Colonialism & Imperialism

Colonialism

The word “colonialism”derives from the latin verb “colère”, that means “to coltivate”. There are two types of colony: colony of people, in wich a land is conquered and inhabited by new people; colony of exploitation, in wich a land is conquered in order to overwork the population that inhabits it exploiting it trough mines and plantations. Imperialism originated from this kind of colony.
After 1880 the main european nations like England, France, Germany, Belgium and Italy started to conquer colonies in Africa, Asia and Oceania.
The development of the conquest started with the military partecipation of the nations and continued with industrial and trader affairs that abused colony's raw materials. The main reasons of colonial development in XIX century were four:
I.Economic: research of raw materials
II.politics: nationalism, all the nation must have been politically superior to the others
III.Cultural: superiority of the white man compared to black man
IV.Social: the large increase of population
All these components caused colonialism. In a large part of cases this trial was exasperated and aggressive because it was dominated only by colon's thirst for wealth and power.
Same nations, England on all, imposed on their colonies even their culture and lifestyles. This situation caused the making of new “indigenous” middle-class which later, such as in India and South Africa, will take in their hands the administration of their nations, and then the indipendence.
France and England were the first european nations that colonized Africa: France (that was already in possesion of Algery since 1830) extended its possesion in western and equatorial parts of the continent (Senegal, Madagascar, Tunisy), while England, that had substracted Egypt from Turkey for the control of Suez's Channel, entered upon of colonial system that from El Cairo arrived to Cape Town (Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, South Africa). Here England substracted lands of Orange and Transvaal from Boers due to mineral deposits. In the Africa's sharing were partecipating even Belgium (Congo), Italy (Somalia and Eritrea) and Germany (south-western Africa).
In Asia european colonial expansionism met with very ancient empires like the Chinese and the Japanese. England was the first to run the blockede of chinese harbours. The industrial and economic development, better ways of communications and the new commercial organizations leaded to the overmark of colonies' resourches. European nations gained benefits from this politics of exploitation, diffused besides their civilization, their culture, their system of government, religion and language.
Colonial expansionism had repercussions even on the european politics system because the relation of power between the nations was completely lacerated. That contributed to the outbreak of the I World War.
Imperialism

Imperialism started after the great geographic discoveries of XVI century.
The reasons of the imperialism were different:
I.Economic reasons: colonial lands were market-place for wares and a source of raw materials under cost
II.Politics reasons: the conquest of large colonies signified internetional prestige
III.Cultural reasons: in the society began to assert nationalism (prestige of one's own nation as the primary value) and racism
An event of great importance was the millenary chinese empire's end, between 1800 and 1900. The european irruption leaded bad effects. In the meanwhile, grew a new leading class that became rich with trade, while the people continued to live in misery. Before this situation, there were xenophobe and conservative reactions.


British Imperialism

England layed the founds of its own colonial empire in XVI century developing the navy, with East India Company that entered in challange with the spanish naval power.
The main theme of British imperialism was the assertion of determinate races and nation's superiority compared to other people of the Earth. As these last was unable of utilizing their country's wealthes, the “higher” nations claimed the right to take possession of it.
Writers and politicians applied these thesis to the english people and developed the theme of the civilization's mission that England had to carry out in the world.
England granted a large political and economical autonomy to the most ancient colonies (Canada, Australia and New Zeland).
The most important colonial estate of England was India. Firstly was only a stiff overwork (the indian cotton's manufacture was completely ruined by english competition). Later, after some rebellions, England modified its own way to govern India engaging itself to modernize India's economy and to create a middle-class of indian officers educated in order to collaborate in managing the country.
The most brutal aspect of english colonization was the war against China, in order to force it to accept the wicked opium's trade.
This drug was imported in China by english traders when changed it with chinese products. Opium beared in few years catastrophical consequences on people.
England answered to the chinese's protest with the so callaed Opium's War from 1839 to 1842.
The defeat of China leaded to the english installation in Hong Kong and to a series of unfair commercial dealings, imposed with strenght.

Marco Seminara & Leonardo Trapassi