Technology, Nationalism, and New Imperialism in the 19th Century

Introduction: A New Global System

By the early 20th century, a new and distinctive global system had developed out of the interaction and mutual reinforcement of technological innovations, nationalist motivations, and new imperialism. Nationalist motivations to acquire land and glory for the good of one's nation likely played an important part in driving the new imperialism that characterized the late 19th century. In turn, technology provided a means for countries like Britain and France to expand their overseas territories and thus bring many of their nationalist ambitions to fruition. Overall, the interplay between nationalist motivations, new imperialism, and technological innovation was a complex and profoundly important factor in the history of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Nationalist Motivations and European Expansion

Nationalist motivations center on loyalty and an almost complete, blind devotion to one's country. To the nationalist, a country is seen as superior to all others, and the promotion of its culture and interests above all others is regarded as paramount. Many European countries had harbored nationalist motivations since the 19th century and earlier. As a leader in innovation, commerce, and politics, England developed a nationalistic pride that motivated the country to commit numerous acts "for King and Country." England and France also maintained long-standing beliefs that each was superior to the other. It was this belief in the supremacy of one's individual country — a belief that justified the spread of that country's culture and political aims — that led directly to imperialism. Out of deep-seated nationalist motivations came the drive to conquer other lands, and these motivations also justified any number of actions aimed at increasing the glory of the home country.

The imperialist actions and beliefs of European countries were clearly present long before the 20th century arrived. Countries like England, France, Spain, and Portugal had long laid claim to lands far beyond their own borders, and European imperialism was alive and flourishing as early as the 1600s. America itself was subject to the imperialist actions of France, England, and Spain before it became an independent country and subsequently embarked upon a number of imperialist goals of its own.

The Roots and Rise of New Imperialism

New imperialism can be seen, in part, as simply an outgrowth of the old imperialist tendencies of European powers. New imperialism refers largely to the European colonial expansion that occurred from roughly the 1870s to the outbreak of World War I in 1914. This new period of colonial expansion was perhaps driven by the most fervent nationalist motivations and by the desire to expand the empire simply for the glory of colonization. European powers aggressively focused on acquiring overseas territories during this time, and they often saw themselves as liberators of great uncivilized nations, asserting clear racial superiority over their subjugated colonies.

As Britain and other countries surged forward in their desire to conquer new lands during the age of new imperialism, they often found themselves in direct competition with one another. Britain had lost its stranglehold as the world's foremost industrialized nation and felt considerable pressure from German, American, and French interests. The massive surge of British imperialism during this era may have simply reflected Britain's desire to maintain itself as a leading world power. Thus, nationalistic motivations may have led Britain, declining in relative world power, to push ever harder for imperial supremacy, thereby fueling the dramatic expansion of new imperialism.

Headrick argues that both the motivation for imperialist expansion and the means to bring about such expansion changed in the 19th century, producing the dramatic increase in colonialism that characterized the period. An important component in the overwhelming successes of the new imperialism was the development of new technologies that fueled the success of colonialism.

Works Cited

Headrick, Daniel R. The Tools of Empire: Technology and European Imperialism in the Nineteenth Century. Oxford University Press, 1981.

Marks, Robert B. The Origins of the Modern World: A Global and Ecological Narrative. Rowman & Littlefield, 2002.