Nationalism, Imperialism, and World War I

1. Nationalism, Imperialism, and World War I European Imperialism

2. European Imperialism • Imperialism refers to the political and economic control of one area or country by another. • European countries had invested great efforts building colonial empires in the Americas from the 16th-18th Centuries. • American and Latin American independence represented a great setback for European imperialism.

3. European Imperialism • Even with the loss of colonies and mother countries wondering about their value, imperialism never totally died out. • It continued in India, South Africa, the East Indies, and several other places.

4. The British “Raj” (Reign) in India • British rule, established in the 18th century, brought many changes. • The custom of suicide of widows was stopped. • The first railway was built in 1853. • Muslims and Hindus lived peacefully together. • European missionaries spread Christianity.

5. The British Raj in India • British schools and colleges opened. • English became the language of the government. • Despite the changes, many Indians were upset by the challenge to their traditional ways.

6. The Sepoy Mutiny (1857) • The British were able to control India because the Indians were divided among themselves. • The British had better weapons and used trained Indian soldiers known as sepoys. • In 1857, a large number of sepoys rebelled and quickly spread. • The British government crushed the rebellion using loyal Indian soldiers.

7. The Sepoy Mutiny • After the mutiny, the British government took over formal control of India and abolished the East India Company. • India officially became an British possession. • Queen Victoria of England became the Empress of India.

9. The Impact of British Rule • Government. • The British provided a single system of law and government, unifying India. • They provided jobs, increased educational opportunities, and introduced English as a unifying language. • Economic • The British built roads, bridges, and railroads and set up telegraph wires. • India’s cottage industries were hurt by competition with British manufactured goods.

10. The Impact of British Rule • Health • The British built hospitals, introduced new medicines, and provided famine relief. • At the same time, health care improvements led to a population explosion without a similar increase in economic opportunities. • Social • Indians were looked down upon by the British and their culture was treated as inferior to European culture. • Indian workers provided the British with inexpensive labor.

11. Other British Colonies • Cape Colony, on the tip of South Africa from Holland, as well as several islands in the West Indies. • They also continued to hold on to Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore.

12. British Empire

13. Other European Colonies • France regained some of its colonies in the West Indies, as well as some trading posts on the coast of West Africa and India. • France also conquered Algeria in North Africa and intervened in Indochina. • The Dutch ruled over the Dutch East Indies. • Spain held onto its few remaining colonies in the Philippines, Cuba, and Puerto Rico.

15. Notebook Assignment • Make two separate charts listing the advantages and disadvantages of British rule in India. Consider both the Indian perspective and British perspective.