Imperialism: Causes and Impact on Global History

Imperialism

Causes

Economics

• Search for Raw Materials: Industries were depleting their sources. To further increase production, they needed to find new sources of raw materials and cheap, abundant energy. Colonies were assigned the role of supplying metropolitan industries with:

  • Coal, oil, etc.
  • Raw materials for industries
  • Various industrial products such as tea, sugar, cocoa, etc.

• Search for New Markets: Colonies served as markets for industrial products, primarily catering to the population of the metropolis.

• Labor: The use of unskilled, cheap, and docile (often slave) labor reduced the cost of raw material extraction and contributed to the success of plantation agriculture.

Politics

• Prestige: States adopted policies of prestige to win over the masses. Diplomatic actions were led by strong personalities who advocated for extensive training and the consolidation of colonial rule. In the second half of the 19th century, a country's global prestige was tied to having colonies.

• Strategy: Strategic points were supplied through commercial and military control of land and sea routes, while rivals' expansion was hampered. In the British case, the main bases were Gibraltar, Malta, Cyprus, and the Suez Canal.

Population

Between 1850 and 1900, the European population increased considerably. This had several implications:

• The poor living conditions of the working class in industrialized countries encouraged many to seek a better life in the territories being occupied.
• Medical advances made it possible to successfully combat diseases such as cholera, typhoid, and malaria, which had previously made vast territories uninhabitable for white men.

This migration had two consequences:

• Improving the employment situation in the metropolis
• Avoiding potential social problems

Ideological and Moral Factors

• Racism: Often disguised as paternalism, racism held that white men needed to "rescue" indigenous people from their "backwardness" through training and education, aimed at civilizing them. This is why many parts of Africa have lost cultural elements.

• Christianization: There was a belief that people in other countries needed to be Christianized. This had a great impact on indigenous people who had cultures completely alien to the West.

Scientific and Technical Causes

• Innovations in new machinery and technology led to overwhelming military superiority (firearms, mass transit) for the conquerors.

• Geographical societies achieved great importance, organizing expeditions and creating new routes of military or economic nature.

• There was a desire for discovery and exploration. Authors encouraged curiosity and adventure through their works. Major African rivers like the Nile and Niger were explored, as was Asia, reaching the Himalayas.