Imperialism and the Outbreak of World War I: Causes and Impacts

Posted on Dec 14, 2024 in Geography

The Scramble for Africa and Western Influence in Asia

From 1882, a new wave of colonialism gained momentum. The Berlin Conference of 1884 saw the division of Africa among European powers, with Great Britain and France securing the most significant portions. Germany and Belgium were latecomers to this colonial race. Meanwhile, the old colonial powers, Spain and Portugal, barely maintained their ancient empires, such as Cuba. Belgium focused on colonizing territories in the interior of Africa, while the Dutch consolidated their presence in Indonesia and the islands of Japan. European countries like Russia and the U.S. also joined the ranks of colonial powers.

Causes of Imperialism

Economic Factors:

  • The search for new markets to introduce industrial products.
  • The development of new sources of raw materials due to the exhaustion of domestic deposits.

Political Factors:

  • The existence of vital sea lanes.
  • Rivalry between the powers themselves (e.g., clashes between Germany and France over Morocco).

Types of Colonial Rule

According to the settlement formula:

  • Settlements: Occupation of territory where the legal market is replaced by that of the colonizing country (e.g., India, Equatorial Guinea).
  • Protectorates: A country takes custody of another, theoretically independent territory (e.g., Morocco).
  • Open Regime: Political independence is respected except for trade policy (e.g., China, where different countries settled in its ports).

Depending on geographic location:

  • Outlying: Far from the metropolis, with some autonomy for territorial authorities and preferential agreements.
  • At Home: Close to the metropolis, often adjoining, leading to incorporation (e.g., Russia’s annexation of Mongolia, the U.S.’s westward expansion).

According to population density:

  • Uninhabited or sparsely populated: Easier to displace and replace with the characteristics of the metropolitan area.
  • Populous: More resistance, leading to a dual restructuring where natives maintain some customs while Europeans impose their rules (e.g., India). Ethnic links are established.

Economic Impact of Colonialism

For Colonies:

  • Population: A significant population increase due to the arrival of settlers and a higher birth rate, driven by settlers’ need for labor and lower wage costs.
  • Decrease in Indian property, as colonists took the most productive lands.
  • Indigenous populations became consumers, with increasing purchasing power.
  • Decline of local industry due to competition or elimination.
  • Increased tax burden to cover administrative and military costs.

For the Mother Countries:

  • Benefits for individuals but public deficits, as maintaining colonial rule increased military spending, rarely compensated by income.

The Triggers of World War I

The primary cause of World War I was imperialism, which had both political and economic origins. Economically, it provided solutions to surplus industrial production. Imperialism also brought protectionism, which increased in European countries and hindered product output. Key players in this process were Great Britain and France, whose expansion in Africa and Asia excluded emerging powers like the U.S. and Germany. Great Britain and France were particularly affected, as the U.S. had a market with abundant capital resources and raw materials. Germany’s lesser role in colonialism was due to its formation as a nation in the 1860s.

Militarism and Nationalism

The second reason for the war was militarism, reflected in the expansion of armies. This was linked to:

  • The idea that a powerful armada was necessary for overseas expansion.
  • The interest of the steel and metal industries in generating supply growth, leading to an arms race that began in Germany and spread to other countries like France and Great Britain.

Nationalism also played a significant role:

  • The Austro-Hungarian Empire suppressed emancipation movements by Czechs, Slovaks, and Croats.
  • Serbia sought to expand its territory due to being landlocked.
  • Russian nationalism aimed for cohesion through Pan-Slavism.
  • French nationalism was based on recovering Alsace and Lorraine, lost in a previous war.
  • Germany sought to include German-speaking territories and form a great empire in Central Europe.
  • Romania wanted to annex areas with Romanian minorities, especially in Transylvania.