Imperialism: Crash Course World History #35

CrashCourse
20 Sept 201213:46
EducationalLearning
32 Likes 10 Comments

TLDRThe video discusses 19th century European imperialism and how industrialization provided the means and motive for Europe to colonize Africa and parts of Asia. It covers Britain's opium trade with China, the Treaty of Nanjing, the scramble for Africa, how technology like steamships and machine guns allowed Europeans to conquer foreign lands, the system of indirect rule, resistance by groups like the Maori, Egypt's increasing debt and British takeover, and the complicated legacy of imperialism on trade and economies today.

Takeaways
  • 😀 Europeans wanted colonies in Africa to secure raw materials like cotton and rubber for their industrial economies.
  • 👨‍💼 Europeans ruled colonies indirectly through intermediaries and collaborators like local rulers.
  • 💂‍♂️ Superior military technology like steamships and machine guns enabled Europeans to conquer Africa.
  • 😷 Diseases like malaria prevented early European colonization of Africa.
  • 💰 Business imperialism focused on economic exploitation of developing nations.
  • 🍫 Imperialism shaped exports of commodities like bananas, chocolate and tea.
  • 🔫 Resistance by groups like the Maori showed imperialism wasn't straightforward.
  • 🎭 Khedive Ismail's borrowing for projects like an opera house bankrupted Egypt.
  • 😡 Opium trade and unequal treaties weakened China and led to conflict.
  • 🐒 Chinese general Yijing had an unused battle plan involving flaming monkeys.
Q & A

  • What was the response of the Qianlong Emperor to the British request for better trade conditions?

    -The Qianlong Emperor responded that China already possessed all things in abundance within its borders and did not need anything from the British merchants. He stated that trade had been conducted through Canton for years and saw no need to change the procedures.

  • How did the British initially respond when China confiscated British opium?

    -The British responded by demanding compensation and access to Chinese territory where they could continue their opium trade. When China did not agree, the British sent in gunships and opened trade with Canton by force.

  • What technological developments enabled the European colonization of Africa in the late 19th century?

    -Key technological developments included steam ships, which allowed travel into Africa's interior via rivers; quinine medicine to help prevent malaria; and greatly improved guns and weapons like the Maxim machine gun, which gave Europeans a decisive military advantage.

  • How were the Europeans able to rule large colonies with relatively few administrators?

    -The Europeans relied heavily on indirect rule, governing through existing native rulers and elites. This allowed control with less cost and fewer Europeans exposed to the dangers of disease and conflict.

  • Why did some native rulers cooperate with Imperial powers?

    -Reasons included retaining prestige and power, gaining access to European education, and the practicality of avoiding conflict. The alternative of resisting often did not end well given the military might of the Europeans.

  • What allowed Menelik II of Ethiopia to successfully resist Italian colonization?

    -Menelik II was able to adopt European military technology and defeat Italian forces, securing independence and his own empire. This demonstrated African rulers could sometimes embrace modernization and still resist colonization.

  • How did modernization contribute to the British takeover of Egypt?

    -Egypt's ruler Ismail borrowed heavily from Britain and France to fund projects like the Suez Canal. The debt led Britain to take control of Egypt's finances and eventually occupy the country to protect its interests.

  • What is business imperialism?

    -Business imperialism refers to industrialized nations pushing economic integration with developing nations in order to extract value, often by establishing political control. It was a major driver behind colonization.

  • What were some lasting impacts of 19th century imperialism?

    -Impacts include the economic exploitation of colonies for cheap raw materials and labor, control over strategic assets like the Suez Canal, and the shaping of global trade networks that persist today.

  • How might the legacy of imperialism still be seen today?

    -The legacy can be seen in ongoing economic dependence of former colonies, persistent global inequality, immigration flows from former colonies, and many current political conflicts which have roots in imperial territorial disputes.

Outlines
00:00
😂 Europeans Try and Mostly Fail to Colonize China

Paragraph 1 discusses early attempts by Europeans like the British to improve trade and establish more control in China in the 18th-19th centuries. These largely failed due to Chinese disinterest and military strength. Eventually the British found opium as a product to sell to China, leading to the Opium Wars in the 1830s-40s and the establishment of European spheres of influence.

05:01
🤯 European Imperialism in Africa Enabled by Technology

Paragraph 2 explains why European colonization of Africa accelerated in the late 19th century after earlier failures. Key enabling technologies included steamships, quinine for malaria prevention, and most importantly rapid-fire guns like the Maxim gun which gave military advantage.

10:01
😎 Europeans Rule Colonies Through Local Elites

Paragraph 3 discusses the European approach of indirect rule in their colonies, governing large territories with limited manpower through alliances with local kings, princes, and elites. This was often mutually convenient and prevented costly conflict.

Mindmap
Keywords
💡imperialism
Imperialism refers to the policy or practice of a country extending control over foreign nations. It is a major theme in this video, which discusses the imperialism of European powers, especially Britain, in China and Africa in the 19th century. The British use of opium trade and gunboat diplomacy to force China to open more ports to trade is discussed as an example of 19th century imperialism.
💡Opium Wars
The Opium Wars refer to two wars between Britain and China in the mid-19th century resulting from China's attempts to restrict the illegal opium trade by Britain. The British smuggled opium into China and became involved in the wars when China tried to stop the trade. The wars led to China being forced to open more ports to foreign trade and cede Hong Kong to Britain.
💡gunboat diplomacy
Gunboat diplomacy refers to the threat or use of military force, usually naval power, to achieve diplomatic or political goals. The British use of gunboats and military force to compel China to open more ports to trade after the Chinese attempted to restrict the opium trade is discussed as an example of gunboat diplomacy in the 19th century.
💡spheres of influence
Spheres of influence refers to areas or regions over which a nation exerts some degree of control or influence, without actual ownership. After defeating China in the Opium Wars, the British and other European powers established spheres of influence in China, where Europeans were subject to their own laws rather than Chinese law.
💡Taiping Rebellion
The Taiping Rebellion was a massive civil war in China in the mid-19th century between the ruling Qing dynasty and the Taiping rebels. It is noted in the video as being one of the most destructive civil wars in history. The rebellion helped weaken China in the face of European imperialism during this period.
💡maxim gun
The Maxim gun was an early type of machine gun invented in the late 19th century, which allowed a few European soldiers to mow down large numbers of African warriors. The technological superiority of weapons like the Maxim guns is noted as a key factor enabling the Europeans to conquer Africa.
💡indirect rule
Indirect rule refers to a policy or system of governance used by European colonial powers where they ruled colonies and protectorates partly through local rulers, structures, or institutions. Rather than removing native rulers, the Europeans exerted control over them. This method is highlighted as cheaper, easier and involving less risk of disease for the small number of Europeans.
💡Suez Canal
The Suez Canal in Egypt, built in the 1860s, was a key shipping passage linking the Red Sea and Mediterranean. Control over the Canal was important for trade and naval power, and is noted in the video as a motivation for the British to essentially take control over Egypt's finances in the 19th century.
💡business imperialism
Business imperialism refers to the use of economic and financial leverage by corporations and businesses to wield control and extract value from developing countries much like an empire. This is noted in the video as being at the heart of 19th century imperialism, as western corporations grew and sought to control investment and resources abroad like Africa.
💡nationalizing project
This refers to the 19th century push within the U.S. to extend control and governance over Native American lands westward as part of consolidating and building an American national identity. This internal imperialism within the U.S. is compared to the external European imperial expansion abroad.
Highlights

Europeans wanted colonies to secure sources of raw materials, especially cotton, copper, iron, and rubber

Steam ships made it possible for Europeans to travel inland, bringing supplies and personnel via Africa's navigable rivers

Most important technology that enabled Europeans to dominate Africa was guns. By the 19th century, European gun technology had improved dramatically

European imperialism involved a lot of fighting and a lot of dying

Africans did not meekly acquiesce to European hegemony: they resisted, often violently, but ultimately they were defeated

By the end of the 19th century, most of Africa and much of Asia had been colonized by European powers

In most cases, Europeans ruled their colonies with the help of, and sometimes completely through, intermediaries and collaborators

Many native rulers were able to gain advantages through their service to Europeans, like access to European education

Alternative to collaborating was to resist European rule, and that usually didn't work out well

Business imperialism really at the heart of the imperialistic impulse. Industrialized nations push economic integration and then extract value

As western corporations grew in latter 19th century, their influence grew as well, both in their home countries and in colonized lands

Complicated legacy of imperialism survives. It's why bananas are cheap, chocolate from Africa, everything else from China

These imperialistic adventures may have only lasted a century, but it was the century in which the world as we know it today began to take shape

Technology was key factor enabling European imperialism and colonization of Africa and Asia

Europeans largely ruled colonies indirectly through existing power structures rather than direct administration

Transcripts

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