Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Forces Driving Imperialism
I think that there are a few different forces driving imperialism, one of the MAIN causes of WWI. First off is the potential gain in resources that could be made through imperialism was a very appealing factor to the select nations that had the power at the time to actually carry out imperialism. Also, in response to the other nations' imperialism, the nations that did not participate would eventually fall behind in the race to become a world power. In relation to WWI I think the most important factor is the foothold that a nation could take in different areas around the world. This foothold could provide a nation with strategic bases and resources that were spaced out across the globe for easier access for their military. This would be a major advantage in the event of a world war, and this is why so many nations pursued the path of imperialism.
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I agree with Billy, I think that many countries were trying to gain military bases around the world in case war did break out. However, by wanting these military footholds, powerful countries, such as the U.S. had to take over smaller countries, such as the Phillipines. Many imperialist acts, such as this, led to problems between countries which was a contributing factor to WWI.
ReplyDeleteThis imperialism left Germany and Austria-Hungary in a strategic disadvantage, and thus made holding onto every bit of European soil that much more important. Using this logic, one can understand the importance of Eastern Europe, particularly Serbia and Bosnia, a major cause of WWI.
ReplyDeleteDidn't right before the war started, Austria-Hungary and Germany were able to get two nations to separate from Turkey and join in the Central Powers? I'm just trying to reinforce what Mr. Geary said about the large importance of European soil right before the start of the war.
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