Imperialism defines a case where one state controls other territories either by military or political means. European states had control over Africa between the 1880s and 1914 in what is known as the scramble for Africa. The European states occupied the whole of Africa and were competing amongst themselves for control of the territory (Harlow and Carter 175). The European states that were economically stable and had stronger military occupied most of the regions. Competition for control led to the partitioning Of Africa into small regions that were occupied by the different states.
Some historical moments occurred during the scramble for Africa. The Boer wars especially the Second Anglo-Boer War that involved the British troops from different states show how they were competing for control of Africa. The environment and diseases did not favor the British soldiers. The Fashoda Incident involved France and United Kingdom in eastern Africa. They were fighting over their spheres of influence.
Scramble for Africa led to the introduction of modern communication and transportation methods. Some of the systems introduced include the railroads, telegraphs, telephone, and many others. European medicine was also introduced and led to the improvement of life. European nutrition also improved the health of individuals and increase living conditions. On the other side, the Africans were treated by the whites as inferiors. The way that the Europeans partitioned the territory did not consider ethnic, tribal, and cultural boundaries. This eventually led to tribal conflicts in Africa and this has continued to the present day.
The Ottoman Empire and Japan faced European expansion in different ways. Some states grabbed some parts of the Ottoman Empire and the Ottoman Empire reacted by engaging them in war. Russia and the Ottoman Empire engaged in a war between 1854 and 1856. The Europeans caused the war. France and Britain allied with the Ottomans so that they could protect their trade interests in the region. On the other hand, Japan faced the Europeans strongly and engaged them in war. However, Japan was defeated when a bomb was dropped and killed many citizens. Both the Ottoman Empire and Japan had tried to expand their international power.
Works Cited
Harlow, Barbara and Carter, Mia. Archives of Empire: The Scramble for Africa. New Jersey: London University Press, 2003. Print.