Rise of Global Empires: The Age of Imperialism

The Age of Imperialism

Between the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the world's industrialized countries experienced a period of economic prosperity.

The great powers expanded and formed huge colonial empires.

In the first decade of the twentieth century, economic, colonial, and national rivalries surfaced between European countries.

An escalation of tensions and armaments began, which resulted in the First World War (1914-1918).

Imperialism and Its Primary Causes

The Dominance of European Powers

In the last third of the nineteenth century, the Second Industrial Revolution transformed the economy of the major European powers.

Technical innovations, new forms of work organization, and the growth of banking allowed for an increase in production, trade, and transport improvements.

Europe launched a campaign to rule the world, leveraging its technical, financial, and military superiority.

The most advanced countries occupied territories in Africa and Asia, creating vast colonial empires.

The Economic and Social Causes of Colonialism

European countries needed to sell surplus production and sought to buy cheap raw materials.

European population growth resulted in an excess of people, which caused difficulties in finding jobs and increased social tensions.

Europe's borders had been stabilized by the late nineteenth century; therefore, territorial expansion was directed toward regions outside of Europe.

Conservative nationalism advocated for the superiority of certain nations and the right to impose their will on other peoples.

Conquest, Organization, and Exploitation

Scientific Exploration and Military Conquest

In the mid-nineteenth century, Europeans seeking land to expand undertook a series of trips suitable for scientific and geographical exploration.

The British and French led the first expeditions, mapping central Africa.

Once the territory was known, the conquest was quick and easy.

European military and technical superiority was so great that indigenous resistance was often fairly weak.

Europeans exploited internal rivalries between tribes and ethnic groups in the occupied territories to confront each other.

Colonial Administration and Organization

Colonies were organized to be controlled and administered by the metropole. We can distinguish three kinds of colonies:

• Colonies of exploitation: In these, the mother country was devoted to economic exploitation. They had no self-government, and Europeans exerted a policy of direct occupation.
• Colonies of settlement: These were territories where a white population migrated to settle permanently.
• Protectorates: These were territories that, after European occupation, maintained their state organization, indigenous government, and administrative apparatus.