Modern Global History Overview: Eras, Figures, & Impact
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24 cards
Question: What was the time frame and main actors involved in the aggressive partitioning of the non-Western world described as New Imperialism?
Answer: Between 1870 and 1914, primarily Great Britain, France, Germany, Belgium, and later the United States and Japan.
Question: What was the Scramble for Africa and what major event formalized it?
Answer: The Scramble for Africa was the rapid division of Africa among European powers; it was formalized at the 1884–1885 Berlin Conference, which drew borde
Question: How much of Africa was controlled by European empires within a few decades of the Berlin Conference?
Answer: Africa went from being about 10% colonized to roughly 90% controlled by European empires.
Question: How did European powers expand their control in Asia during New Imperialism?
Answer: They solidified control over vital territories—Great Britain established direct crown rule over India, and Western powers created coercive 'Spheres of
Question: How did New Imperialism differ from earlier colonial eras in methods of control and economic practice?
Answer: New Imperialism favored direct political rule and brutal economic extraction rather than primarily trade-based interactions.
Question: Give a prominent example of atrocities under New Imperialism and its practices.
Answer: King Leopold II’s Congo Free State, where millions were subjected to forced labor, mass murder, and systemic amputations to maximize rubber extraction
Question: What role did industrialization play in driving New Imperialism?
Answer: Industrial success created a hunger for raw materials, a need for new consumer markets for surplus goods, and intensified geopolitical rivalry—driving
Question: List examples of raw materials that industrial economies sought from colonies.
Answer: Rubber, oil, cotton, copper, and various minerals.
Question: Why did industrialized countries seek new foreign markets during New Imperialism?
Answer: Mass production saturated domestic markets, so factory owners and financiers needed large foreign populations to buy surplus manufactured goods to mai
Question: How did geopolitical strategy factor into imperial expansion?
Answer: Territories were seized for national prestige and strategic military advantages, such as controlling deep-water ports, coaling stations for steamships