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Imperial Expansion In France

Decent Essays

With new advances in science, technology, transportation and communication from the industrial revolution, Western nations were determined to expand their empire overseas. There are varying motives that could inspire these western nations to dominate another land politically, economically or culturally. The common motivation of them all was to get an economic advantage in foreign lands. Under the pressure to support their new industrialized cities, manufacturers had desires for raw, natural resources and needed a global market to sell to more consumers. By using the need for more economic power, European nations justify their exploitation of resources, modernization of foreign regions to help their own crown, and the conquest to opening up …show more content…

During the time of an economic depression,expansion seemed necessary. The Franco-Prussian war left France with a great indemnity to pay to Germany and France was in need of economic power in this state. By getting resource abundance and trading ports elsewhere, this could revive their economy. Jules Ferry, Prime minister of France, states “...justify the policy of colonial expansion...as seen from the perspective of a need, felt more and more urgently by the industrialized population of France.” France was motivated to improve their economic well being by expanding into Indochina, where workers were not set to work towards French profit on high production plantations for low wages as opposed to their own. Jules Ferry justifies their mass land domination for ports and heavy taxation upon the people by stating “...The need to have places of supply, shelters, ports for defense and provisioning… And that is why we needed Saigon and Indochina.” French needed these lands to save their failing …show more content…

For example, The British Raj and its influence in India could appear as a humanitarian motive to help modernize a foreign nation. The British Raj acted as a catalyst in Indian development of agriculture, communication and transportation. Joseph Camberlain, British Secretary of State, even goes so far to state, ”...In almost every Instance in which the rule of the queen has been established and the great Pax Britannica has been enforced, there has come with a greater security to life and property and a material improvement in the condition of the bulk of the population” Although Joseph is correct that the new advancements in India did improve life, with easier communication and transportation, the new advancements in agriculture did not. All three helped benefit the both the British crown, through easier shipping of products with the new steam engine and easy communication to far lands with the telegraph, and India, by conquering distance with fast travel and communication. However agriculture advancements are what disrupts the economic-humanitarian balance. British farming replaced food crops with cash crops like cotton and jute. They were traded for fast money and cause widespread famine within India only in return for money. We can also see this exploitation in the 2nd photo. We see a well dressed man milking India of its money and not replacing anything in return for it. This also shows us the unrealistic

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