Early Western civilization: history and development

Race for Colonies in the Late 19th Century

Although European imperialism had started in the 15th century when a number of European powers such as Spain, Portugal and Great Britain began to look for new settlements around the world, another great race for colonies occurred in the late 19th century. This time around, other countries such as the United States and Japan also joined Europe in the race. Some of the major reasons for the establishment of colonies in the late 19th century and specific examples of such colonies are outlined below.

Industrial Revolution:

The industrial revolution in Europe and the United States had greatly increased their technological and military power by the second half of the 19th century. Japan, too, had embarked on a path of rapid modernization in the mid-nineteenth century. As a result, several countries in Europe (including England, France, Germany and Italy), the U.S. And Japan enjoyed a big technological and military edge over the rest of the world by late 1800s. Such a marked difference in powers of nation-states has its own momentum leading to domination of the weaker nations by the stronger. This, perhaps, was the major reason for the spurt of colonization at the end of the nineteenth century.

Need for Finding Markets:

Another reason was the need for finding markets for the surplus goods produced in Western countries as a result of the Industrial Revolution.

There was no better way for creating captive markets in different parts of the world than establishing colonies.

Racism:

The sense of racial superiority, particularly among the white people, also played a part in colonization. Most white men believed that they were superior to people of other races. Writers such as the Englishman, Rudyard Kipling propounded the theory of the "White Man's Burden" whereby the white people had an obligation to spread the "blessings" of their superior civilization to the "savages" in the rest of the world.

Many among them also sought to spread their Christian religious beliefs among "heathens" believing Christianity to be the only true religion. Another variation of the racism that also contributed to the trend of colonialism was the popularity of Social Darwinism -- a theory that advocated the inevitability of "survival of the fittest" and the white Europeans considered themselves more fit in the struggle for survival.

Population Growth:

European population had increased more rapidly than other parts of the world in the decades before the end of the nineteenth century. Population pressures and improved means of transportation made it possible for people from Europe to venture out to distant lands. This, by itself, created a reason for colonization.

Specific Examples of Colonies Gained in the Late 19th Century

American Colonies:

Using a movement for independence in Cuba from the Spanish colonizers as an excuse, the U.S. annexed a number of foreign territories including Philippines, Hawaii, Guam, and Puerto Rico in the late 19th century.

European Colonies:

Africa was targeted for colonization by European powers in the late 19th century. Britain occupied Egypt, Sudan, Nigeria, Kenya, and Uganda; France made its thrust into West Africa and occupied Senegal, Mali, Niger and Chad, while Germany made a grab for Southwest Africa, Togoland, the Cameroons, and Tanganyika.

Japan:

Japan began to establish its colonies in the same period and occupied Taiwan & Korea.

Conclusion

Colonization of foreign lands by the dominant powers of the day reached a crescendo in the late 19th century when several European countries, the U.S. And Japan began a scramble for annexing more territories. As we saw in this essay, there were several reasons for the phenomenon including the marked difference in the technological and military power of the industrialized and the non-industrialized countries, the need for finding markets, and racism.

4. Fascism and How fascist Governments Came to Power in Italy and Germany

Fascism, as a political ideology, became popular in the post World War I Europe mainly due to the fear of Bolshevism and the apparent failure of the laissez faire economy. Fascists succeeded in gaining power in important European countries such as Italy and Germany, and implemented a totalitarian ideology triggering wars and persecutions. This essay briefly describes fascism and explains how fascist governments came to power in Italy and Germany.

What is Fascism?

Historians do not agree on a single or precise definition of fascism but it generally refers to a totalitarian system of government, which emphasizes an extreme form of nationalism and/or racism, rejects liberal ideals such as democracy, freedom and individual rights, and attempts to build a new idealistic and regimented society by suppressing all dissent through the use of violence. Other features of fascism include the creation of an image of a mythical glorious past of a nation that has been lost; the conception of a nation in crisis; identifying a scapegoat responsible for such loss; and mobilizing the nation towards regaining its glorious mythical past.

Rise of Fascism in Italy:

Benito Mussolini, an Italian journalist, founded the fascist movement (known as the Fasci) in 1919 in Italy. Mussolini did not have a clear-cut political program at the beginning and his ideology of fascism evolved over the years.

Initially, the Fasci even adopted a leftist agenda calling for workers' rights and redistribution of wealth. Later, when fear of Bolshevism spread among the Italian elite and middle class (fueled by strikes organized by the Socialist Party of Italy in different parts of the country) the Fascists took an ideological about-turn. They organized a paramilitary force, called the Blackshirts, who used physical violence against the Socialists, and the Fascists gained a reputation as a bulwark against the spread of Bolshevism in Italy and Europe. By organizing violent demonstrations of the Blackshirts in Rome in October 1922 and threatening a coup, Mussolini was able to bully the Italian establishment into making him an offer to join a coalition government. Having got a foot in the door of power, Mussolini used the excuse of a crisis sparked by the murder of a socialist leader in 1925

, to assume dictatorial powers.

Rise of Fascism in Germany:

The post World War I Germany presented an even more condusive environment for the rise of fascism. The country was humiliated in defeat by the terms of the Varseilles Treaty and the "stab in the back" myth made many Germans believe that they had not actually lost the war but were let down by treacherous politicians. Hitler, an ex-Austrian artist who fought in World War I as an ordnary soldier, exploited these feelings among middle class Germans and founded the Nazi Party. He advocated German racial superiority, virulent anti-Semitism, the concept of "Lebensraum" (living space) for the Germans and the necessity of another war to achieve these objectives. Economic depression and fear of Bolshevism gave the Nazis political support. The Nazis organized their own militant arm, fought the communists on the streets, and got enough parliamentary seats in the elections of 1932 to maneuver themselves into power, when Hitler was invited to become the Chancellor of Germany in 1933. From the onwards, Hitler, like his fascist counterpart in Italy, implemented his plan for establishing a ruthless dictatorship and the totalitarian Third Reich.