New Imperialism: A Dual-Sided Success

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The rise of New Imperialism attracted various countries, and captivated their population by creating benefits for citizens of the industrialized nations. Capitalists and socialists, though on opposite side of the ideological scale, both found significant success through imperialism. New Imperialism captivated capitalists because the inherent mechanism of the system allowed them to profit by exploiting poorer countries for raw materials, meaning they could create specialized, lucrative products. Meanwhile, socialists reveled in the low unemployment rates and rising equality of the workers at home. With the support of both right and left leaning economic strategies, imperialism faced little domestic opposition. The widespread acceptance of New …show more content…

The alliance system formed when countries were reaching limits on their expansion and ability to grow their military. Countries during this time frequently compared themselves to others; however, they did so to ensure they were increasing in strength at a steady, if not quicker, rate. Western nations preferred to avoid war when possible, especially during the mostly-peaceful period of the 1890s. In order to ensure that they could concentrate on other more important subjects, countries allied with one another, in order to maintain domestic stability while decreasing the fear of a war decimating their economy. By eliminating the risk of going to battle, a New Imperialist nation was afforded the luxury of one less external worry, shifting concentration to internal issues. Countries could focus on fixing the problems that nationalism shielded their population from scrutinizing. The alliance system seemed like a noble idea: countries affiliating with one another to secure dependable relations. These good intentions were soon unnoticeable as the balance of power shifted. The balance of power, a condition in which an equality of power among countries is noted, assures that the threat of attack is null. The evolution of the alliance system, especially in the 1890s, marked “the final stage of the worldwide system of international competition.” Universal …show more content…

Dominant powers exerting control over weaker nations is not a historical anomaly, as it occurred before the rise of the Romans, but new imperialism’s intensity, due to the Second Industrial Revolution and competition, marks a pronounced time in history. When countries began gaining significantly from taking the natural resources from others, they developed new technology. These technological progresses strengthened Western expansionism more, as the production of rifles and maxim guns increased. These technological progresses strengthened Western expansionism, as the production of Maxim guns increased, further boosting the strength of New Imperialism. This typhonic, overseas expansion of nationalism had a considerable amount of consequences and even directly led to the first World War. New Imperialism equated to the destruction of a continent–leaving it in shambles. Very minimal to no positive aspects resulted from this 1890’s form of

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