Imperialism and the Victorian Era

World History B Seminar 5

Warm Up – Define the following:

1. Imperialism2. Capitalism3. Nationalism

Queen VictoriaQueen Victoria

1. Imperialism – A policy in which a strong nation seeks to dominate other countries politically, economically and socially

2. Capitalism – Economic system in which the means of production are privately owned and operated for profit

3. Nationalism – The belief that people should be loyal mainly to their nation – that is, to the people with whom they share a culture and a history, rather than to a king or ruler.

Western Imperialism of China

• Chinese rulers believed all nations outside China barbaric

• Wanted little contact with outside world

• Europeans pushed for trading rights, but China restricted trade to single city, Guangzhou

• Chinese wanted silver

• Pleased when tea became popular with British and British silver flowed into China

Tea Trade with Britain

• 1800, trade with European merchants profitable for Chinese

• Not important, Europeans just another set of foreigners who might pay tribute to emperor

• Little by little, though, Qing dynasty lost power, prestige, sovereignty over China

Qing Dynasty Loses PowerWestern Nations Gain Power

Background

• Manchu Dynasty– Conservative

• Empress Dowager

– Resistant to change– Feared W. influence– Civil Service System• Fostered corruption

– Economically behind west

Opium War• 1838, Chinese ordered destruction of British opium in Guangzhou

• British sent naval force to launch attack; captured Shanghai, 1842

• Forced Chinese to sign peace treaty—first of unequal treaties

• Benefited European countries at expense of China

Trade Imbalance• British distressed by imbalance of trade

• British discovered solution—opium; great demand for opium in China

• Opium addiction large problem; Chinese government banned import

• Foreign merchants continued to smuggle drug into China

Opium War (1839-42)

• Factors leading to war– West saw $ in trade w/ China

– 1700’s trade benefits China

– 1800’s Euro trade increases• transformed into $ economy

• replace Indian cotton w/opium

• Hurts China’s economy

Opium War (1839-42)

• 1836 China bans use of opium

• 1839 20,000 chests of opium destroyed– Chinese ships clash w/

British

Treaty of Nanking 1842

• Ends Opium War– forces China to pay war costs

– Britain obtains Hong Kong

– est. 5 treaty ports (14 by 1900)

– most favored nation• low tariffs

– difficult for China to compete

Treaty Port of Canton

Taiping Rebellion (1850-73)

• Series of rebellions against tradition– goal — remove European influence

• Rebels:– combined Christianity w/ancient Chinese texts

– promoted end to vice & immorality

– gained control over large areas of China

Taiping Rebellion (1850-73)

• Ultimately fails• Leaders:

– Poorly educated– Unable to redistribute land

– Unable to broaden support• Secret societies• Western assistance of Manchu (post-1860)

• 20-30 million perished

Reconstruction & Self-Strengthening

• Rebuilding period post-rebellion – destruction of irrigation

– mulberry trees (silk)

• Regional governors– Used army & local gentry• est. soup kitchens• lower taxes• rebuild agriculture

Li Huang-chang

Reconstruction & Self-Strengthening

• Regional governors (cont.)

• Modernization process:– Industry establish

• shipping• communication• refining• textiles

– Military bolsters• training & equipment

– compete w/Russia & Japan

Reconstruction & Self-Strengthening

• Result:– Can’t compete w/ Western goods• Lower tariffs• Corruption

– Reform fails due to conservative resistance in govt.

Open Door Policy (1899)

• U.S. response to– European encroachment into China’s interior

– fears that China would be closed to trade

• Purpose—ensure free trade for all

Boxer Rebellion (1900)

• Religious society– rebel against foreigners• fed up w/ missionaries• lack of respect for Chinese culture

• destroying Chinese society

• defeated by foreign troops

– Result: • Chinese leaders realize must reform