HIS388H1 Lecture 5: Lecture 5.doc
Document Summary
Many motives: renewed interest among european great powers for imperialism, new markets, to gain access to raw materials, to improve ones military security, sense of pride and missionary work. Missionary work: the civilizing machine was french version of the white mans burden. Partly inspired by catholicism, but also since france had a unique culture which should be expressed to the world. Napoleon iii left behind new french colony in southern vietnam. Third republic took on new imperial push. French were not that interested in imperial expansion before franco-prussian war: merchants and industrials, geographical societies, missionaries, army officers who wanted to make a career for themselves however made lobby groups for imperial push. Empire was sometimes led by the periphery. However after franco-prussian war, france was diplomatically isolated: bismarck constructed alliance to intimidate france and isolate them. This alliance was known as dreikaiserbund: consisted of germany, austria-hungary and russia.