Ap Euro Dbq Imperialism Essay

The time period of 1750-1900 CE was a time of modernization and westernization following the Enlightenment and Age of Exploration which propelled Europe into being the central power of the world. It started off with the Industrial Revolution in Britain along with the emergence of capitalism which modernized European technology, weaponry, and ideas as well as giving them the desire for wealth all of which created a foundation for European imperialism in various parts of the world. Asia and Africa both fell victim to European imperialism, but to different extents both politically where Asia mostly retained autonomy while Africa fell under direct rule and socially where Africans fell victim to slavery and exploitation to a much greater degree

Its existence was beneficial to Europe so they were allied with them and known as the “Sick man of Europe.” In addition to the Ottoman Empire being kept alive by Europe, Japan was able to emerge as a power that rivaled Europe by accepting Western influence and going through the Meiji Restoration rather than trying to resist as what occured in China and Korea as seen in document 3 where Fukuzawa Yukichi states “It is better for us to leave the ranks of Asian nations and cast our lots with civilized nations of the West.” Fukuzawa Yukichi was a highly educated Japanese man who was influential in Japan’s acceptance of Western ideas resulting in Japan’s power. Even Egypt which experienced it own modernization, westernization, and rise in power due to the reforms by Muhammad Ali was opposed and conquered by Europeans as seen in document 4 which referring to Egypt’s army expansion states, “ It was this force that conquered the Ottoman province of Syria,

In Africa, punishment was purposely done by mutilating the hands of slaves who were unable to extracted the desired amount of raw material (rubber) as seen in document 6 where Edmund Morel states, “...Congo State troops were in the habit of cutting off the hands of men, women, and children in connection with the rubber traffic…” Despite being European, Edmund Morel was clearly against imperialism in Africa which shows the extent of the atrocities committed there to the Africans. Asia, specifically the Chinese, on the other hand suffered unintentionally as a result of opium exported to China by Britain which was damaging the society by making many addicted leading to Lin Zexu taking action as seen in document 5 where he essentially begs Queen Vitoria to stop opium exports and questions her about European morals on trading harmful substances just to make a profit. Lin Zexu was a powerful scholar official who played a major role in the outbreak of the Opium Wars which China lost leading to the Treaty of Nanking. It was not out of malicious intention and racism as in Africa, but rather more of a lack of consideration and greed for money. Asia did not experience a slavery as extreme as that in