The Ageof Imperialism - History of world

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The Age of Imperialism (1870–1914)

AlthoughtheIndustrialRevolutionandnationalismshapedEuropeansocietyinthenineteenthcentury,

imperialism4thedominationbyonecountryorpeopleoveranothergroupofpeople4dramaticallychanged

theworldduringthelatterhalfofthatcentury.

Imperialismdidnotbegininthenineteenthcentury.Fromthesixteenthtotheearlynineteenthcentury,anera

dominatedbywhatisnowtermedOld Imperialism,EuropeannationssoughttraderouteswiththeFarEast,

exploredtheNewWorld,andestablishedsettlementsinNorthandSouthAmericaaswellasinSoutheastAsia.

TheysetuptradingpostsandgainedfootholdsonthecoastsofAfricaandChina,andworkedcloselywiththe

1870and1914,Europewentthrougha<SecondIndustrialRevolution,=whichquickenedthepaceofchangeas

science,technology,andindustryspurredeconomicgrowth.Improvementsinsteelproductionrevolutionized

shipbuildingandtransportation.Thedevelopmentoftherailroad,theinternalcombustionengine,andelectrical

powergenerationcontributedtothegrowingindustrialeconomiesofEuropeandtheirneedtoseeknewavenues

ofexpansion.

Theexpansionpolicywasalsomotivatedbypoliticalneedsthatassociatedempirebuildingwithnationalgreatness,

andsocialandreligiousreasonsthatpromotedthesuperiorityofWesternsocietyover<backward=societies.

Throughtheuseofdirectmilitaryforce,economicspheresofinfluence,andannexation,Europeancountries

dominatedthecontinentsofAfricaandAsia.By1914,GreatBritaincontrolledthelargestnumberofcolonies,

andthephrase,<thesunneversetsontheBritishEmpire,=describedthevastnessofitsholdings.Imperialismhad

creatednewneedsanddesiresforwealthandrawmaterials.Mercantilistsmaintainedthatcoloniescouldserveas

asourceofwealth,whilepersonalmotivesbyrulers,statesmen,explorers,andmissionariessupportedtheimperial

beliefin<Glory,God,andGold.=By1800,GreatBritainwastheleadingcolonialpowerwithcoloniesinIndia,

SouthAfrica,andAustralia.SpaincolonizedCentralandSouthAmerica.FranceheldLouisianaandFrench

Guinea,andHollandbuiltanempireintheEastIndies.

Inthefirsthalfofthenineteenthcentury,colonialismbecamelesspopular.TheNapoleonicWars,thestruggle

fornationalismanddemocracy,andthecostofindustrializationexhaustedtheenergiesofEuropeannations.

Manyleadersalsothoughtthatthecoststotheirrespectiveempiresoutweighedthebenefits,especiallythecostof

supervisingthecolonies.However,inthemidnineteenthcentury,Europe4especiallyGreatBritainandFrance4

begananeconomicrevival.DuringtheVictorianEra,whichlastedfrom1837to1901,GreatBritainbecamean