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The Death of a Dream

The Death of a Dream. Imperialism and Western Culture 1870 – 1914 I've seen the devil of violence, and the devil of greed, and the devil of hot desire. - Joseph Conrad, “The Heart of Darkness” 1902. Death of what dream?. Renaissance Enlightenment worldview William James.

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The Death of a Dream

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  1. The Death of a Dream Imperialism and Western Culture 1870 – 1914 I've seen the devil of violence, and the devil of greed, and the devil of hot desire.- Joseph Conrad, “The Heart of Darkness” 1902

  2. Death of what dream? • Renaissance • Enlightenment worldview William James

  3. Seeds of the New Consciousness Is “progress” rational, liberal, moral? Is humanity fundamentally rational or irrational? Is Imperialism proof of Western superiority or underlying barbarism?

  4. I. The New Imperialism • Older Empires slipping • Russia, America continental expansion • Africa, SW Pacific, SE Asia Conrad = “The Heart of Darkness” Nietzsche = Nihilism / order out of chaos Freud = unconscious desire

  5. A. Technology of Empire 1. Transportation 2. Communication

  6. 3. Military technology“Whatever happens we have got/ the Maxim gun and they have not” 4. Chemicals- gin and conquest

  7. II. Motives for Empire

  8. A. Glory • Benjamin Disraeli - Crystal Palace Speech, 1872 - national/personal prestige “jingoism” = use colonial adventure to smooth over domestic political divisions

  9. 2. Popular Empire - newspapers, businessmen, politicians profit

  10. 3. Heightened militarism / nationalism- New Navalism -Alfred Thayer Mahan The Influence of Sea Power on History (1890) dreadnoughts

  11. B. Gold 1. Remedy for boom-bust cycle- monopoly, oligopoly, cartel- expansion of consumerism - “captive” markets 2. Economics of addiction- rubber, petroleum, tea, coffee, cotton, fruit, labor- Ecological consequences

  12. C. God / cultural hegemony 1. Provided moral justification for colonial expansion - Albert Schweitzer = cure for cultural decay - Rudyard Kipling, The White Man’s Burden Enlightenment turned on its head

  13. 2. expression of cultural hegemony - Social Darwinismrepudiation of Enlightenment- racial radicalism

  14. British Empire, ca. 1914

  15. French Empire, ca. 1914

  16. III. The nature of imperial control

  17. Legacy of Imperialism Berlin Conference, 1884 “effective occupation”

  18. “Hammering” 1. Crush resistance quickly - Islamic resistance, the MahdiOmdurman, 1898

  19. 2. Resistance Emperor Menelik, Ethiopia Samory Toure, West AfricaZulu War, 1878 – 1879 Exposed domestic division King Cetswayo

  20. 3. Exposed domestic division- Helen Hunt Jackson A Century of Dishonor 1881- Mohandas K. Gandhi Civil Disobedience/Passive Resistance- Vladimir Lenin “Imperialism is the highest form of capitalism”

  21. C. Boer War 1899 - 1901 1. Afrikaners 2. guerilla tactics and modern warfare - trenches, blockhouses, concentration camps

  22. Methods of conquest in Africa exposed inconsistency in Western values… - racial radicalism- brutal suppression of resistance - national competition Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness (1902)

  23. D. Europeans in Asia 1. British Raj - East India Company - 1861, Indian Viceroy - 1877, India and Empire Rule through minorities, princes, caste system

  24. China and the Opium War1839-1842 - Treaty Ports & Concessions

  25. 3. French in Southeast Asia Cambodia, Indochina “Metropol”

  26. Corruption of Western culture • competition / nationalism • racism, anti-semitism, Social Darwinism • extremist, anti-liberal political ideologies - anarchism, bolshevism, fascism, militarism • Relativism - Is there Truth, constancy in nature or society?

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