The Age of Imperialism Flashcards
Grade 10 · Social Studies · Flashcards
12 essential terms for understanding European colonialism and the Age of Imperialism.
Flashcards
- Imperialism
- Extension of a nation's power through colonization, military dominance, or economic control.
- Berlin Conference (1884–85)
- European meeting that divided Africa into colonies with arbitrary borders, excluding all African peoples.
- Social Darwinism
- Pseudoscientific ideology misapplying evolution to justify European racial superiority and colonial domination.
- Scramble for Africa
- Rapid European colonization of Africa (1880–1914); by 1914 only Ethiopia and Liberia remained independent.
- Colonialism
- System of political control over foreign territories, extracting resources for the colonizing nation's benefit.
- Sphere of Influence
- Region where a foreign power exercises dominance without formal annexation (e.g., European zones in China).
- Opium Wars (1839–1860)
- British-Chinese conflicts over Britain's illegal opium trade; China ceded Hong Kong and opened ports.
- Sepoy Mutiny (1857)
- Indian soldier uprising against the British East India Company; led to direct British Crown rule of India.
- Battle of Adwa (1896)
- Ethiopian victory over Italy; only African nation to defeat a European colonial power in this era.
- Protectorate
- Territory with nominal self-governance but effectively controlled by a foreign power; common British arrangement.
- Decolonization
- Post-WWII process of former colonies winning independence, primarily in Africa and Asia 1945–1975.
- Meiji Restoration (1868)
- Japan's rapid modernization to avoid colonization; Japan became an imperial power itself, colonizing Korea and Taiwan.
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