How European powers turned paper colonies into real imperial control
In short: Between the 1880s and the First World War, many European territories existed only on maps. This lecture explores the intense struggle to transform these 'paper colonies' into effective occupations through war, propaganda, and the strategic redrawing of global boundaries.
The era of high imperialism was defined by a drive to convert theoretical claims into physical reality. Following the 1884 Berlin Conference, a new rule emerged: European powers could only claim formal rights to a colony if they established 'effective occupation.' While this initially focused on coastal regions, it triggered a massive 'scramble' for the African hinterland. In this process, European states often drew straight lines across maps, ignoring geographical realities to delimit territories they had yet to actually control.
The methods used to achieve this control varied wildly in scale and brutality. Some expansion relied on long colonial wars, while others faced significant resistance. Imperial brutality escalated to genocide during Germany's 1905–06 conflict with the Herero in South-west Africa. Conversely, some attempts at control failed; the Italian invasion of Ethiopia in 1896 resulted in military defeat, and the Boxer rebellion in China prevented European powers from turning treaty ports into true colonial hubs.
Beyond military force, imperialism was sustained by a powerful ideological movement. The term 'imperialism' entered the English language in the 1870s, and by 1900, it was a dominant force in Western politics. In Britain, the 'cult of empire' was reinforced through grand ceremonies like the 1877 durbars and Queen Victoria’s jubilees. These events, often featuring colonial troops and maharajas, were accompanied by pervasive propaganda in schools, novels, and even everyday objects like 'empire plates,' designed to foster popular support for overseas possessions.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Empire: From Conquest to Control - Professor Richard J Evans FBA
- Also: From Conquest to Control
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