IMPERIALISM

A Cause of World War 1

Alicia Gim
Moses Mbugua
Isaiah Bush
Isaiah Tabalbag
Austin Montgomery
Chelsey Johnson
Pamely Nunez
Pramisha Chandra

Definition: A policy of extending a

country's power and influence through
diplomacy or military force.

Types of Imperialism
Colony-

a country or region
controlled internally by a foreign
power
Protectorate - a country with its
own government, but still under
foreign rule
Sphere of influence - area where
foreign powers claim right to trading
privileges
Economic imperialismindependent but poorly developed
nation under the control of foreign
corporations

The Main Players:

- British holdings: Canada, India, Ceylon (Sri Lanka), Burma, Australia, New Zealand,
Hong Kong, several Pacific and Caribbean Islands, South Africa, Rhodesia, Egypt and other parts of
Africa. (South African colonies coming with more bloodshed)
Great Britain

-French holdings: Indochina (Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia), some Pacific islands and several
colonies in west and north-west Africa.
France

Russia:

Modern-day Poland, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, the Ukraine, Georgia and several
regions in central Asia, such as Kazakhstan.Russia desired to gain control of the Dardanelles as an outlet
to the Mediterranean Sea for its navy. Russia attempted multiple times to conquer lands for strategic gain
but also to restore prestige lost in losing the Russo-Japanese War
Germany:

Modern-day Tanzania(conquered in 1885), Namibia and the Cameroon in Africa, German

New Guinea(1885), some Pacific islands and an important concession in Shandong (China).
The United States:A relative

newcomer to imperialism but by 1914 had gained control of the

Philippines, Guam, American Samoa, Puerto Rico and several islands in the Pacific.

The Players of Lesser Importance

Austria-Hungary:

No colonies outside Europe but was an empire nonetheless, ruling over several
different regions, ethnic and language groups. Among its regions were Bohemia, Moravia, Silesia,
Galicia, Transylvania, the Tyrol and, after 1908, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
was once the largest empire in the world, taking in eastern Europe, the Middle
East and much of northern Africa. Ottoman territory had shrunk significantly but by 1914 the sultanate
retained the heart of its old empire: modern-day Turkey, Egypt, Syria, Palestine, Armenia and Macedonia
The Ottoman Empire

The Main Properties

The First Boer War

Cape to Cairo Railway

(1880s)

(1890s)

Baghdad - Berlin
Railway

Boers were people in South Africa of

Dutch descent. The Transvaal Boers turned
to armed rebellion against the British made
the decision of annexing South Africa.With
the London Convention on February 27,
1880, the British turned over full internal
independence to the Transvaal. The British
maintained control over the state's foreign
affairs and internal legislation of the Black
societies.

A British pursuit, Cecil Rhodes idea, of

building a railway from Cape Town, South
Africa, to Cairo, Egypt, 2400 miles.
Began at the end of 19th century, but was
never completed. It had the goal of being a
continuous railway that would give Britain
quick access to colonies in Africa, for
mobilization for military conflicts or
economic trade. Modern-day Tanzania was
under German rule, providing an obstacle
for Britain construction.

German pursuit of building a railway

from Berlin to Baghdad (then part of
Ottoman Empire). Started in 1903, but by
the time of WW1 had over 600 miles left
to build. It had the goal of giving German
easy access to the Persian Gulf, where the
Germans wanted to build a port.Triple
Entente began to see how this would give
Germany direct access to southern
colonies worrying. Britain believed the
railway ran to close to Britain oil fields,
and Ottoman government (by then ruled
by the Young Turks) would be able to
block off oil

First Moroccan Crisis

Bosnian Crisis

Second Moroccan Crisis

(1905-1906)

(1908-1909)

(1911)

Countries involved were Germany,

Austria-Hungary, Great Britain, France,
Russia, and Spain. France tries to make
Morocco a French protectorate, but
Germany intervenes and says France has
not right on account of the Madrid
Convention of 1880. Germany threatens
with war to protect Morocco from France,
who is supported by Great Britain and
Russia. At Algeciras Conference of 1906,
only Austria-Hungary and Morocco
support Germany, and Morocco is agreed
to still be open. However, France gains
control over National Bank, giving it more
economic control. Germany feels
humiliated, France gains more.

Involved Austria-Hungary, Serbia, Russia,

Germany, France, Italy, and Great Britain.
The Ottoman empire has lost control over
the Balkans, so Austria annexes BosniaHerzegovina, but the Serbians want to
with Bosnia. Serbians asks for a strip of
land connecting them to the the Adriatic
Sea. Russia asked for Strait between the
Aegean Sea and Black Sea and never got it.
Russia and Serbia lose the war, Russia
makes its military Stronger. The Triple
Entente between France, Russia, and Great
Britain strengthens.
Germany supports Austria, forcing
Serbians and Russians to surrender.

France sent in troops to Morocco in

order to help the Sultan's government,
however, Germany saw this as a threat
to Moroccan independence and sent in a
naval boat; the Panther to Agadir.
Germany then demanded compensation
from France in the form of the entire
French Congo because they wanted to
create their own empire. However, Britain
supported France and Germany backed
down. Germany was humiliated and only
received a small strip of land in the
Congo.

Response Questions:
1. How did the shrinking of the Ottoman Empire affect Imperialism?
2. Why is there weight in the creation of the railways? What is their significance?
3. Compare the causes and effects of the First and Second Moroccan Crisis.

Further Reading:
Kagan Reading #1
Kagan Reading #2 (Moroccan Crises, Bosnian Crisis)
Kagan Reading #3

http://oilpro.com/post/4759/following-the-tracks-to-war-britaingermany--the-berlin-baghdad-railway (Berlin-Baghdad Railway)

http://www.sahistory.org.za/node/16629 (First Boer War)