Understanding Modern Imperialism
Imperialism has been a way of expansion by powerful countries since the eighteenth century. The world’s superpowers are continuously growing their empires to gain more political and economical control over the world. As civilizations changed so did the strategy for imperialism. Modern imperialism is subtler and more discreet compared to traditional imperialism. Numerous theorists have observed and written about the different strategies and tactics that early leaders used to colonize nations for their motherland. Amongst the most successful were the British and the Belgians. Using manipulation and technological advances, they were able to take over less developed countries to take advantage of their resources.
Modern imperialism started in the 1800s. Nations in Europe would strategize ways to gain political power in other countries in order to profit from them economically. A major way that modern imperialism differs from traditional imperialism is that modern imperialism incorporates aspects of compromising and collaborating with the indigenous people living in the space being imperialized. Osterhammel states, “The colonial state seeks ways of attaining its goals at minimal cost by using available mechanisms of indigenous politics, while all groups and classes of the subjugated society face the necessity of developing survival strategies when encountering a new regime based on overwhelming power. This dilemma applies above all to the pre-colonial elites, who see their political legitimacy, their social status, and even their physical existence fundamentally threatened.” (Osterhammel, 57) In other words, the leaders of the nation that is being colonized develops strategies of their own to ensure they get the most out of the colonization. But they are often threatened by the idea of it because it takes away their political power and changes their way of life.
In a colonial state, the colony still runs as an independent entity but economic benefits would go to the nation that colonized it. Osterhammel states, “the colonial state was no simple extension of the metropolitan political system to overseas possessions, but a political form in and of itself, even when the area under rule was declared an integral part of the national territory.” (Osterhammel, 57) In this new state of colonialism, the dominating country does not care or have responsibility towards the welfare of the people being dominated. The colonies were just used as mere means as another source of income.
The European colonizers justified their imperialism by saying the main goal was to educate the indigenous people. Osterhammel states, “Usually the representatives of the colonial state viewed their roles as strict ‘educators’ of immature natives and as arbitrators over special interests.” (Osterhammel, 57) They thought they were helping underdeveloped countries become more progressive.
In the colonization of Asia and Africa, the Europeans had an upper hand in their weaponry. They were more technologically advanced which posed a problem for the Asians and the Africans. One of the most vital pieces the Europeans used was the warship. According to Daniel Headrick in his book The Tools of Imperialism, “Before the war began, Commissioner Lin had bought the British warship Cambridge, but he lacked both the guns to arm her and sailors skilled in handling a European ship. Against the ordnance of the British ships, the coasts of China were almost defenseless. And to the problem that navies had always faced against coastal defenses, the British now had a solution: steamers” (Headrick, 242). The Chinese were severely undertrained and did not have the manpower necessary to defend themselves against the British. On both land and sea the Chinese were surrounded by more skilled European soldiers.
Even though the Europeans were more advanced technologically, they faced a major problem when they invaded Africa. The indigenous people living in the area already had their own rules and principles in place. They resisted more than any other nation had before causing a set back for the Europeans. According to Burbank and Cooper in their book, Myths of Modern Colonialism, “the most important impediment to putting a racial order into practice came from the people of the colonies themselves – their initiatives to make the most of the spaces that colonial regimes could not control, their ability to use, in their own ways, the possibilities that imperial connections provided” (Burbank and Cooper, 326). The Africans did not allow the colonial regimes take complete control. They resisted in any way they could, schoolteachers would even teach the students to rebel as well.
Imperialism has drastically changed throughout the course of history. It began as a way to expand empires to gain control. But modern imperialism’s main goal and initiative is to gain political and economic power. The tactics and strategies used by early rulers were seen as just and fair at the time but as we look back on the approaches they used we can see that they were unethical and inhumane.
Working Definitions
Colonialism: taking over political control of another country
Imperialism: taking over another country by force
Colony: a country that is ruled by another
Empire: a group of countries ruled by one country
Colonialist Ideology: taking over another country to exploit them
Warfares: conflict between two nations
Prophylactic: to protect from disease
Interempire: a group of nations ruled by one ruler or government
Autonomous: self-governing
Repertoire: a set of skills
Questions for Further Inquiry
- What would happen if two countries tried to colonize the same state?
- Would it be possible for the colonies to join together and revolt?
About Image
The image shows a human head with octopus tentacles grabbing for countries. The head is labeled as “England” and it is grabbing for other countries such as Canada, India, and Egypt. This is representation of modern imperialism because England colonized these countries to gain economically.
Source: http://www.travel-studies.com/blogs/tourism-modern-imperialism