Understanding Modern Imperalism
There is a couple of ways in which we could breakdown the definition of modern imperialism or modern colonialism. It is important to first define what is colonization. Jurgen Osterhammel defined it best, “’Colonization’ designates a process of territorial acquisition, ‘colony’ a particular type of sociopolitical organization.” Colonialism is the continuous effort and succession of colonization. (Osterhammel, p. 4).
Colonization can also be broken down into many different concepts. Three of them are important to note. The first is the total migration of entire populations or societies. Typically, this type of migration of entire populations usually comes in the form of military conquest of a region. There are some effects of this form of colonization on the current civilians. Some of these include: religious persecution, pressures from expanding neighbors, and overpopulation. The second concept is mass individuation migration. Essentially small groups or individuals leave their own countries in order to find a better economic opportunity. The third colonization concept is known as border colonization. This form of colonization is the expansion through the opening of more land and “pushing a ‘frontier’ into the ‘wilderness’ for agricultural purposes or to attain natural resources.” (Osterhammel, p.4-5).
Colonialism of modern times is rather different than that of more ancient times. One of the main differences is the assimilation factor. In earlier colonization times, settlers would assimilate to a certain extent with the colonies and bring some of their own values and cultural ideas into the colonies. However, in modern colonialism it was completely different. Modern colonialists took over the regions and “robbed them of its historical line of development, externally manipulated and transformed according to the needs and interests of the colonial rulers…. Modern colonialism is based on the will to make ‘peripheral’ societies subservient to the ‘metropolises’.”(Osterhammel p.15). During modern imperialism, there was a “unwillingness of the new rulers to make cultural concessions to subjugated societies. Another common characteristic of modern colonialism is the idea of colonial empires. These colonial empires were colonies that were under the same central control, however they had closer ties with each other rather than their ruler. (Osterhammel p.18)
Imperialism is the best defined as the combination of political and economic control throughout a colonial empire. Modern imperialism focuses on the imperialistic idea being spread across all the governed regions. Essentially, colonies are not their own entities, but rather a subsidiary of their ruler. Osterhammel stated that, “typical ‘imperialist’ ideas feature the sue of colonies in compensatory deals between the Great Powers, which involve exchange, recognition of geopolitical claims on the part of third powers, and demands that an alleged disequilibrium in the European balance of power be redressed.”(Osterhammel p.21-22). The strong imperialist nations in recent time could gain such control and power because they had extremely strong and expansive economies. Examples would be Great Britain and France, which overtook the Netherlands as the top imperial powers in Europe, mainly because of their economies, and both nations had very powerful militaries. (Osterhammel p. 22)
Working Definitions
Colonialism: the relationship between the majority population of a region and its new incumbent ruler.
Imperialism: the combination of political and economic control over a region
Colony: a new society created by the take over of a foreigner
Empire: a foreign ruler who is governance of multiple colonies at the same time.
Colonialist Ideology: the basis by which the colonist will govern their colony, either by indirect governance, assimilation, etc.
Questions for Further Inquiry
- Who was the absolute strongest colonial power during the 20th century?
- How did certain powers have different imperialistic strategies and yet were almost as powerful?
Image (England the Octopus)
- this image shows Englands control over the many nations in the early 20th century. They were one of the larger imperialists at the time. They controlled many different regions all over the world including Egypt, India, and Canada
- https://philosophersforchange.org/2015/02/17/the-new-imperialism/