European Imperialism in the Middle East and Africa

1. European Imperialism in the Middle East and Africa

2. The Congresses of Vienna and Berlin prevented a major European war until 1914. • . . . but did not prevent wars of imperial conquest. • Russia determined to take over land from Ottoman Empire. • France focused on Algeria, encouraging local rulers to replace Ottoman appointed corsairs and Janissaries. • British supported the Ottomans with weapons to oppose French. • France completed conquest after 1870, encouraged Europeans to settle. • Cholera in 1860s helped to reduce local populations. • French encouraged corporate investments and commercial agriculture.

3. Britain keeps Ottoman Empire intact to prevent Russian and French expansion. • Britain creates a buffer zone in Afghanistan to keep Russia away from India. • France and Britain defeat Russia in Crimean War for reasons other than protection of Christians in the Ottoman Empire. • German Unification in 1870–71 upset balance of power in Western Europe. • Russia used new imbalance to move on Ottomans in the Balkans. • Checked by Britain before they could over take Ottomans.

5. To prevent Russian expansion in the Mediterranean, Britain took Cyprus. • Led Britain to become involved in Egypt, wealthiest part of Ottoman Empire. • Egypt ruled by Muhammad Ali, who reorganized Nile agriculture to produce cotton on large estates. • Reorganized the army, using conscripted Egyptians. • Tried to take over Istanbul, but stopped by British.

6. Muhammad Ali Pasha al-Mas'ud ibn Agha 1769 – 1849

7. Muhammad Ali’s successors borrowed heavily from Europe. • French began building Suez Canal in 1869. • Britain took over Egyptian shares in 1857. • Britain and France took portion of Egyptian taxes to pay debt. • Britain occupied Egypt in 1882 to put down revolt over debt payments. • British led troops into Sudan 1883–1885, another major cotton export. • Religious uprising in Khartoum, led by Muhammad Ahmad. • A Sufi, he claimed to be the “Mahdi.” • Defeated at Battle of Omdurman in 1898.

8. Neither Britain nor Ottomans wanted direct responsibility of Egypt. • Britain runs Egypt as an undeclared colony. • France gained control of Tunisia, by loaning money to independent beys • When the beys could not pay them back, the French took over in 1881.

10. Berlin Conference, 1884–1885 • Western nations set rules for colonizing Africa. • Bismarck of Germany led the conference. • Western powers had to create spheres of influence and occupy African colonies, not just claim the land. • Enlightenment had raised interest in African geography and ethnology. • Explorers such as Livingstone and Stanley added knowledge of sub-Saharan Africa.

11. David Livingstone, 1813 – 1873

12. Christian missionaries developed idea that the West was “civilizing” Africa. • Native converts trained first, followed by European missionaries after discovery of quinine in 1800s. • European missionaries believed they were superior to African Christians. • “White Man’s Burden”

13. British control of Ghana expanded from trade forts on the coast to outright colonization in 1894. • Ashante specialized in exporting palm oil after 1807 prohibition of slave trade.

14. Prior to the “Scramble for Africa,” African jihadists successfully held off French along Senegal River. • Jihadists promoted a reformed Islam, and converted African animists. • Made Islam the dominant religion in West Africa.

16. European powers committed various atrocities in the process of colonization of Africa. • Germany took over Tanganyika, led to MajiMaji rebellion. • Germany determined to exterminate the Herero and Nama of Southwest Africa. • King Leopold II of Belgium committed genocide in Congo. • Only Ethiopia fought off colonization by defeating the Italians at Adowa in 1896.

18. III. Western Imperialism and Colonialism in Southeast Asia. • A. Indonesia comprised of 17,000 islands, half uninhabited. • 1. Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Sulawesi, and New Guinea are the largest and most • populated. • 2. Settled by Austronesians, and by 700 Buddhist kingdoms had been built. • a. Sumatran kingdom dominated commercial trade in spices. • b. Indonesians converted to Islam by 1300, created sultanate of Aceh. • B. In 1511 Portuguese built a trade fort at Malacca, avoided Aceh and moved to spice • islands of Maluku in 1522. • C. Dutch East India Company, chartered in 1602, used Java as its trade center. • 573 • 1. Took over Java by dominating local Islamic protectorates. • 2. Economic collapse of Dutch company led to government of Netherlands taking over • the colonial holdings in 1799. • 3. After Belgium broke from Netherlands in 1830, Dutch turned to Cultivation system • in Indonesia. • a. Forced natives to grow commercial crops or work Dutch plantations. • b. Rice paddies converted, leading to famine. • c. Commercial success led to further colonization in Indonesia. • D. Spain used Manila as a port for Chinese trade and silver exports from America. • 1. Philippines are a collection of 7,000 islands settled by Austronesians. • 2. Farmers paid rents in rice and animals to support Manila. • a. Early eighteenth century Spain began to further colonize Philippines. • 3. Philippines difficult to control due to native resistance and English interference. • a. Spain shifts from silver to commodities, led to class division between wealthy • minority and mass of landless rural and urban workers. • 4. Colony was an economic drain for Spain: no revenue and costly administration. • 5. Leaders of Katipunan resistance group exiled to Hong Kong, brought back by • Americans during Spanish-American War 1898. • 6. U.S. took Manila in 1899, with other Spanish territory in Cuba, Puerto Rico, and • Guam. • a. Emilio Anguinaldo, leader of Katipunan, led resistance against Spain. • E. France took over southern Vietnam, Cochinchina, in 1858–1862 as a protectorate. • 1. Claimed French missionaries and Vietnamese converts were tortured. • 2. 1884–1885 France took over rest of Vietnam, and built plantations for coffee, tea, • and rubber, as well as rice. • 3. Vietnamese nationalist resistance led by PhanBoiChau, organized Vietnamese in • Japan until expelled in 1909.