HISTORY 6TH LEVEL THE IMPERIALIST AGE CEIP DOS DE MAYO

NAME: _____________________________________________________________ CLASSROOM: ______

IMPERIALISM
Imperialism is a policy (way of governing) in which large or powerful countries seek to extend their
authority beyond their own borders. The policy of imperialism points to the creation of an empire.

The imperialist countries take control of other countries. They can use military force to do this.
However, they can also avoid the use of military force. They can simply establish economic and / or
political control over the other country.

Activity: say the names of five empires before 1850

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THE NEW IMPERIALISM (1880-1914)

Look at this video → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUDwPz9VmL0
New Imperialism characterizes a period of colonial expansion by European powers, the United
States, and Japan during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The period featured an
unprecedented pursuit of overseas territorial acquisitions. During the era of New Imperialism, the
Western powers and Japan conquered almost all of Africa and parts of Asia. It is considered that
the era of the new imperialism ended with the beginning of the First World War
Map: colonial empires by 1800

1. Which countries had the greatest empires?

2. Were South Asia, Africa and Oceania colonized by European countries?

a) Most of them b) Half of them c) Only a small part
Map: colonial empires by 1914

Questions
1. What happened in Africa? What are the main colonizing countries?

2. What happened in Asia? What are the main colonizing countries?

3. What happened in Oceania? What are the main colonizing countries?

4. What happened in America with the former Spanish territories?

5. Say the name of three current countries that were colonies of:
a) UK: ________________________________________________________________
b) France: ________________________________________________________________
c) Russia: ________________________________________________________________

6. Say the name of current countries that were colonized by (one country in each case):
a) Belgium: _______________________ d) Netherlands: _______________________
b) Italy: _______________________ e) Portugal: _______________________
c) Japan: _______________________ f) USA: _______________________

7. Say the names of one African country and two Asian ones that were independent in 1914.
a) African:
b) Asian:
CAUSES OF NEW IMPERIALISM
Match the main causes with the corresponding explanation.

The search for new territories where to invest the excess of accumulated
capital. They found a productive exit in the form of credits granted to the
indigenous minorities collaborating with the metropolis, but mainly in the
financing of infrastructures such as railways, ports or major engineering
works (Suez Canal, Panama Canal, etc.).
The exploration and conquest of areas where to obtain abundant and cheap
raw materials and energy. The colonies were assigned the role of supplying
the metropolitan industries.
The control of spaces where establish markets that ensure the placement of
industrial products under monopoly.
1. Demographic The use of unskilled but cheap and docile (sometimes slave) labor, which
reduced the costs of extracting raw materials and contributed to the success
of plantation agriculture.

2. Economic In the period between 1850 and 1900 the European population went from
300 to 450 million souls. The pitiful living conditions of the working class in
the industrialized countries encouraged many to seek better prospects for
life in the territories they were occupying. This demographic increase also
affected Asian powers such as Japan and continued to rise until 1914.
3. Political

From nationalist and chauvinist positions, racist theories were developed

that justified and promoted territorial expansion, with or without the consent
of the indigenous peoples.
4. Ideological In its more moderate forms, racism sometimes disguised itself as a
paternalism that supported the need of the white man to "rescue from
backwardness" the native populations through education and education.
In this work, he highlighted the missionary activity of the Anglican, Catholic
and Protestant Christian churches, which had a great impact on the
5. Scientific indigenous populations who had a mentality totally alien to the Western one.
In all these positions there was an ideology of ethnocentric character that
extolled European and Western culture and disqualified the rest, considered
barbarous, savage and primitive.
6. Technological The technical superiority became overwhelming in the military field
(firearms, mass and rapid transport, careful organization, etc.), procuring an
advantage to the conquerors that more than covered their numerical
inferiority.

The states adopted a policy of prestige in an attempt to attract the popular

masses and developed a diplomatic action led by strong personalities
(Bismarck, Chamberlain, Jules Ferry, Leopold of Belgium, Cecil Rhodes,
etc.) who, supported to a large extent by the press and other media,
advocated from a chauvinist stance the formation and consolidation of
extensive colonial domains.
the powers sought to achieve colonial hegemony through the commercial
and military control of maritime and land routes, while at the same time
obstructing by all means the expansion of their rivals.
This policy fueled countless episodes of tension and conflict that constituted
the prelude to the First World War.

The great African rivers like the Nile, Niger, Congo or Zambezi, were
explored in expeditions undertaken by journalists (Stanley), missionaries
(Livingstone) or adventurers (De Brazza). They penetrated into Asia arriving
in the Himalayas, crossed Siberia and the desert Australian and, finally
(already in the 20th century), the North Pole (Peary) and the South Pole
(Amundsen) were reached.
KEY FACTS AND KEY PEOPLE

KEY FACTS KEY PEOPLE

Berlin Conference
1884 - 1885

Scramble for Africa

1884 - 1885 Bismark Leopold II Rhodes Ferry Victoria

Activity. Write a short biography of one of the people above. Highlight only the main facts.
EUROPE AFTER NAPOLEON

Revolutions of 1830

FRANCE: end of absolutism

BELGIUM: Independent
OTHER COUNTRIES: Failure

Revolutions of 1848

Write in the yellow square the number that matches the description with the label

1. Liberalism 2. Democratic ideals 3. Economic crisis 4. Social crisis 5. Nationalism

It is intended to end the absolutism and
authoritarianism of monarchies.
Some revolutionary movements fought for the
unification of Germany, Italy or the independence
of Hungary.
The bad harvests of 1847 pushed up the prices
of agricultural products and spread hunger and
disease. To this was added an industrial crisis,
due to an excess of production at a time of
falling demand. The consequence was a huge
increase in unemployment.
In 1848 the demand for democracy burst forth
with force, clearly separated from the liberal
approaches. Universal suffrage is demanded, a
greater content is required in the constitutional
liberties, an equality is advocated not only legal,
but social, and the Republic is defended as a
form of State.
Poverty and unemployment made incipient forms
of workers' protest appear, often directed against
machines. At the same time, the first socialists,
such as Blanc, Blanqui and Proudhon, brought a
new ideology to the revolution.

1. Initial success FRANCE: II Republic. Universal Suffrage.

What happened? 2. Repression AUSTRIA: Constitution → Absolutism again

3. Became conservative PRUSSIA, ITALY, HUNGARY → Repressed

UNIFICATION OF GERMANY (1834-1871)
KEY FACTS
1834: ZOLLVEREIN
Customs Union of the states
of the German Confederation
(except Austria).

1864: WAR vs DENMARK

Prussia and Austria defeat
Denmark and get the Duchies
of Schleswig and Holstein.

1866: AUSTRO-PRUSSIAN
WAR . Victory of Prussia that
leads the North German
Confederation.

1871: FRANCO-PRUSSIAN
WAR . Victory of Prussia.
The southern states accept
the union of Germany.
1871: GERMAN EMPIRE
Wilhelm I Emperor (Kaiser)

Questions:
1. Did Germany unite as a result of
popular desire? What were the main
causes of the unification?
KEY PEOPLE

2. Complete:
Became Emperor
Unified Germany
Bismark Moltke Wilhelm I Defeated the French

UNIFICATION OF ITALY (1859-1870)

KEY FACTS
RISORGIMENTO Italian nationalism (1815-1848)
1859 FRANCO-AUSTRIAN WAR
France and Sardinia defeat Austria.
Lombardy to Sardinia and Savoy and Nice to France
1860 CONQUEST OF NAPLES
Garibaldi conquests the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.
Part ot the Papal States and Tuscany join Sardinia.
1861 KINGDOM OF ITALY
1866 VENICE to Italy from Austria
1870 ROME to Italy from Papal States
Investigate and answer these questions:
1. Who was the architect of the unity of Italy?

2. Who became the first king of Italy?

3. Who conquered Naples?

SPAIN: THE SIX DEMOCRATIC YEARS OR “SEXENIO REVOLUCIONARIO” (1868-1874)
General Juan Prim send Queen Isabel into exile in 1868. There were four political blocks:
• Unionists, led by General Serrano.

• Progressive, led by Prim (until his assassinate in 1870) and by Sagasta later.

• Monarchists democrats, led by Martos and Rivero.

• Federal Republicans, led by Figueras, Pi y Margall, Salmerón and Castelar.

General F. Serrano General J. Prim P. M. Sagasta C. Martos E. Figueras

We distinguish the next periods:

• 1868-1870: Provisional government led by Prim. The progressive
Constitution of 1869 was approved. It took 2 years to find a to find
someone who would accept the Spanish throne. The Italian Duke of Aosta,
Amadeo, eventually accepted, under pressure from his father. Before the
arrival of the king, his main supporter, General Prim, was assassinated.
• 1871-1873: Reign of Amadeo I. It was an extremely unstable period. There
were 6 cabinets. King Amadeo had to deal with violent conflicts between
different political parties, the Cuban revolution, rebellions by the Carlists
in the Basque and Catalan regions, Republican uprisings and problems
with the army. Unable to cope, he returned to Italy in early 1873.
Amadeo I
• 1873-1874: First Republic. The Congress of Deputies and the Senate proclaimed the Republic.
In the later elections, the Federal Republican Party swept, but it was very divided and there were
four presidents in 11 months: Figueras, Pi y Margall, Salmerón and Castelar. They could not
approve a Constitution. There were 3 simultaneous civil wars (see pictures on the left). On 3
January 1874, General Pavía mounted a coup d'état which led to the end of the republic.
General Martínez Campos restored the monarchy. Alfonso XII became the new King of Spain.
Main Problems PRESIDENTS OF THE I REPUBLIC (1st was Figueras, see above)
Cuba: Ten Years’ War
1868-1878
Carlist War III
1872-1876
Cantonalist Rebellion
1873-1874
Political Instability
1868-1874 F. Pi y Margall N. Salmerón E. Castelar General F. Serrano
QUESTIONS
1. When was Isabel II sent into exile? ______________________________________________
2. It took two years to find a king for Spain after Isabel was deposed. Why do you think no one
wanted to be king?

3. What happened just before the arrival of Amadeo I?

4. Match the three stages of the Six Democratic Years with the dates given.
1868-1870 FIRST REPUBLIC
1871-1873 AMADEO I’S REIGN

1873-1874 PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT

5. What were the main problems during the I Republic?

6. Write a short biography of one of the five presidents of the I Republic.

7. Which words are related to coup d’Etat?

◦ Dialogue ◦ Force ◦ Surprise
◦ Debate ◦ Change ◦ Violence

THE REIGN OF ALFONSO XII (1874-1885)

Alfonso XII ruled as a constitutional monarch (not an absolute one) under the
very conservative Constitution of 1876. Although Alfonso was a young and
inexperienced king, he was very popular.

Under his reign, there was a new political system: the turno pacífico. Only two
political parties were permitted: the Liberals and the Conservatives. These
parties took turns to hold power. The parties that were excluded from this
system opposed it. In this new system of alternating power, there were two key
political figures:

Antonio Cánovas Práxedes Mateo Sagasta

(1828-1897) (1825-1903)
- Conservative leader - Liberal leader
- Wrote the Constitution of - Accepted the Constitution
1876 of 1876
- Six times Prime Minister - Eight times Prime
Minister
Pros and cons of this period

PROS
Spain was stable again after a century of
instability. Stable for the bourgeoisie.
It was a period of economic prosperity and
modernization. Prosperity for the bourgeoisie.
CONS
The only way to guarantee the system would
work was through electoral fraud: the King
chose the government and the result of the
election was decided in advance.

There was peace and prosperity in Cuba and Basque and Catalan nationalism grew in protest
Puerto Rico. Prosperity for the bourgeoisie. against the unfair system.

QUESTIONS
1. In what ways were these people significant?
a) General Pavía.
b) General Martínez Campos.
2. Explain how governments were formed under Alfonso XII’s reign.

3. “A policy of electoral fraud is acceptable if it brings about stability.” Do you agree or disagree with
this statement? Discuss with your partners.

4. What is the current political system in Spain?

THE REGENCY OF MARÍA CRISTINA OF HABSBURGO (1885-1902)

Alfonso XII’s early death left his son, Alfonso, as heir to the throne. His
mother, María Cristina, ruled as regent until the young Alfonso turned
sixteen in 1902 and became King Alfonso XIII. During the regency
period, Spain lost its remaining colonies, Cuba, Puerto Rico and the
Philippines.
Spanish-American War (1898)
Wreckage of USS Maine, Feb 15th 1898
Anti-Spanish propaganda campaign by WR
Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer
President McKinley declares war, April 21st
USA defeats Spain in Cavite, Philippines, May 1st
USA defeats Spain in Santiago, Cuba, July 3rd
Treaty of Paris (1898): Cuba independent,
María Cristina and Alfonso USS Maine
Puerto Rico, Philippines and Guam to USA
Generation of ‘98 Sale of Carolinas, Marianas & Palau to Germany Regenerationism