European nations wanted imperial possessions because…

Im p e r i a l E x p a n s i o n M o t i v e s

B y: Y s a b e l D o m i n i q ue a nd Aya l a Er e z
 …they desired commercial
gain
◦ European nations had the idea that there was a limited amount of land and wealth and once
it was gone, there was no more.
◦ Mercantilism is what they believed in, and it drove the European countries to explore other
nations for more wealth.
◦ European nations wanted imperial possessions because by growing their wealth, they would
take all 100% of the limited wealth they thought the world had.
◦ In the 15th century, exploration began, so the European countries could get an idea of the
wealth outside of their homes. 16th century was when they started taking over and claiming
the land and wealth. 17th century was when more countries joined in the taking of African
resources. 18th century was when the countries started fighting and competing for the wealth
that they all had acquired and continued to get. 19th century the British reach extended and
shrunk due to the wars they kept having over the wealth they fought for.
◦ European nations wanted imperial possessions because they desired commercial gain based
off of their belief of mercantilism.
…of advancements in transport

◦ By taking land from others, the British empire could use it however they wanted.

◦ For example, the Suez Canal was built on Egyptian soil and when Britain invaded,
India, France, and Britain used it however they pleased despite objections or harm
to the people of Egypt.

◦ The challenge of getting to the African countries spurred engineers to develop

transportation. For example, the boats they had could not go inland on rivers, so
they developed smaller engines to fight against the current and fit. They then
started using iron on ships to support the smaller and heavier engines.

◦ Trade encouraged the development of transportation to get materials, slaves, and

people to and from other places.
…of strategic reasons

◦ The beginning of the African Scramble was when Britain

got the Cape Colony in South Africa. This was purely a
strategical reason to take imperial possessions because
Britain wanted to secure this important port on the sea
route to India.

◦ After securing the port, Britain concentrated its efforts

more inland also after securing more territory. The large
army they had and the amount of land they took allowed
for focus to be on taking the land.

◦ European nations wanted imperial possessions for

strategic reasons such as taking majority of the land and
profiting off the wealth inside of it.
…of political reasons

◦ Germany entered the Scramble for Africa very late. They

did not get much land, but their motives weren’t entirely
map-based. The politicians of Germany pushed the
Chancellor to show strength and participate in the
overtaking. Politicians wanted to show that Germany was
still strong despite the internal chaos.
◦ At the time, Germany was experiencing lack of unification
which is why they joined late.
◦ Belgium also joined the scramble to show Europe that
even though it was new and small, it was strong. They
ended up with territory bigger than their home country.
King Leopold joined the scramble to “give his country an
Empire.”
…they wanted to enhance their international
prestige
◦ When the European countries exerted power over Africa, they seemed to have an “air
of superiority” that allowed for their victories.

◦ Not only did they win because of their strength, but they won the land because of
their name.

◦ The British who controlled majority of Africa, had a thought that their technological
advancements helped their country control the world and influence ideas.

◦ By taking land and materials that weren’t rightfully theirs, European nations got their
names in people mouths and in the news. They also showed dominance so that other
nations would be less likely to fight them.

◦ The civilizing mission, an idea that European rule over Africa and Asia was
preordained, acted as a justification for their imperialistic tendencies. They became
well-known due to this mission, enhancing their prestige.
Causes in Order of
Significance
◦ 1. Strategic Reasons

◦ 2. Political Reasons

◦ 3. Commercial Gain

◦ 4. International Prestige

◦ 5. Advancements in Transport
Main Reason for Imperialism in this
Period:
◦ The main reason for imperialism at this time, in my opinion, is because they desired commercial
gain. European nations had this heavy belief in mercantilism, that there was a limited amount of
wealth. Once gone, there would be no more, so they wanted it all for themselves. These nations
then went out to get it and tore into other lands. Heavy militaries and advancements in
technology helped them win basically wherever they went. Specifically, the African Scramble
where they continued to develop their technologies as they experienced new problems. They
tore into the America’s too, but not so much in this time period. By going to these lands, these
countries were able to take their possessions and profit off it, making them have “all of the
wealth there was in the world”.