What is british imperialism?
Imperialism is a policy of empire building. Britain had a very large empire in countries such as Australia and India. They entered these countries for cheap raw materials which were sent back to Britain. The colonies then provided a huge market for the manufactured goods. This process prevented the development of manufacturing in the countries with the actual raw materials and therefore prevented them from developing. Imperialism is rightly judged today as having had an awful effect on the world. British Imperialism is responsible for the slums of India and social problems in Northern Ireland etc. They are responsible for the deaths of millions. The British people have a lot of blood on there hands. Yet the British education system which is complete propaganda teaches that British imperialism was a good thing for Britain and the world. Lies.
How did militarism, alliances, imperialism, and nationalism led up to World War I?
Right i've spent all year answering these questions in huge essays in my History A level, now all that hard work comes into play: Militarism: The Arms Races, with war looming nations were desperate not to be outdone in any area of their military. Germany, France and Russia started to conscript large portions of their male population, this gave their countrymen military experience and a taste of war, suddenly everyone was ready and willing to fight. This conscription and arms build up meant that soon every European state had a huge army at its disposal, these armies were ruining their economies, they had to lose them soon but couldnt just let them go, they were propelled to war in order to destroy their enemies and give them the security they needed to allow disarmament. Germany also began building a large, modernised navy that directly threatened the British, who they were still attempting to secure as an ally at the time, and eventually forced them into the arms of the French, which leads us onto...... Alliances: without alliances WW1 would merely have been a short war between Serbia and Austria-Hungary, the alliance system dragged all of Europe into that insignificant conflict, first Germany and Russia and then the British and French a few days later. It was what made a small war a major world conflict. Imperialism: Again Germany's search for both a colonial and Central European empire put a lot of pressure on the Triple Entente and made a war more likely. They constantly threatened Britiain in order to secure concessions of territory (particularly in Africa and the Pacific), again this only tightened Britain's links with France and added to the Alliance web. Nationalism: This was what started the war and what allowed it to continue for so long. Previously wars had been very short and there had generally been at least a modicum of healthy respect for the enemy in many previous European conflicts. By WW1 the populations of Europe had been assured by their governments propoganda that their enemies were the lowest of the low. It was the hatred of the Germans that made the French want revenge for their occupation of Alsace Lorraine, it was the hatred of the Germans that allowed the British Army to have a sudden surge in recruit numbers in 1914 when it deployed to France and it was that same hatred that compelled the Allies to keep on fighting through the horrors of trench warfare.
How is British colonial history taught in British schools?
Barely.I’m currently studying my master’s course, so I’ve been through all stages of British education.It would be inaccurate of me to say that British schools don’t teach colonialism. They do, but is given no where near the level of importance as it should be given.During my secondary education (11–16), not once did we cover British Colonisation. I took GCSE history as an elective, so you’d think that maybe being in England, we’d read about something relevant to the history of our country. Nope, we read about the American West… Useful, right? Because knowledge of how barbed wire helped keep cattle in a safe space will help me here. In England. With no cowboys.At A-level (16–18), I chose to study history as one of my four options. Here, we learnt about ‘Life in Nazi Germany 1933–1945’, International Relations from 1945–1999, American Civil Rights and ‘Britain: 1906–1951’. That last module was the closest formal education I ever received on colonialism - and for only one paragraph in that topics textbook, it talked about British concentrations camps in the Boer war.And that was it.I used to ask my friends what they studied (friends from all over the country), and not one of them said they had studied colonialism.The thing is, that’s a bit of a problem. As a British-born Indian, this is a topic that affects me and my lineage greatly. It affects every ethnic minority in the country. Hell it even affects the entire planet. Why?Colonialism ties to:South Africa - the first concentrations camps were created by the BritishIndia - India has literally been raped of its resources to feed the British industrial revolution.U.S.A - America as we know it was colonised by BritainSlavery - Spanning from Africa, India and China to the Caribbean and the AmericasIsrael - was created out of British-controlled Palestine where Balfour also declared support for a Jewish state.Australasia - Australia, New Zealand, Fiji in addition to many other smaller island nations were all touch in someway by British colonists who went to war with the local ‘savages’.And so so so much more. But how many British adults today know any of this? How many British children know of any of this? How many ethnic minorities in the country don’t know this information?So ultimately, yes, the British education system does teach colonialism. But no where near in the scale that it should.
Was the British empire evil?
Seems you dont understand much about history. The British Empire brought democracy and helped form some of the worlds greatest countries. Would India and Pakistan be the two great Countries they are today without the experience of British rule. I argue they would be a war torn group of small kingdoms. Much poorer than they are now without the unifying force of a common enemy. Just one example. Oh and all would have been ruled and exploited by Napoleon. Next it was the wealth of the British Empire that helped greatly to win 2 world wars and the survival of Democracy. Im not denying millions died im saying millions more would have done without it. The British Empire was a leading light in the abolition of Slavery and had the military power to enforce it. How many millions are alive today? How many Africans? As for racism dont talk rubbish try being black or muslim in Hungary, or the United States for that matter. As an American tourist said “I just couldnt get over a British Police man saying “excuse me Sir can I help you look lost” find that response in the US if your black.
Did the age of Imperialism really end in 1918? Why or why not?
No, Here is why: I am pretty sure that in spite of being unsuccessful, Imperialism was pretty much the goal of Adolph Hitler.