By 1914, an increasing number of conflicts between competing nations would erupt into World War I. Imperialism, state policy, practice, or advocacy of extending power and dominion, especially by direct territorial acquisition or by gaining political and economic control of other areas.
Instead, it is a pointless manifestation of the age-old behavior of nations whose political processes have become dominated by a “warrior” class.
Not until the “Age of New Imperialism” had started in the 1870s did the European states begin to establish their vast empires—mainly in Africa, but also in Asia and the Middle East.Driven by their need to deal with the over-production and under-consumption economic consequences of the The rapid advances in industrial production, technology, and transportation during the “Second Industrial Revolution” between 1870 and 1914 further boosted the economies of the European powers and thus their need for overseas expansion. Indeed, during the 1930s, both Britain and France forced Hawaii to accept exclusionary trade treaties with them.In 1894, Dole sent a delegation to Washington officially seeking annexation. With its economy drained, its military might a thing of the past, and its No longer focused strictly on securing new trading opportunities, modern imperialism involves the expansion of corporate presence and the spreading of the dominant nation’s political ideology in a process sometimes pejoratively called “nation-building” or, specifically in the case of the United States, “Americanization.”Aside from the United States, other prosperous nations have employed modern—and occasionally traditional—imperialism in hopes of expanding their influence.
History at your fingertips
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
At the same time, France controlled the Louisiana territory in North America as well as French New Guinea.
A painting showing Alexander the Great dressed for battle.The 1930s consisted of many individual but significant events that bound the Axis powers and culminated in a World War.This article was most recently revised and updated by
Boxer Rebellion. Synonyms & Antonyms of imperialism tendency to extend power or control over others especially through the use of force Violent conquer of other nations is one extreme form of imperialism. By the 1940s, former World War I participants Germany and Japan, regaining their imperialistic power, sought to create empires across Europe and Asia, respectively.
Using a combination of hyper-aggressive While the United States’ true colonial holdings have declined since the era of traditional imperialism, the nation still exerts a strong and growing economic and political influence on many parts of the world.
As a result, accusations of imperialism—factual or not—are often used in Imperialistic take-overs have been happening all over the world for hundreds of years, one of the most notable examples being the colonization of America.
Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.Imperialism is the state policy, practice, or advocacy of extending power and dominion, especially by direct territorial acquisition or by gaining political and economic control of other territories and peoples.