Ch. 10 - Imperialism
Middle World History Notes
Chapter 10 : The New Imperialism
1. Social Darwinism-
-based on Charles Darwin’s Theory of Evolution (Survival of the Fittest)
-those who are more powerful (or more profitable) survive
-Europeans considered themselves to be higher on the social and cultural scale of evolution than the rest of the world
-designed to justify European nations taking over poorer, third world countries
2. Imperialism-
-the seizure of a country or territory by a stronger country
-the stronger country dominates political, economic, and social life of the weaker country
3. Economic Imperialism-
-an independent but less-developed country controlled by private business interests rather than other governments
4. East India Company-
-trading company that paid the British government for exclusive trading rights in India
-had their own army to protect their interests from foreigners, native peoples, or British competitors
5. Sphere of Influence-
-an area in which an outside power claims exclusive investment or trading privileges
6. Assimilation-
-over time the controlling nation would systematically replace the country they control’s culture with their culture
7. Protectorate-
-a country or a territory with its own internal government but under the control of an outside power
8. Paternalism-
-process of governing similar to parenting
-the controlling country would provide for all basic needs while limiting the rights of the people they controlled
-leaders would be brought in from the controlling nation
9. Colonization-
-the process by which a country or a territory is governed internally by a foreign nation
-the controlled land is called a colony
10. White Man’s Burden-
-written by English poet Rudyard Kipling and first published in McClure’s magazine in 1899
-used to justify European policies of Imperialism
11. King Leopold II-
-Belgium leader who commissioned David Livingston to make treaties with local African leaders in order to acquire land there
-began the imperialistic rush to acquire land in Africa
12. Berlin Conference-
-designed to avoid war as European nations were in competition to acquire more territory
-fourteen nations attended but no African leaders were invited
-only consideration was European interests and not African
13. Boer War-
-means “farmer” in Dutch
-Boer’s settled in South Africa to farm and exploit the local population as laborers
-when gold and diamonds were discovered many British fortune seekers came to South Africa
- Boers fought to keep them out but lost the war against Britain, who took control of Cape Colony (South Africa)
14. Qing (Manchu) Dynasty
-last ruling dynasty of China, ending in 1911
-blamed for allowing other nations to divide up China
15. Opium War-
-even with a minimal amount of trade, China enjoyed a huge trade imbalance with Britain
-to even the imbalance and find an item China would trade for expensive tea, Britain introduced opium (grown in India) for trade
-within 20 years, 12 million Chinese were opium addicts
-when Britain refused to accept China’s pleas to stop trading opium, China saw no alternative but war
-mostly fought at sea, China was no match to the strongest navy in the world
16. Treaty of Nanjing-
-ended the Opium War in 1842
-gave control of Hong Kong to Britain
-British subjects in China would be under British, not Chinese laws
17. Taiping Rebellion-
-led by Hong Xiuquan, a peasant from Sothern China
-one of the more powerful rebellions against foreign traders and the Qing dynasty
-Britain and France helped the Qing end the rebellion but over 20 million Chinese had died
-in order to stop future revolts and to protect their trade interests, foreign powers become more involved in China’s political and economic dealings
18. Open Door Policy
-declared by the United States, fearing European nations would begin colonizing China and not allow US to trade in China
-said all nations may trade with China and no nation could colonize China
-European nations agreed with policy
19. Empress Dowager Tz’u-hsi-
-maintained power as regent to son and later nephew
-concubine of the Emperor whose five year old son became emperor
-when her son died, she replaced him with a younger nephew in order to maintain power
-supported anti-western movements but found it politically necessary to abandoning China’s traditions
-eventually the Qing Dynasty was forced to accept constitutional government
-died in 1908
20. Boxer Rebellion-
-”Society of Righteous and Harmonious Fist”
-peasants and workers angry over foreign invaders and the fact the Qing did nothing to stop it revolted
-killed foreigners and destroyed everything foreign in China
-to protect their interests, foreign nations sent 20,000 troops to crush rebellion
-Eight Nation Alliance defeat of the Boxers, China was completely dominated by foreign nations
21. Sun Yixian-
-leader of the Kuomintang or Nationalist Party
-learned and understood western ideas while being educated in Hawaii
-established a modern government based on end of foreign rule, democracy, and economic security
-replaced the Qing Dynasty that had ruled since 1644
22. Emperor Puyi-
-selected as Emperor of China at age 2 by Empress Dowager so she could maintain her role as regent
-taken from his family (who he would not see for 7 years) to live as Emperor in the Forbidden City
-treaty signed with Nationalists allowed for a powerless Emperor to remain
-became known as the “Last Emperor of China”
23. Feudalism-
-economic and political system which develops after the decentralization of an empire
-land is usually the medium of exchange for services and protection
-many smaller divisions of land with many rulers
24. Shogun-
-leader and most powerful position in Japanese feudalism
25. Samurai-
-warriors of the Japanese feudal system
-lived by a very strict code called bushido
26. Matthew Perry-
-American naval admiral who sailed into Tokyo Bay with fleet of modern steam war ships and a letter from Pres. Fillmore to influence the Tokugawa Shogunate to trade with the United States
-said he would return in a year for shogun’s response
27. Treaty of Kanagawa-
-realizing Japan could not stand up to the United States the Shogun agreed to allow the U.S. to trade in two Japanese ports
-eventually European nations forced their way into Japan
28. Meiji Era-
-group of samurai overthrew Tokugawa Shogunate in an effort to modernize and industrialize Japan
-Japan quickly became Asia’s first industrial power
-Japan traded textiles for natural resources to build its army and navy
-copied western nations military style
29. Sino-Japanese War-
-China and Japan agreed to keep “hands off” in Korea
-sensing Japan may colonize Korea, China used an internal rebellion to invade Korea
-China’s larger more powerful army was unaware of Japan’s industrialization
-territory taken from China became Japan’s first colonies including Manchuria
30. Russo-Japanese War-
-Russia wanted to protect it’s railroad interest in Manchuria and it’s trade interest in Korea from Japanese expansion
-when a Japanese railroad station was mysteriously attacked at Mukden the war began
-unaware of Japanese strength, Russia's Pacific fleet was destroyed and so was their Baltic fleet when they came to assist
-both sides agreed to the Portsmouth Treaty which was negotiated by US President Theodore Roosevelt
-Japan got to keep all the land they acquired and Russia go out of the war
31. Suez Canal-
-Muhammad Ali wanted to modernize Egypt by supporting industry and forcing farmers to grow only cash crops
-his son Isma’il wanted to continue and with French assistance had the canal built
-canal was important for Europeans to reach their Asian colonies
-when Egypt could not pay back $450 million loan, Britain occupied Egypt