Intro:

Ø      Imperialism can be defined as the rule of political or economical control, directly or indirectly, by one state over another.

1.      New Imperialism

2.      Capitalism (Industrialization and Technology)

3.      Political bodies and governments

4.      International and economic competition

5.      Emigration

Body:

REASON 1 – NEW IMPERIALISM

Ø      New imperialism of late 19^th century was very sudden and unexpected as prior to 1870 the powers seemed to be losing interest in their empires. E.g. Spanish and Portuguese empires forfeited due to Napoleonic wars.

REASON 2 – CAPITALISM (INDUSTRIALIZATION & TECHNOLOGY)

Ø      Hobson and Lenin argued that imperialism grew out of a particular stage of capitalism.

Ø      This theory is called the accumulation theory and is also followed by Kautsky.

Ø      What caused imperialism was a surplus of capital. Countries had a surplus of capital that they could not use in their own economies, as they were already utilizing those to their full potential. So instead, they decided to look abroad. E.g. Great Britain 1870-80 invested in Gold mines in South Africa.

Ø      At the beginning of the 19^th century Great Britain was the biggest industrial power – there was no competition. By the end of the century, Great Britain is facing competition from the booming German empire. Free trade finishes, protectionism starts. Divide and control territories. Burst of protectionist tariffs being raised around empires.

Ø      The World-Systems theory, followed by Wallerstein, sees imperialism as part of a general, gradual extension of capital investment from the ‘core’ of industrial countries to a less developed ‘periphery’.

Ø      Imperialist movement was influenced by gigantic technological lead – imperial powers expanded because they could. E.g. development of railways enabled travel, trade, medicine etc.

Ø      Ferry states how France’s abundance of capital led to them finding outlets for those exports, e.g. exporting cotton to their colonies in Africa.

Ø      As countries were increasingly exporting to more and more countries, they would need places nearby that would enable them to establish safe harbours and defence positions – colonies.

Ø      Believed that policy of colonial expansion was being engaged in by all European powers, therefore felt France had to keep up otherwise they would be abdicated. If all powers felt this then expansion would continue to increase as each power tried to ‘keep up with the others’.

REASON 3 – POLITICAL BODIES AND GOVERNMENTS

Ø      Robinson and Gallagher’s explanation focused attention on political bodies and governments rather than economic developments.

Ø      They also looked at the impact of Asia and Africa rather than just England.

Ø      They believed new imperialism was in fact a long drawn out process.

REASON 4 – INTERNATIONAL AND ECONOMIC COMPETITION

Ø      In the late 19^th century, European states were in competition to seize markets and exploit natural wealth. E.g. Belgium extracted huge wealth out of the Belgian Congo – diamonds, gold etc.  

Ø      However, were they really attempting to close off markets? No market in the Sahara, it would take decades before people of Africa would become a serious market. It would take social revolution and great change before the European powers could sell what they wanted to sell.

REASON 5 – EMIGRATION

Ø      One reason for expanding is so that a country can secure territories into which the surplus population might migrate. E.g. in 1903, 3500 Germans were living abroad in German colonies.

Conclusion:

Imperialism expanded so rapidly in the late 19^th century as competition between countries increased. There are number of factors stated above that contributed to the rapid increase of imperialism.