The Far Reaching Effects of Imperialism

Throughout history, many powerful nations interfered with nations that were weaker than they were. This form of sabotaging a nation is economic, political or cultural life is called as imperialism. Imperialism is often separated into two sects. The first one is old imperialism, which was the period from the 1500s to the 1800s, where European nation started to colonize many areas such as the Americas, and parts of Southeast Asia. On the other hand, the new imperialism was the period between the years “1870-1914”, where Europe became more focused on expanding their land into Asia and Africa. Imperialism had many pros and cons. In addition, it also had many causes led by the feeling of nationalism.

Many people have their ideas and opinions on the topic of imperialism of the different continents like Asia, Africa, and the Americas. Imperialism had different effects that came from the and different reasons for which it was done. There have been poems, essays, and short stories about the good and bad of imperialism. Those who read some of these works interpret them in different ways that can change the message the author originally had planned. Imperialism shed light upon that not everything is how it seems.

That Colonialism and imperialism played a significant role in shaping the modern world and particularly Asia is a prudent judgment. Colonialism is "a policy in which a country rules other nations and develops trade for its own benefit" and "the extension of power or authority over others in the interests of domination" (2004). 'The West', which refers to the societies of Europe and their genealogical, colonial, and philosophical descendants. Spain, France, Britain, Canada, and the United States of America are some examples of Western societies. These countries have spread their influence and hegemony over other nations for centuries; shaping today's North America,

In the 1890s some Americans were eager to expand. Post-Civil War the U.S. was going through a time where they thought that they were lagging behind other nations in terms of expansionism. America felt that they were lacking what they needed in order to become a powerhouse. Many Americans, like Theodore Roosevelt or Alfred Thayer Mahan, were imperialists who wanted to acquire land/territories for the U.S. The United States sought to find their identity as a nation in the world. American Identity to imperialists can be defined as patriotism, military power, and dominance/hegemony.  This was controversial because some Americans were anti-imperialists who did not believe in expansionism, but in defending the Constitution. This brought about both supporters and opponents of imperialism during the Spanish-American War.

Imperialism was a negative event that happened to the Democratic Republic of Congo. The country was first impressed by the Belgian king, King Leopold II. He ruled the land not as a colony but as his own. He treated the Congolese as slaves to gather him resources to help make him more wealthy. Imperialism was the worst thing that happened to the Democratic Republic of Congo, King Leopold II enslaved the people, and stripped the land of resources, punished them which ultimately lead to the Belgian government stripping him of Power

Gaining complete dominance within a society can be viewed as a lion taking control over its land. These lions can be regarded as a powerful empire, as they live among other preys fighting for supremacy. In History it has been said that “A nation that did not expand would not survive” (American Passages, 529). Imperialism is a prime example of a group of prey fighting for sovereignty, within this land we come across the lions, otherwise known as the nations who control the prey and victimize them to gain complete dominance. Nations such as Japan, United Kingdome, United States, Germany and France were all living amongst themselves in this word fighting for the ultimate position in the game of imperialism. These leading nations took it upon themselves to find undeveloped nations and control certain aspects; they managed to do this because of their strong military base, as well as a stable economy. Although imperialism has been viewed in a negative way, many have seen positives aspects emerging from colonization. These include building roadways, canals and even railways for the underdeveloped nations; other examples include giving them an education system, and stabilizing their economy. That being said, the negative elements outgain the positive, these mother nations took advantage of their daughter nations, causing them to work for cheap labor and neglecting their natural born rights. These prevailing nations took it upon themselves to create a world

Some effects of American Imperialism were in the Western Hemisphere and the pacific with Spanish war and the creation of a colonial empire. Also there were some positive effects over America imperialism like the further protection of human rights ands social institutions.

In analyzing the causes and effects of United States Imperialism from 1870 to 1916, one finds that there are three main factors. These major factors of United States Imperialism in this time period are: Hawaii, the Spanish-American war, and Theodore Roosevelt. In this time period Hawaiian islanders were very happy to live traditionally, but Americans were not content with the traditional ways of the Hawaiians (Buschini, n.pag.). Even though America seemed to be on the road to imperialism with Hawaii, the Spanish- American war actually set the United States on the new road of Imperialism (The Spanish American War n.pag.). Theodore Roosevelt played an important role in the United States road to imperialism in the 1870 's while serving as

Imperialism is described in The American history as a “The quest for colonial empires”. This was something new for the newly developed country, The request for more natural resources was at its peak, with countries like Britain, Germany who have practised imperialism and has succeeded in expanding its power and influence the United State was more than eager to get into this river that seems to cough out silver and gold. At first, most Americans viewed this as a positive Expansion because it will help spread the American way of life such as democracy. However, this idea was not fully explored by the Americans, they headed into a battlefield with weapons and crafty strategy, but without knowledge of what the war is about and a possible side effect on not just the U.S. Do Americans in today's worldwide imperialism as a positive idea or negative?. Imperialism is viewed by many an immoral act even if its initial reason was thoughtful, suppression of the American way of life and the after effect is a stain on the nation that way never be wiped out.

Imperialism has been one of the most powerful forces in human history, serving to set the foundation of our modern world. While this has led to the formation of a global society where cultures, ideas, and innovations are spread across countries, imperialism has also left a history of exploitation, racism, and violence that is still affecting the world today. Imperial relationships are always imbalanced when it comes to power and influence; that is, one group (known as the metropole) maintains authority and control over another group (known as the periphery) with economic, political, and cultural dominance (Spiegel 2012). There are many reasons why one group chooses to dominate the other, such as expanding territory, extracting raw resources to fuel economic development, or to spread their beliefs (i.e. religion) (Spiegel 2012). In spite of these varied reasons, one of the main motivators for imperialism began with competition between empires.

Imperialism was an extremely big deal throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. There were many occurrences where people who were involved in imperialism would succeed, but there were also failures. Throughout this time period, powers from Europe, the United States and Japan all contributed to both the positive and negative impacts of imperialism. These impacts affected parts of Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Some of the few people that made huge changes during the “Age of Imperialism” are Dadabha Naoroji, J.A. Hobson, Mary Kingsley, Edgar Canisius, Albert Beveridge, and Rudyard Kipling.

From: Romesh Dutt, The Economic History of India Under Early British Rule Englishmen…have given the people of India the greatest human blessing – peace. They have introduced Western education. This has brought an ancient and civilized nation in touch with modern thought, modern sciences and modern life. They have built an administration that is strong and efficient. They have framed wise laws and have established courts of justice.

     Throughout American History the U.S. has sought to expand its boundaries. This need increased greatly during the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century with the start of the industrial revolution. This Expansion was a big departure from earlier attempts to expand the boundaries of the U.S. The needed for Natural resources forced the U.S to look for places that could supply them with the natural resources they needed and markets where they could sell their goods in. The need to imperialize caused the U.S. to look to foreign places to gain resources to better the nations industries.

Many nations wanted to expand their territory and gain control of natural resources that are nonnative. As a result, Imperialism began in the late nineteenth century due to economic, political, and social forces including the Industrial Revolution, trade, and military conditions. Imperialism is the domination over an undeveloped, less industrialized country by a stronger, more industrialized nation. Although Imperialism has shaped the culture and customs all over the world, it had both negative and positive impacts throughout imperialized nations. The Perspectives on imperialism varied widely between those who imposed it and those who were affected by it.

World War I occurred as a result of a number of political, social, and economic changes that were taking place at a rapid pace in the region. A prominent transformation was the onset of industrial revolution that accompanied these changes. Many countries were investing significantly in industrialization while undergoing transformation that was changing the face of society. To enhance patriotism and to achieve objectives that were otherwise impossible, political forces were utilizing notions like nationalism. In this scenario, the colonies of European nations became the cause of significant rivalry and disputes, settled only after the blood of millions was shed. The war had far-reaching consequences for all nations that were involved in the conflict such that the entire boundaries of many countries were remarked. This paper will discuss the impact of nationalism, industrialization, and colonialism on WWI and its occurrence.