New Imperialism
What was the main difference between "New Imperialism" and earlier imperialism?
Direct control and formal empire-building vs. indirect influence and trade ports.
By 1914, what percentage of Africa was under European control?
Nearly all of it, except Ethiopia and Liberia
What assassination sparked WWI?
Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary.
What was trench warfare and where was it most commonly used?
Static, defensive warfare in trenches—mainly on the Western Front.
What treaty ended World War I?
Treaty of Versailles.
What was the “civilizing mission” and how was it used to justify imperialism?
It claimed to bring civilization and Christianity to "inferior" peoples; rooted in racism.
What triggered the Sepoy Rebellion in India?
Use of animal fat in cartridges, offending Hindu and Muslim soldiers.
What were the two major alliance systems before the war?
Triple Entente and Triple Alliance.
Name one new weapon that made WWI especially deadly.
Poison gas, machine guns, tanks, submarines
Name one punishment imposed on Germany by the Treaty of Versailles.
Territorial losses, military restrictions, war guilt clause, reparations.
What theory was used to argue that stronger nations had a right to conquer weaker ones?
Social Darwinism.
What were two negative impacts of British rule on Indian peasants?
Disruption of farming, famines, economic hardship.
Name two long-term causes of WWI.
Imperialism, militarism, nationalism, alliance systems.
What does “total war” mean?
All resources and people involved—government control, rationing, propaganda, etc.
What new nations were created after the Austro-Hungarian Empire dissolved?
Austria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia.
What event marked the beginning of the "Scramble for Africa"?
The Berlin Conference (1884–1885).
What were “spheres of influence” in China?
Regions where foreign powers controlled trade and investment without direct rule.
What was Germany’s plan to quickly defeat France at the start of the war?
The Schlieffen Plan.
What campaign was a failed Allied attempt to open a route to Russia via the Ottoman Empire?
The Gallipoli Campaign.
What was Woodrow Wilson’s plan for lasting peace called?
The Fourteen Points.
Describe two ways that imperial powers expanded control over territories.
Military force, treaties, puppet governments, coercion.
How did Japan become an imperial power in Asia?
Meiji Restoration → industrialization → conquest of Taiwan, Korea, Manchuria.
How did imperialism lead to WWI and increase its global scale and violence?
Colonial rivalries (e.g., Morocco), involvement of colonies, global battlefields (e.g., Africa, Middle East).
What was the outcome of the battles of Verdun and the Somme?
Massive casualties with little territorial gain—stalemate.
How did WWI contribute to future conflicts and global change?
Rise of fascism/communism, unresolved tensions, colonial unrest, U.S. global rise.