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Mckay Study Guide, Chaper 26 [Home][Supplementary Material]

52. International Association for the Exploration and Civilization of Central Africa

In 1876, Leopold II of Belgium began to focus on central Africa and sent Henry M. Stanley, a journalist/explorer, to the Congo Basin where he founded trading stations and made "treaties" with African chiefs in order to lay claims for the land for Leopold. Imperialist competition (France, Britain included) was high in Africa and an international conference on Africa was held in Berlin which instituted the principle that laying claims on African territory had to rely on "effective occupation" for it to be recognized by other states. Thus, no European power could claim the whole continent and Leopold's rule over Congo was also recognized as a free state and free trade zone.

54. Leopold II of Belgium (1865-1909)

An energetic, strong-willed monarch with a lust for distant territory. In 1876, he focused on Central Africa and he also sent Henry M. Stanley a journalist to the Congo Basin where he was able to establish trading stations, sign "treaties" with African chiefs and also plant Leopold's flag.

55. Matthew Perry

In 1853, after several unsuccessful American attempts to establish commercial relations with Japan, Commodore Matthew Perry arrived at Edo Bay in Japan and demanded diplomatic negotiations with the Japanese emperor. Because many senior officials realized how defenseless they would be against naval bombardment, they reluctantly signed a treaty with the United States that opened two ports and permitted trade. More treaties soon spelled out the rights and privileges of the Western nations and their merchants in Japan over the next five years. Thus, thanks to Commodore Matthew Perry, Japan was "opened" to the European world and its offshoots (McKay, 862-863).

56. Boers

The Boers, or Afrikaners, were the descendants of the Dutch in the Cape Colony of South Africa. Britain took possession of the Dutch settlements, which stirred up discontentment among the Boers as they proclaimed their political independence and defended it against the British armies. The Dutch settler republics succumbed to imperialism, but not without a fight. The British won the bloody Boer War, but their territories were united into a large self governing colony, enabling the defeated Boers to use their numerical superiority over British settlers to gradually take political power.

57. John Hobson

Hobson argued that the quest for empire diverted popular attention away from domestic reform and the need to reduce the great gap between rich and poor. He also morally condemned whites for imperiously ruling nonwhites. He rebelled against crude Social Darwinian thought. His work, Imperialism, influenced Lenin and others.

58. Heinrich von Treitschke

Heinrich von Treitschke was a famous German nationalist historian who fully supported the new imperialism, believing that a great nation must have colonies. He said that "Every virile people has established colonial power. All great nations in the fullness of their strength have desired to set their mark upon barbarian lands and those who fail to participate in this great rivalry will play a pitiable role in the time to come." In other words, if a country did not wish to be left behind and to become weak, it must join in the race for colonies.

59. The Japanese "opening" of Korea in 1876

The Japanese at this time were rapidly following the example that the Western cultures had set for them. They believed that, "Japan must be reborn with America as its mother and France its father." Not only did Japan copy some of the economic and political policies of the west, it also copied the imperialism of Western society. With the same gun-boat diplomacy that Commodore Perry had used to "open" Japan, the Japanese "opened" Korea in 1876. This act led to much western influence being brought into Korea as well as the eventual annexation by Japan.

60. Berlin conference of 1884-1885

The Berlin Conference was held to lay down rules about imperialism in Africa. It was decided that European claims in Africa would be recognized if "effectively occupied", and areas already claimed were consolidated. Thus, European powers scrambled for territories in Africa, and no single power controlled the entire continent.

61. Fashoda Crisis of 1898

This was an attempt by the French to try and beat the British in one of Africa's last unclaimed territories, the upper Nile. After the Battle of Omdurman, Kitcheners army came to the already French occupied village of Fashoda. The result of this was a serious diplomatic crisis with the threat of war. France backed however after the Dreyfus affair and an unwillingness to fight, allowing the British to occupy.

62. John A. Hobson

A radical economist, Hobson greatly criticized imperialism in 1902, arguing that it was a sign of unregulated capitalism of a nation that created an outlet for surplus capital. He argued that imperial possession only profited unmoral special-interest groups while undermining the taxpayers and the natives. Hobson stated that imperialism distracted governments from social reforms and the need to close the gap between classes. He finally aroused attention with condemning the whites' ruling of nonwhites. Despite his criticism, however, many already believed that imperialism was profitable for the homeland, arousing general enthusiasms for the empires.

63. Treaty of Nanking, 1842

Manchu Government wanted to stamp out opium dealings, sent Lin Tse-hsu to expel British merchants. After warring, victorious British forced China to give up Hong Kong forever, pay $100 million, and open four large cities to foreign trade with low tariffs.

64. Meiji Restoration of 1867

In 1867, a coalition led by patriotic samurai seized control of the government with hardly any bloodshed and restored the political power of the emperor. They wanted to "enrich the state and stengthen the armed forces" (McKay 883). It was a turning point in Japanese development.

65. Sino-Japanese War

The Sino-Japanese War of 1814-1893 and the subsequent harsh peace treaty revealed China's helpless ness in the face of aggression, triggering a rush for foreign concessions and protectorates of China.

66. Congress of Berlin, 1878

In 1875 widespread nationalist rebellion in the Ottoman Empire had resulted in Turkish repression, Russian intervention, and Great Power tensions. Bismarck had helped resolve this crisis at the 1878 Congress of Berlin, which worked out the partial division of Turkish possessions in Europe. Austria-Hungary obtained the right to "occupy and administer" Bosnia and Herzegovina. Serbia and Romania won independence, and a part of Bulgaria won local autonomy. The Ottoman Empire retained important Baulkan holdings, for Austria-Hungary and Russia each feared the other's domination of totally independent states in the area.

67. The Schlieffen Plan

The Schlieffen Plan was the German master plan that was devised by Count Alfred von Schlieffen. In it, the German army would quickly wipe out France by going through neutral Belgium, then regroup on the east front to fight Russia. The plan counted on Russia to assemble for war slowly as well as for Belgium to provide little resistance. Neither happened and Germany's master plan failed.

68. "total war"

Total war meant that free-market capitalism was abandoned temporarily and government planning boards established priorities and decided what to be produced and consumed. It was believed that only through such regimentation could a country make the greatest possible military effort. The result was effective and destructive war effort on all sides.

69. Totalitarian

A totalitarian society is one that has the state involved in all affairs of life: social, political, economical, and cultural affairs. The state's control is meant to be absolute, without tolerance for deviation from the norm. The Germans instigated a totalitarian society in order to increase war production.

70. Western Front

The western front was where the French and British soldiers dug trenches into the ground to protect themselves from machine gun fire. Many casualties were lost from the German army, British army and French army. Battles such as the Somme were fought on the western front.

71. Bolsheviks

The Russian party of Marxian socialism was split into two rival sections after Lenin presented his theories in London in 1903. Lenin's camp was called Bolsheviks, or "majority group".

72. Principle of national self-determination

The principle of national self-determination came hand in hand with nationalism. Nationalism was what motivated people to fight for their rights, and people had the self-determination to do it, which resulted in new home rule and democratic advancements. The Principle of national self-determination was important in the making of the Treaty of Versailles, because it needed to be preserved, and was completely lost in Clemenceau's idea of revenge. Eventually, the principle of national self-determination became only a reality for Europeans.

73. War reparations

After the end of the First World War, France and Britain were primarily concerned with punishing Germany. During the settlement of the Treaty of Versailles, while the United State's president, Wilson, wanted to create a League of Nations, the French and British wanted to make sure that Germany paid for what it had done. The consequence was that the Germans had to pay reparations equal to all the civilian damages caused by the war. Fortunately, there was a clear possibility that the reparations would be lower, at a more reasonable level, later on.

74. Schlieffen Plan

The plan by Germany to sweep France's army by swinging around through Belgium and attacking France from the back of the eastern frontier fortress.

75. Lawrence of Arabia

More successful was the entente's attempt to incite Arab nationalists against their Turkish overlords. An enigmatic British colonel, soon known to millions as Lawrence of Arabia, aroused the Arab princes to revolt in early 1917.

76. Reinsurance Treaty

The Reinsurance Treaty is a treaty between Russia and Germany promising each other that they will not attack each other in the case of war. William II dismissed Bismark and refused to renew the Treaty because Bismark had ties with Russia.

77. The Algeciras Conference of 1906

Great Britain's formal alliance with France, resulting in the Anglo-French Entente, frustrated Germany. In response, Germany's leaders decided to test the strength of the alliance and win a diplomatic victory to increase popularity at home. The Germans bullied the French to dismiss their foreign minister, Théophile Delcassé, but instead of accepting territory in Africa, the Germans called for an international conference called the Algeciras Conference. The result led Britain and France to build stronger ties and Germany left the conference empty-handed and without allies other than Austria-Hungary.

78. Anglo-French Entente of 1904

The Anglo-French Entente of 1904 settled all outstanding colonial disputes between Britain and France. It was made when Britain responded favorably to Theophile Delcasse who wanted better relations with Britain and was willing to accept British rule in Egypt in return for British support of French plans to dominate Morocco.

80. Lusitania

Lusitania, the British passenger liner, which was carrying arms, ammunition and passengers was sunk by one of the German submarines and claimed over 1000 lives including 139 Americans. This eventually led to the United States entering world war to tip the balance in favor of the triple entente…

100. Battles of the Somme and Verdun

The Battles of Somme and Verdun were two wars that Germany, British and French fought unsuccessfully. All had massive casualties with insignificant gains in land.