Understanding Imperialism: Causes and Consequences
The Causes of Imperialism
Dominant Europe and the Rise of Industrialization
The advance of industrialization throughout the 19th century led to a fragmentation of the world into two poles: industrialized and non-industrialized countries. By the 20th century, industrialized countries, primarily in Europe, exerted direct or indirect influence globally. Due to its demographic vitality, Europe imposed its economic model, ideals, and culture on much of the planet.
Between 1873 and 1890, industrialized Europe experienced an economic crisis. The 1870s saw the arrival of wheat from the United States and Russia, which reduced domestic cereal prices and unleashed a general decline in prices. This decrease was not accompanied by a decrease in the population. Soon, a crisis of overproduction began in all sectors. Reserves of products accumulated, prices fell further, competition increased, and many industries closed.
The industrial world emerged from the crisis by renewing its productive structures and greatly expanding its markets. The imposition of protectionist policies in many European countries made it imperative to seek markets and resources elsewhere in the world. Industrialized countries had to turn to unexplored territories in Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
Economic Causes of Imperialism
Economic explanations link the spread of imperialism to the needs of industry in developed countries. Europeans sought new economic spaces with the following objectives:
- To establish export markets for industrial production.
- To obtain raw materials and energy in abundance and at low cost.
- To utilize unskilled labor and low wages.
Where European colonists settled, infrastructure was often destroyed to facilitate the entry and exit of products. It has also been emphasized that the expansion of capitalism required new territories in which to invest capital. With the partial exception of Britain, foreign capital investment from industrialized countries was directed towards these new areas. However, most foreign trade continued to be conducted between industrialized countries themselves.
Recent research does not attribute imperialist expansion solely to economic causes. It questions the profitability of existing empires, finding that the costs to maintain colonial administration and armies often did not justify the benefits obtained. The main beneficiaries were economic sectors that invested in colonial enterprises, while the contribution to the costs of colonial administration was very low. The middle classes played an instrumental role.
Political and Demographic Factors
The expansion of industrial powers was also driven by the desire to increase their political power through international hegemony. European political leaders saw colonies as a strategic factor in increasing their military power. The so-called “white explosion” generated a large flow of migration, although the bulk of this migration was directed towards America. Colonies were seen as a way to conquer new territory and as a place for population settlement.
Ideological Causes
Scientific interest in exploring areas of the world previously unknown to Europeans spread. Scientific societies formed and organized geographical and anthropological expeditions. The root causes of imperialism are incomprehensible without considering the racist ideology that advocated the superiority of the white race. This concept was accompanied by a racist exaltation of nationalism. Colonialism was often disguised as paternalism, claiming that it was the “white man’s burden” to civilize peoples considered inferior through instruction and education.