Chapter 25: The West and the World

Lion's Den, Disused Old Zoo, Groote Schuur Estate, Cape Town
“It is believed that Rhodes had a fondness for the lion as ‘King of Beasts’
and symbolising the dreams and aspirations of the British Empire.”

 
Introduction: This chapter investigates the many sides to the “new imperialism” of Europe, describing the development of a world economy, patterns of emigration from Europe, the growth of European imperialism in the late nineteenth century, and how it affected both western and non-western societies.

Objective: To extend and reinforce my knowledge of new imperialism and European history between 1850 and 1914 by analyzing images and exploring the connections the content of the chapter has across continents and time.

Essential Question

How was Europe’s large number of emigrants near the turn of the century related to the imperialist expansion of its nations?  Many emigrants who left Europe during this period moved to a European colony. This means that imperialism affected migration by providing places for the people to go that weren’t entirely foreign. However, migration in turn affected imperialism greatly, because the rising number of Europeans in colonized regions strengthened western power and influence on the rest of the world, while also in many cases provoking the resentment of native peoples.

Political Cartoons

“The White (?) Man’s Burden.”

This political cartoon depicts the natives of various colonized regions carrying on their backs representatives of the countries who claimed them. This represents the hardships endured by native peoples for the sake of benefiting imperialistic western nations. Further satire is added to the cartoon by its caption, “The White (?) Man’s Burden,” because the question mark is implying that the true burden is carried by the people of the regions affected by European territorial expansion. I completely agree with the message of this cartoon, because from the perspective of modern-day society it is clear that European exertion of control in the rest of the world generally worsened rather than improved the lives of the natives, contrary to the opinion of those who believed in the “white man’s burden.”

Alfred Hiscocks, 1904

This cartoon shows a colossal Japanese soldier marching from his home country to Australia. He carries with him a bloody knife and a can of brown paint. The knife symbolizes the Japanese use of force to acquire territory during the era of new imperialism. The paint symbolizes Japanese control of or victory over the nations labeled “All Brown,” and now the soldier has his imperialistic sights set on Australia and the surrounding islands. This drawing is an expression of the fear among Australians, New Zealanders and other British subjects that Japan would attempt to gain control over the southeastern part of the globe, which was intensified by Japan’s new imperialistic and military power. I personally believe that the artist was justified in guessing that this would happen, but today we know that the Japanese never colonized the area.

US Imperialism Cartoon

{ Click the image to view a larger caption. }

This cartoon deals with the pervasiveness of imperialism throughout American history. The overweight man, who represents America, has “eaten” a large amount of regions, which are written on his pants. Those listed include recent gains, such as Hawaii, as well as those a little further in the past, like the Louisiana Purchase. The man is being measured by a tailor who resembles and represents William McKinley, the 25th President of the United States. When the “Antis,” or anti-imperialists, suggest that the man lose his colonial weight, he dismissively states that he never has or will. I agree with this cartoon, because what I know about the history of American expansion strongly supports the opinion that the United States was an imperialistic nation like those in Europe.

Is the US Imperialistic?

I strongly believe that the United States is imperialistic and has been throughout history. To say that it’s not implies that America hasn’t annexed, occupied, or otherwise dominated any large quantity of countries or regions, and I believe that it has clearly done so. Our nation started out with 830,000 square miles of land that were ceded by Britain, and now we control close to 4 million and possess sixteen islands besides Hawaii. Our record in the past is not any better; our list of territories previously owned by other nations includes Texas, California, Hawaii, Alaska, the Philippines, Louisiana, and others.


Arguments that the US is imperialistic: 

The promotion of “manifest destiny” sparked a period of westward expansion that displaced numerous Native Americans.
America annexed the Philippines, Guam, and Puerto Rico in 1898, during the height of imperialism.
The US has a strong presence in the Middle East that has resulted in the strengthening of American power and influence.


Arguments that the US is not imperialistic:

The United States intervenes in foreign affairs for reasons of moral necessity rather than political strategy or interest in expansion.
After World War II, US leaders decided to bring the soldiers home, passing up a clear opportunity for the domination of defeated European states.
American territories are given a respectable degree of self-government that is not typically given by imperialistic world powers.

US Events

1898: The Annexation of Hawaii

Lowering of the Hawaiian flag on Annexation Day

Hawaii has a rocky political history, being ruled by multiple native governments as well as the British at one point. The former Kingdom of Hawaii had expected eventual annexation by the United States since the deposition of its monarch Queen Lili‘uokalani in 1893. However, this did not happen during the presidency of Grover Cleveland, who was an anti-imperialist and strongly opposed annexation. William McKinley resumed efforts to acquire the land while in office, and in 1898 the Newlands Resolution was passed and the Republic of Hawaii became the Territory of Hawaii, which would last until its final statehood in 1959. This group of islands was important to American interests for reasons including its fruit trade and its strategic military position in the Pacific Ocean.

The United States’ claiming of Hawaii bears many similarities to European expansions. Both generally involved a mostly white nation ruling over a region mostly populated by non-white natives. They took advantage of the instability of other countries’ governments as an opportunity to take control over them, for reasons that include trade opportunities and the military advantage of distant land. Additionally, the inhabitants of the once-independent nation mourned the imposition of a foreign government, like the natives of a great deal of colonies.

1914: Completion of the Panama Canal

The first official navigation of the Panama Canal

Construction of the Panama Canal was first started by France in 1880 and led by Ferdinand de Lesseps, who also built the Suez Canal. This project became bankrupt, and in 1904 the United States acquired the canal and started work on it under the direction of President Theodore Roosevelt. In 1914 the canal was completed, and the first ship officially traveled across it the same month that World War I began. The construction project was the largest the United States had ever undertaken at the time, and reinforced American influence in South America. The canal was and is still important for the shortcut it provides between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, making it no longer necessary for vessels to make the lengthy and dangerous voyage around the tip of South America.

The Panama Canal is similar to the Suez Canal on the other side of the world. Both were constructed by foreign nations with the goal of facilitating water transport of cargo, and are still used for this purpose today. Besides this primary function, the two canals have also played roles in wars, particularly World War II and the Arab-Israeli Wars. Additionally, both were started by the French with de Lesseps as chief engineer.

Colonial Uprising

The Maji Maji Rebellion

The leaders of the revolt who were executed by Germany

The Maji Maji Rebellion was an interethnic revolt by the people of East Africa under German colonial rule. It took place from 1905 to 1907 in what is now Tanzania. It began after the governor of East Africa, Count Gustav Adolf von Götzen, implemented a policy forcing the African natives to grow cotton as a cash crop. The backbreaking work involved in this, as well as the other ways in which it would disrupt the lives of workers and their families, incited anger from the native peoples. A spirit medium named Kinjikitile Ngwale, who called himself “Bokero,” told followers that they had been chosen to rid their homeland of the Germans and used traditional African religion and magic to gather support and begin fighting. The namesake of the rebellion was a key element of native war technique; a medicine called maji, made from water, castor oil and millet seeds, was purported by Ngwale and his followers to turn German bullets into water. This gave the revolting warriors confidence to fight the German military, but they were quickly defeated. While this landmark African rebellion did not meet its goal, it did prompt the German government to institute some reforms.

Rebellion Today

Libya

 Al Jazeera: Libyan “Day of Rage”

Libya has seen a tumultuous few years, even for its already shaky history since the beginning of Muammar Qaddafi’s rule there. The oppressive leader had been in power for 41 years, and protests in a couple of Libyan cities (see video above) escalated into a full-scale civil war by February of 2011. This revolution is a noteworthy example of a true citizens’ uprising in response to an oppressive government, and is one of the main rebellions of the Arab Spring. Key players are not as much individuals as Libyan society in general; the citizens have worked together to protest and overthrow their government. One important person in the movement is Mustafa Abdul Jalil, the chairman of the National Transitional Council, the provisionary government of Libya. The uprising has met its primary goal, the deposition of Muammar Qaddafi, and on October 20, 2011, the former leader was killed by the NTC.

Click here to view a slideshow by Yuri Kozyrev, a photographer who chronicled the Battle of Tripoli as part of a project for TIME, “On Revolution Road.” Hovering the mouse over each photo will display a caption, many of which have historical background information.

Spotlight on the Suez Canal

Suez Canal Authority building, Port Said, Egypt

The Suez Canal is a man-made waterway that runs between the Mediterranean and Red Seas. At its north end is Port Said, and at the south is Port Tawfiq. It is located in Egypt, and owned by the Egyptian government’s Suez Canal Authority; however, international treaties make it available to any trade or war ship, regardless of nationality. The canal is nicknamed the “Highway to India,” and is used daily for water transportation between Europe and Asia. According to the Suez Canal Authority’s annual reports, over 646 million tons of cargo were transported using the canal in 2010.

3-2-1 Summary

Proclaiming annexation of New Guinea, 1884

Three things I learned:

European nations encountered a renewed interest in territorial acquisitions during the late nineteenth century.

Japan responded to Western expansion by becoming an imperialist power itself.

Colonies were not significantly beneficial to their mother country’s economies before 1914.

Two things I found interesting:

The vast continent of Africa was split up and claimed by European nations very quickly.

Nearly all of the new empires in this era were dismantled in less than a century.

One question I have:

What were the reasons that countries such as Italy were not competitors in the race for land?