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Abstract
In this clear and concise reassessment of British imperialism, Willie Thompson examines the underlying social, economic and political forces that facilitated expansion during the key period of 1870-1914.
Relating colonial expansion to both domestic politics and international relations, his book identifies the shifts in world economic and political relationships, especially the challenge from an emergent German Reich, as the driving forces behind the fresh burst of expansionist energy during the period.
Willie Thompson considers in detail the relations with the British state and various types of colony, from the semi-autonomous settlement colonies to wholly subordinated African territories and semi-colonies such as China and the Ottoman Empire. The impact of imperial ideology on British society and culture, both official and popular, and on political perceptions is explored, as is the structure of international relations and tensions generated by this phase of imperialism.
Table of Contents
| Section Title | Page | Action | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contents | iii | ||
| Chronology | vii | ||
| Preface | viii | ||
| Introduction | 1 | ||
| Nature of Empires | 2 | ||
| Ancient Empires | 2 | ||
| Medieval Empires | 3 | ||
| Modern Empire | 4 | ||
| Global Markets by the Eighteenth Century | 5 | ||
| Primitive Capital Accumulation | 5 | ||
| Regimes of Accumulation | 6 | ||
| Industrial Economy | 7 | ||
| Capital Investment and Industrial Challenge | 9 | ||
| Second Industrial Revolution - the Global Economy 1870-1914 | 9 | ||
| Unstable Structure | 10 | ||
| Lenin's Interpretation | 10 | ||
| Scope of Discussion | 13 | ||
| Further Reading | 13 | ||
| 1. The British Empire on the Eve | 15 | ||
| The Background | 16 | ||
| The Global Economy and the Empire | 17 | ||
| British Society | 20 | ||
| Prelude | 21 | ||
| India | 24 | ||
| The 1870s | 25 | ||
| Political Forces | 26 | ||
| Further Reading | 29 | ||
| 2. The Drive into Africa | 30 | ||
| 3. Other Extensions | 45 | ||
| India | 45 | ||
| East Asia | 47 | ||
| China | 47 | ||
| 4. The Evolved Imperial Structure | 59 | ||
| The Economic Framework | 60 | ||
| Settlement Colonies | 62 | ||
| Other Areas | 64 | ||
| Techniques | 66 | ||
| Ethnic Diasporas | 68 | ||
| Power and Arms | 70 | ||
| 'Regions Caesar Never Knew': Empire and Ideology | 71 | ||
| Moral Self-congratulation | 72 | ||
| The Media | 73 | ||
| Attitudes | 75 | ||
| 'Oldest Colony' | 76 | ||
| Further Reading | 78 | ||
| 5. Imperial Relations | 79 | ||
| Settlement Colonies | 79 | ||
| India | 82 | ||
| Africa and Others | 83 | ||
| Clash of Empires | 87 | ||
| Leadership Contest | 90 | ||
| The Chamberlain Project | 94 | ||
| A Comparison | 99 | ||
| Liberal Imperialists | 99 | ||
| Further Reading | 100 | ||
| 6. Significance of Empire | 102 | ||
| Opponents | 107 | ||
| Notes | 110 | ||
| Preface | 110 | ||
| Introduction | 110 | ||
| Chapter 1. The British Empire on the Eve | 111 | ||
| Chapter 2. The Drive into Africa | 112 | ||
| Chapter 3. Other Extensions | 113 | ||
| Chapter 4. The Evolved Imperial Structure | 114 | ||
| Chapter 5. Imperial Relations | 116 | ||
| Chapter 6. Significance of Empire | 118 | ||
| Select Bibliography | 119 | ||
| Appendix I – Maps | 121 | ||
| Appendix II - Tables | 128 | ||
| Index | 132 | ||
| Aborigines' Protection Society 107 | 107 | ||
| Africa | x |