World History Notes - Industry and Empire

Chapter 18 Industry and Empire Imperialism in Europe promised to solve the class conflicts of an industrializing society while avoiding revolution or redistribution of wealth Imperialism was most popular during the last quarter of the 19th century New technologies helped Europeans travel around their country more efficiently Europeans viewed the culture and achievements of Asian and African peoples with a new kind of racism, now expressed in terms of modern science "Interiors" were viewed as dirty and germ spreaders Europeans wanted to civilize/conquer lands of the "interior" because they were "weaker" These viewpoints made imperialism, war, and aggression natural and progressive Europeans thought that weeding out the "weaker" peoples would allow the "stronger" to flourish A Second Wave of European Conquests Construction of new European empires in the Afro-Asian world involved military force/threat Colonial conquest in Africa, mainland Southeast Asia, and the Pacific islands occurred in the second half of the 19th century It took the French 16 years (1882-1898) to conquer the African empire led by Samori Toure In 1879, the British were defeated by a Zulu army in South Africa (Battle of Isandlwana) 20 years later, it became known as the Boer War (1899-1902) Japan's conquest of Taiwan and Korea was similar to Europeans' actions Under European Rule For many people, incorporation into European colonial empires was very traumatic Cooperation and Rebellion Although violence was prominent during colonial life, individuals cooperated with authorities Many men found employment, status, and security in European-led armed forces European education was promoted As a result, a small Western-educated class arose Indian Rebellion of 1857-1858 -> a rebellion triggered by the introduction into the colony's military forces of a new cartridge smeared with animal fat from cows and pigs -Hindus viewed cows as something very special and Muslims viewed pork as dirty As a result, they both thought this innovation was a plot to convert them to Christianity Due to British colonization local rulers lost power, landlords were deprived of their estates and rent, peasants were overtaxed and exploited. Colonial Empires with a Difference In Africa, education for colonial subjects was both limited and skewed toward practical subjects rather than scientific and literary subjects, which was regarded as inappropriate. Racial separation was most extreme in South Africa. Here, a large population of Europeans and African laborers were brought closer together. This racial system provided for separate "homelands", educational systems, residential areas, public facilities, and more. Europeans were reluctant to encourage modernization (urban growth, industrialization, individual values, religious skepticism). They feared that this would cause problems for colonial rulers. Ways of working: Comparing Colonial Economics Economies of Coercion: Forced Labor and the Power of the State Labor on public works projects was unpaid (statute labor) In French Africa, all "natives" were obligated for "statute labor" of 10-12 days a year *Forced labor was very prominent during the early 20th century in the Congo Free State. The Congo Free State was later governed by King Leopold II of Belgium -He forced villagers to collect rubber Rubber was in demand at this time for bikes and automobiles Villagers were starved during this and some were even killed. Due to the massive forced labor, the epidemic AIDS began. Forced labor took place in Indonesia (Netherlands East Indies) during the 19th century Peasants had to donate/give away 80% + of their land in cash crops The abuse of Africans started a massive rebellion in 1904-1905 known as Maji Maji Mozambique -> where the Portuguese brutally enforced cotton cultivation Economies of cash-crop Agriculture: The Pull of the Market British authorities in Burma encouraged rice production The production of rice led to more migrants immigrating to Burma Thus rice exports boomed • A Peace Preservation Law of 1887 forbade women from joining political parties The Civil Code of 1898 accorded absolute authority to males Japan's industrialization program allowed them to build railroads, create postal systems, and established national currency and banking system. • They became the major exporter of textiles ☆ Unlike the Ottomans, they achieved this through its own resources without massive foreign debt Many peasant families went into poverty due to Japan's high taxes • Japan's textile workers were all young women from poor families • Their wages were low and working conditions were brutal • Strikes and creation of unions were illegal Japan and the World By the 20th century, Japan was acknowledged as an equal player among the Great powers of the world. • Japan was able to defeat European power • They also gained colonial control of Taiwan and Korea • They became very powerful to the world Chapter 20 The First World War: European Civilization in Crisis, 1914-1918 An Accident Waiting to Happen By the early 20th century, the power was expressed in two rival alliances (1) The Triple Alliance of Germany, Italy, and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. (2) The Triple Entente of Russia, France, and Britain An incident in the Balkans caused a large fire that consumed almost all of Europe This occurred on June 28, 1914 when a Serbian nationalist assassinated the heir to the Astro- Hungarian throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand Russia was allied to the French and the British Germany had a mission to protect the Slavic peoples Austro-Hungarian's opposition to Slavic nationalism was one reason why the war began Rapid industrialization of warfare generated many military technologies The war killed 10 million people and 20 million were left wounded and crippled The U.S. joined 1917 when the German submarines threatened American shipping Legacies of the Great War The Great War lasted longer than expected It lasted until November 1918 War seemed to mock the Enlightenment values of progress, tolerance, and rationality The aftermath of the war brought many changes both socially and culturally to the Europeans and Americans Many traditions were loosened Social mobility was promoted due to many casualties Women also received the right to vote again As the German, Russian, and the Austro-Hungarian empires emerged, there was a new map of Central Europe Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Yugoslavia were now independent The Treaty of Versailles concluded the war in 1919 However, it was probably what started the second world war 20 years later Because of this treaty, Germany lost 20% of their territory This caused a lot of resentment in Germany