Understanding Modern Imperialism
According to Osterhammel, modern colonialism is based on the theory that the societies being ruled should unquestionably obey the “metropolises.” There are three components that define what modern colonialism is. The first component is that colonialism is extremely detrimental to the society being ruled. They are “robbed of its historical line of development, externally manipulated and transformed according to the needs and interests of the colonial rulers (Osterhammel, 15).” He states that only a few colonial governments were able to achieve this goal. The second component is that there are stark differences between the rulers and the ones being ruled. Many people would expect the European powers to instill their culture and values upon their colonies. However, the rulers were unwilling to assimilate their colonies because they wanted to maintain the social hierarchy. The last component states that modern colonialism is an “ideological formation.” The Europeans did not view their actions as colonialism. Instead, they believed that their duties were to “” civilize” the “barbarians” or “savages,” as a “white man’s burden” that he is privileged to carry (Osterhammel, 16).”
Osterhammel also states the difference between traditional and modern colonialism. The Chinese believed that their civilizations were self-evident and superior to others around them. However, they never attempted to instill it upon their neighbors. “Only in modern colonialism did this kind of ethnocentric arrogance take an aggressive expansionist turn (Osterhammel, 16).” The Americans and Japanese did this to the Filipinos and Chinese, respectively.
There is also the concept of colonial possessions without a colonial empire, or “informal empire.” Examples of an informal empire include the Belgian, American, Dutch and Spanish empires (which saw its empire decline significantly after the Spanish-American War of 1898). All of these “empires” only possessed a few territories. In comparison, during the new modern era, “the overseas empires of the early modern era were by their very nature almost exclusively colonial empires (Osterhammel, 18). This was due to rapid economic growth experienced by Europe and growing militaries. European empires were discovering new ways to achieve their economic and strategic interests across the globe without direct colonial rule. Great Britain, for instance, was able to gain entry to China’s market through the Opium Wars. “Colonial rule would have been too costly and would have involved unwanted political responsibility (Osterhammel, 19).”
Towards the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, there were three stages of securing interests overseas. The first stage is replacing “little brother’s” ruler with “big brother’s” ruler. The new colonial power’s representatives are now in charge of performing traditional functions such as tax collection and maintaining law enforcement. The second stage is enacting a policy of quasi-colonial control. This meant that although “little brother” was permitted to operate with its own political system and given certain powers, “big brother” has the final say. “Big brother” can enact unfair treaties and grant exemption to its own citizens from the local law. The last stage involves non-colonialism influence. According to this concept, there is no sense of domination between the “big brother” and “little brother.” Instead, “big brother” uses its large economy and military force to influence the politics of “little brother.”
Working Definitions
Colonialism: the special relationship between those being ruled (the majority) and the rulers (the minority). The minority have the power to dictate the way how the majority live. The majority are often neglected because the minority only pursue personal interests and gains.
Imperialism: similar to the concept of colonialism, but the relationship between the two can be informal. Imperialism is the idea that colonialism builds upon.
Colony: a newly established territory that has been conquered (often through war). The colony’s rulers are often geographically distant from the colony itself and maintains its claim or rights on the colony
Empire: a group of colonies or territories that are under the rule of one supreme ruler or authority
Colonialist Ideology: the belief that the ruler’s government should have control over the colony’s government
Questions for Further Inquiry
- Were there any specific events in history that influenced modern imperialism/colonialism?
- Was modern imperialism beneficial or detrimental to empires compared to traditional imperialism?
About the Image
My header image depicts North America and Europe “gold digging” the African continent with nothing remaining. During the Scramble for Africa, much of the continent was colonialized with its indigenous people neglected. I believe this cartoon sends a strong message that colonialism is detrimental to those being ruled.