Imperialism Case

Imperialism

Imperialism, the expanding of a country's views and policies through the domination of another country's political, economical, and cultural life, took root during the 18th century in Europe. During this time, Europe, driven by economic, political, military, and religious motives, set out to expand their control and influence on the rest of the world. Europe exercised numerous different strategies in bringing the regions of interest, China, parts of the Middle East, and the majority of Africa, under its control and influence. However, all of these strategies can be separated into two categories: direct rule, the use of officials and/or military force to bring a colony under complete control where the colonists are forced to take up western ideas and culture, and indirect rule, an unimposed form of rule where things like education for the colonists is offered to indirectly spread western ideas and culture.

Due to the high demand of the regions of Africa, European powers had to arrange a conference to establish rules on claiming various African regions. It was established that the Congo and Niger rivers would be free trading territory as opposed to completely under King Leopold's II, of Belgium, rule. It was also made clear at the conference that a European power could not claim any part of Africa unless a government office under the colonizer's control was in place. From that point on to the next twenty years it was a mad dash for the regions of Africa. Everybody wanted their share, especially France. France carved out a huge share of Africa where a form of direct rule was practiced, but at great costs. Thousands of French soldiers lost their lives in the fight for Algeria, but even thousands more Algerians lost theirs.

The British, unlike the French, practiced indirect rule. Due to the large debt that accumulated over the span of time Muhammad Ali was trying to modernize Egypt, Britain was able to make Egypt a protectorate, a form of indirect rule where local rulers were left to rule but expected to follow issues such as trade and missionary activity set up by the foreign ruler, by paying off the large debt that Egypt had acquired from the French when they built the Suez canal. Egypt was then able to continue to modernize; however, nationalist discontent began to arise.

The British also sought after India,but unlike in Egypt, direct rule was practiced there. An organization called the British East India Company won trading rights on the fringe of the declining Mughal empire. Their main goal was to make money, but they also worked to improve conditions such as