IMPERIALISM

Rajat Dixit

INTRODUCTION

• IMPERIALISM ESSENTIALLY CONNECTS THE IDEA OF SUBORDINATE, “A POWER RELATIONSHIP WITHOUT MORAL IMPLICATION OF ANY KIND”.

• IT IS AN URGE OF STATE TO ACQUIRE JURISDICTION AND EXERCISE DOMINATION OVER THE OTHER STATES.

• IT HAS BEEN A TRADITIONAL INSTRUMENT OF NATIONAL POLICY.

• IT WAS JUSTIFIED AS A MORAL AND LEGITIMATE INSTRUMENT AND USED IT FOR SECURING THE GOALS OF NATIONAL INTERESTS.

• IMPERIALISM IS ESTABLISHED BY A SUPER POWER AND IT IS BASED ON SUPERIOR SUBORDINATE RELATIONSHIP.

• IMPERIALISM DOES NOT COME IN A STANDARD FORM. THE TIGHT FORM IMPERIALISM IS COLONIALISM. THE WEAKER FORM OF CONTROL IS NEO-COLONIALISM.

MEANING

• THE POLICY OF FORCEFULLY EXTENDING A NATION’S AUTHORITY BY TERRITORIAL GAIN OR BY THE ESTABLISHMENT OF ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL DOMINANCE OVER OTHER NATIONS.

DEFINITION

• THE ATTEMPT TO CONQUER OTHER COUNTRIES.

- N.L. BUKHARIN

• IMPERIALISM IS THE EMPLOYMENT OF THE ENGINES OF GOVERNMENT DIPLOMACY TO ACQUIRE TERRITORIES, PROTECTORATES, AND/OR SPHERES OF INFLUENCE OCCUPIED USUALLY BY OTHER RACES OR PEOPLES, AND TO PROMOTE INDUSTRIAL, TRADE, AND INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES.

- CHARLES A. BEARD

• IMPERIALISM IS A POLICY WHICH AIMS AT CREATING, ORGANISING, MAINTAINING AN EMPIRE THAT IS, A STATE OF VAST SIZE COMPOSED OF VARIOUS MORE OR LESS DISTRICT NATIONAL UNITS AND SUBJECTS TO A SINGLE CENTRALIZED WILL.

- MORITZ

JULIUS BONN

• IT IS AN EXPANSION OF A STATE’S POWER BEYOND IT’S BORDER.

- HANS

MORGENTHAU

FEATURES OF IMPERIALISM

• IT MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE ECONOMIC MOTIVE.

• WIDER AND LIMITED OPERTIONS.• IT MAY BE PLANNED OR UNPLANNED.• THERE MAY OR MAY NOT BE DIFFERENCE

OF RACES.• IT MAY BE PROFITABLE OR UNPROFITABLE.• IT MAY BE DEVELOPMENTAL OR

EXPLOITATIVE.

METHODS OF IMPERIALISM

1. MILITARY IMPERIALISM: • OLDEST & CRUDEST FORM• IT IS A GAMBLE PLAYED FOR THE HIGHEST

STAKE.

2. ECONOMIC IMPERIALISM:• OUTCOME OF MODERN AGE.• INDIRECT METHOD TO GAIN FOOTHOLD IN

FOREIGN TERRITORIES.

3. CULTURAL IMPERIALISM :• IT DOES NOT ATTEMPT TO CONQUER

TERRITORIES RATHER IT ATTEMPTS TO CONQUER THE MINDS OF PEOPLE AS A MEANS OF CHANGING THE POWER RELATIONS.

MOTIVES OF IMPERIALISM

1. ECONOMIC GAINS2. POWER AND PRESTIGE3. HUMANITARIAN MOTIVE4. PSYCHOLOGICAL SATISFACTION5. SECURING OF NATIONAL DEFENCE

6. ADJUSTMENT OF SURPLUS POPULATION.

THEORIES OF IMPERIALISM

• MARXIST THEORY: IT IS A PRODUCT OF CAPITALISM.

• LIBERAL THEORY: ACCEPTS THAT CAPITALIST ECONOMY LEADS TO IMPERIALISM BUT DOES NOT ACCEPT THAT IMPERIALISM IS NATURAL RESULT OF EXPANSION OF CAPITALISM.

• DEVILS THEORY: RESULT OF CONSPIRACY OF BIG BUSINESSMEN FOR THE PURPOSE OF PRIVATE GAIN.

MERITS OF IMPERIALISM

• WHITE MAN’S BURDEN.• POLITICAL UNITY• ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT• TRAINING FOR SELF GOVERNMENT.• PROMOTES INTERNATIONALISM.• NATURAL PHENOMENON IN IR.

DEMERITS OF IMPERIALISM

• POLITICAL DOMINATION.• ECONOMIC EXPLOITATION.• DESTROYS NATURAL CULTURE AND

MORALITY.• RACIAL DISCRIMINATION ENCOURAGES.• INTRODUCES INTERNATIONAL WAR AND

RIVALRY.

• INHUMAN.

• ANTI-DEMOCRATIC AND ANTI-LIBERAL.

IMPERIALISM AND COLONIALISM

• WHAT IS COLONIALISM?COLONIALISM IS A NATURAL OVERFLOW OF

NATIONALITY, IT’S TEST IS THE POWER OF THE COLONOLISTS TO TRANSPLANT THE CIVILISATION THEY REPRESENT TO THE NEW NATURAL AND SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT IS WHICH THEY FIND THEMSELVES.

RELATION BETWEEN IMPERIALISM AND COLONIALISM:•COLONIALISM AND IMPERIALISM, BOTH ARE IDENTICAL IN SO FAR BOTH INVOLVE FOREIGN RULE, ECONOMIC EXPLOITATION AND CULTURAL SUBORDINATION.

DIFFERENCE B/W IMPERIALISM&COLONIALISMIMPERIALISM• OLDER SYSTEM• BASIC OBJECTIVE IS TO

ACQUIRE POWER• IMPOSITION OF ALIEN RULE

UPON OTHER PEOPLE• POLITICAL CONTROL IS

MORE AGGRESSIVE, RIGID AND AUTOCRATIC

COLONIALISM• MODERN SYSTEM• BASIC OBJECTIVE IS TO

ACQUIRE ECONOMY.• NATURAL OVERFLOW OF

ALIEN NATIONALITY IN THE SUBJECT TERRITORY

• DOMINATION OF LIFE & CULTURE OF ORGANISED PEOPLE

NEO-IMPERIALISM

• IT IS DESIGNED TO HIGHLIGHT CONTINUATION OF ECONOMIC OR POLITICAL DEPENDENCIES OF FORMER COLONIES BY THEIR MASTERS.

FEATURES OF NEO-IMPERIALISM

• INTERFERING THE INTERNAL AFFAIRS OF THE SMALL AND NEW STATES.

• SUPPLY OF ARMS AND WEAPONS.• FOREIGN AID AND LOANS.• CONTROL OF INTERNATIONAL

ORGANISATIONS THROUGH MNC’s.• CREATING ECONOMIC DEPENDENCIES AND

SATELLITE STATES.

CONCLUSION

IMPERIALISM IS INHERENTLY INHUMAN, ANTI-LIBERAL, ANTI-DEMOCRATIC IN NATURE AND SCOPE. IT IS A CURSE AND SLUR ON COLONIALISM AS WELL AND NATIONAL LIBERATION MOVEMENTS HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN LIQUIDATING SVERAL SINS OF TRADITIONAL IMPERIALISM AND COLONIALISM FROM INTERNTIONAL RELATIONS OF OUR TIMES. MUCH, HOWEVER, STILL RREMAINS TO BE DONE. THE NEW FORCE OF IMPERIALISM-COLONIALISM i.e., COLONIALISM IS YET TO BE ELIMINATED FROM INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM.

REFERENCES

• AN INTRODUCTION TO INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS- GULAM MOHAMMAD DAR

• INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS ED. II- PEU GHOSH

• THE GLOBALIZATION OF WORLD POLITICS: AN INTRODUCTION TO INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS- JOHN BAYLIS, STEVE SMITH, PATRICIA OWENS

• www.historylearningsite.com