Effects Of Imperialism

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Aggressive Nature and Global Effects of Imperialism Imperialism is an empire or nation extending its rule or authority over foreign countries. During the ninetieth and twentieth centuries, there was a push for expansion that the historical writings at the time described detrimental to the world due to the aggressive nature of the imperialistic countries that viewed it as their moral obligation to bring civilization to the rest of the world. As explained in Commissioner Lin’s “Letter to Queen Victoria” and Mohandas Gandhi’s Hind Swaraj (Indian Home Rule), imperialism ruined the traditional ways of their societies. While in Rudyard Kipling’s The White Man’s Burden and Albert Beveridge’s “The March of the Flag”, see imperialism benefitting the …show more content…

Europe’s Industrial Revolution and growth of nationalism made the need for expansion apparent. Europeans had to fight but eventually they prevailed. Europe thought they were bringing progress to these societies. Europe’s feeling of superiority created extreme racism towards the “inferior” people. Rudyard Kipling in “The White Man’s Burden” said “Take up the White Man’s burden--/ The savage wars of peace,/ Fill full the mouth of Famine/ And bid sickness cease:” Kipling is saying all the benefits that countries get from accepting the forceful movement into the country such as no wars, sickness, or famine. It is the white man’s job to rid countries they take over of these things; therefore, it is called the white man’s burden. The burden to help all other societies. The world did gain technology and education but crashed the economies and governments of some countries. America didn’t become interested in expanding until the 1900’s when they won the Philippines in the Spanish-American war. America now had the power and the will to overcome European imperialistic powers. Albert Beveridge’s “March of the Flag” greatly encouraged America to expand beyond the Philippines. Albert Beveridge said, “We cannot fly from our world duties; it is ours to execute the purpose of a fate that has driven us to be greater than our small intentions” which means that he believes that God bestowed the honor of teaching others how to be …show more content…

If the country placed more value on the traditional views such as emperors and religion being central to the country, then they didn’t see the benefits of imperialism. For example, Gandhi and Commissioner Lin wanted to keep their countries in the same state; however, both lost to the powers of the imperialistic countries. If the country placed more worth on wealth, power, and expansion, then they saw the merit to be gained from imperialism. Rudyard Kipling and Albert Beveridge explained that imperialism would help both countries being effected by imperialism because the imperialistic country would be fulfilling their duty to the world, getting wealthier, and expanding while the other country would brought to new standards of living. Gandhi best compares the two views by using religion. He says, “The tendency of the Indian civilization is to elevate the moral being; that of the Western civilization is to propagate immorality. The latter is godless; the former is based on belief in a God.” Westerners wanted to make a profit and used religion as justification for “improving” other countries. Old traditional societies, like India and China, tied religion in with their everyday

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