russians, and giving Japan a protectorate in Korea. Japan had given up Liaotung earlier simply because they couldn’t take on all of the Western powers pressuring them to do so, but this time they had won it in a war and the world couldn’t really demand that they give it back. They had beaten a Western power to get it.
What was the treaty system? This was the way that the West worked into China. Between Nanking and Tientsin, the West gained territory and extraterritoriality.
How did G.B. and Russia resolve their disputes in the Middle East? First, we had the Crimean War. Then, to avoid war, we had the Congress of Berlin (outlined above).
Why was American’s Open Door Policy adopted by anyone else? Why was China’s Manchu government kept intact? Basically, everybody could play ball by a common set of rules. No opponent made huge gains, and everybody knew what everyone else could do under the system. We’d agreed not to topple the helpful/weak Chinese government because we could manipulate them with no trouble. The Open Door gave us a few more common rules that weren’t very restrictive, just things that leveled the playing field and allowed everyone in.
What led to the Fashoda Crisis? What did the French do after they backed down? France wanted to extend east from their West African holdings and connect to their land on the Indian Ocean coast. However, the British were extending down the Nile at the same time in a North-South move. Although crisis was averted, the French developed a wave of strong anti-British sentiment (think the kind of hate America had for some Islamic nations after 9/11). Britain lost a tremendous amount of international prestige thanks to this and the contemporary Boer Wars. This is one of the reasons they got together with Japan in an Anglo-Japanese naval treaty- they needed some kind of good P.R. and an alliance with the new naval power didn’t hurt their standing because nobody else really wanted to ally with Britain.
Which times did a major power lose territory and not get it back? If we’re talking simply their European territory, France in the Franco-Prussian War and the Ottomans after the Congress of Berlin. Aside from that, the European map is pretty stagnant from the Franco-Prussian War through 1914.
Was the culture system successful in British India? The British eventually eroded a great deal of culture in India, yes. Indians spoke English in many areas, and they had to adapt some British customs to keep up with the industrialization there. However, the “culture system” itself was something the Dutch used in their territory to tax the people (i.e. give us this much of a sugar harvest and that is your tax). That was pretty successful.
Why was the Third Republic formed in France? People distrusted the republican forces, so when Bismarck ordered an election and a new National Assembly in 1870, the elections turned back in a monarchical/royalist majority. Republicans flipped out, and they started a rebellion that led to the installation of republican people in important governmental positions.
What was Bismarck’s kuturkampf? Bismarck hated Catholics and tried to eliminate their influence in the 1870s. However, their Catholic Center Party was too powerful, and he realized (realpolitik!)that it would be easier to accept their views/party and associate with them rather than expending the political capital assaulting them.
Who were the Lib-Labs? Why did Labor Parties not advance themselves in G.B. like in other countries? The British Labour party grew from the labor unions, unlike the rest of Europe, in which labor unions grew from sympathies of socialist political parties. Remember, G.B. was good at feeling the people’s discontent/concern and acting on it before major upheaval could take place, so a political party just for labor was unnecessary at first. Lib-labs were the few early labor representatives in the parliament in the 1880s, elected on the liberal ticket. Hence, Lib-Labs.
Why was there a shift to new imperialism? After settling down and not totally pursuing colonies after about 1750 or so, the Industrial Revolution drove people into new imperialism to find resources. Additionally, the opening of Africa led to new opportunities for business, marketing of products, and the spread of religion. It wasn’t just about national power now (i.e. Spain taking the New World). Now people could go build themselves up mightily (think Cecil Rhodes).
What were socialist arguments against imperialism? Working classes had finally been making gains and getting equal rights. Now all of a sudden, this influx of cheap goods meant that workers’ wages were good for more products (i.e. cheaper food means more money saved) and they wouldn’t need as much pay. Also, some jobs might not shift overseas to a cheaper labor pool.
Why is Queen Victoria important? She oversaw the largest boom of any empire in the world. Under her, Britain gained almost all of their African territory, actual governing status in India, and East Asian/Chinese holdings. Also, their navy continued to move far beyond the competition. All of this was during her reign.
What happened with Bismarck getting kicked out? What effects did this have? Good one. We’ll talk more about this next unit, but basically Bismarck had a habit of threatening to resign when he was frustrated. Finally, Wilhelm II called him on it and said, “Fine, I accept your resignation.” Wilhelm was very arrogant and didn’t think he needed Bismarck. Here’s the catch: think of all of the things Bismarck did in terms of shaping Europe and building Germany. All of the stuff he did was like a group of balls, and Bismarck was their juggler. He was very skilled at this. Now all of a sudden, the juggler is eliminated, but the balls were still in the air. Who was going to catch them? As we’ll see, Wilhelm couldn’t handle all the things Bismarck had done for the country; it was too much for his small, narrow mental capacity.