Imperialism As A Cause of World War I: Key Facts

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Imperialism as a Cause of World War I

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Key Facts
Imperialism as an ideology of a country extending its rule over another area
outside of its territory for its own benefit has existed for centuries. Examples
include ancient China, Greece and Rome. It reached unmatched heights with
European powers in the 19th century.
European imperialism played a significant role in sparking WWI.
Territories claimed by imperialists nations was often by force and subjugation,
although there are examples of peaceful colonisation. These colonies were
governed either directly by the imperial power, by a puppet government, or a local
government of strategic individuals linked to the colonisers.
Prior to WWI, the naval superpower of Britain had amassed the largest empire in
the world, spanning one quarter of the world. It also had rivals, including Germany,
Italy, and France, which led to a number of diplomatic crises, especially during the
Scramble for Africa.

Imperialism defined
Imperialism can be simply defined as the act of extending the power of a nation through
acquisition. This can be through direct territorial claims, or by gaining political and
economic control of a region for the benefit of the motherland. Profits can be achieved
through the supply of valuable raw materials and foodstuffs, precious minerals, and
cheap labour. Because of the element of power and control, imperialism is associated
with conquest, war, subjugation, and exploitation. This is exemplified in history through
Britain’s dominance in South Africa through military action to subdue the Zulu nation in
the Anglo-Zulu war (1879), and the Afrikaner Boers (Dutch farmers) in the Anglo-Boer
wars (1880-1881 and 1899-1902) when they resisted Britain’s imperialist ambitions.

During the 19th and 20th centuries, European powers held significant territories across
the globe. The largest empire was Britain, which had control over Canada in the
Americas, colonies in Africa spanning South Africa to Egypt, India and modern-day Sri
Lanka and Burma on the Asian continent, the islands of Hong Kong, parts of the
Caribbean and Pacific Islands, as well as the Oceanic nations of Australia, Tasmania and
New Zealand, to name just some.

Other imperial nations of the 19th century included Russia, which held territories in
Eastern Europe, France, which held territories primarily in South East Asia, the newly
unified Germany, which maintained control over countries in primarily in Africa, Austria-
Hungary which ruled over significant regions in Europe itself, and to a lesser extent
Spain, the Ottoman Empire, Portugal, Belgium, Holland and Italy.

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Imperialism as a cause of WWI
Along with a heightened sense of nationalism that occurred with the above mentioned
nation states, imperialism and its associated rivalries is considered to be a primary
contributing factor to the outbreak of WWI. Nationalism can be defined as attitudes and
beliefs held by an individual identifying with and supporting their own nation. The
attitude of superiority is proliferated through propaganda and it is often to the detriment
of other nations.

Britain had been building its empire since the 17th century. Come the 19th century,
industrial Britain sought to maintain and expand its colonies in order to increase the
importation of raw materials such as timber, rubber and cotton, and expand
manufacturing and exportation of finished products. The increase in trade and
enforcement of imperial power was facilitated by Britain’s navy, which was considered
the finest in the world. Other nations emerged as imperialistic newcomers in the mid-
19th century and leading up to WWI.

In the aftermath of the Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815) and the Congress of Vienna 1814-
1815), empire building and international relations between the major powers (the
Austrian Empire, France, Prussia, Russia and Britain) were increasingly put to the test.
Imperialist competition for power, influence and prestige grew and is most famously
exemplified in the Scramble for Africa of the 1880s and 1890s.

In 1870, only 10 per cent of Africa fell under European control. By 1914, however, as
much as 90 per cent was formally under the control of various European powers.
Motivations for claiming territories in Africa included resources, establishing
infrastructure such as ports for improved trade and strategic military control, prestige,
Christian missionary zeal, attitudes of superiority and civilisation, and exploitation of
internal African politics. Such territorial claims were also facilitated by the Berlin
Conference of 1884-1885.

Tensions between Major Powers over Imperialism


As Italy and Germany were newly unified nations in the early 19th century, they quickly
developed imperialist ambitions to meet the demand for land and resource, and
economic limitations at home. In the late 19th century, German organisations such as
the Colonial League proliferated ideas of imperial expansion, which the Kaiser also
supported. Germany’s focus lay on Africa and it quickly acquired Togoland, Cameroon
and modern-day Namibia.

Territorial acquisitions strained international relations particularly between rivals


Germany and Britain: When Germany claimed the territory of Tanganyika, it caused
tension as it interfered with Britain’s ambitions to build a railway line the length of Africa
(from Cape to Cairo). Other diplomatic incidents that were sparked included Morocco,
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which was not a French colony but fell under its sphere of influence. France was unable
to secure the territory as a protectorate as Germany’s Kaiser had stoked ideas of
Moroccan independence when he visited Tangiers in 1905. A diplomatic crisis ensued,
which was exacerbated in 1911 when a Moroccan rebellion broke out. While the French
were attempting to subdue the uprising, the Germans landed an uninvited armed vessel
(the Panther) at the Moroccan port of Agadir. This action brought France and Germany to
the brink of war, but also strengthened the alliance between Britain and France, who
were becoming increasingly critical of Germany’s foreign policy of Weltpolitik (Germany’s
break from the Bismarck era and its ambition to be transformed into a world power).

Adding further to the tensions between the Major Powers and political instability in
Eastern Europe was the steady decline of the Ottoman Empire. Described as the ‘sick
man of Europe’ from the 1800s, the Ottoman Empire was embattled by the Crimean
Wars (1853-1856), the First Balkans War (1912-1913), the Russo-Turkish War (1877-1878),
and rising attitudes of nationalism and revolution. The Ottoman Empire’s loss of
territories resulted in heightened competition between Austria-Hungary, which intended
to expand into the Balkans; Russia, that sought to expand to gain access to the Black Sea;
and Germany, what had designs to complete a Berlin-to-Baghdad railway. This all came
on top of Britain and France having colonial and trade interests in the region too.

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