Essay On Western Imperialism

When industrialization escalated the need for raw materials and markets, Western imperialists increasingly needed to acquire colonies. The Age of Imperialism, from 1850 to 1914, was a period when powerful countries seized other countries or territories. Typically, the stronger country dominated the political, economic, and social life of the weaker country. Even if a country has more power than another, a country may not necessarily take action unless there was a driving force, such as the demand for raw materials. Industrialized nations embarked on imperial ventures for natural resources such as rubber and oil. Belgium imperialized the Congo because of its abundance of rubber between 1900 and 1908. Whereas, Great Britain and Russia imperialized Persia because of the discovery of oil

It emphasized that “access to Persian Gulf oil and [the] security of key friendly states in the area are vital to U.S. national security,” and specified that the United States would not hesitate to use “military force” to “defend its vital interests in the region” (“Seeking Stability”). The United States’ desire for Persian oil at all costs was essentially the driving force for imperial ventures in 1928. The future of Western dependence on Middle Eastern oil was sealed in 1908, when Britain decided to switch from a coal-powered navy in the Mediterranean to protect its oil interests in the Middle East. This critical change marked the beginning of an era of Western oil imperialism - a “collaborative effort between industrial governments and oil companies to control the oil resources of various less advanced countries” (“Seeking Stability”). Evidently, Great Britain feared other powers would attempt controlling oil in the Middle East leading to its acquisition of Persia. Therefore, with the discovery of Persian oil, the United States and Great Britain embarked on imperial