Did European Countries Embark On 'New Imperialism' more for political or economic reason?
Imperialism is the suppression of one country by another country. European countries were the biggest imperialist during 19th century era, their policy of extending their state over other territories were mass in area. Conquering from Africa to Asia, their reasons to why, is diverse.
Firstly, politics is one of the main cause of imperialism. Mass politics was the participation, in increasingly aggressive yet unstable ways, of the masses in governing of European nations. The development of mass politics took different forms in different nations. France's defeat by Germany in the Franco-Prussian war in 1861 emerged the need for France to maintain or recover national prestige. France sought compensation for European loss in overseas gain. The French started expanding their territories over at Italy by occupying Tunis in 1882, Prime Minister Gambetta declared that 'France is recovering her position as a great power'.
Furthermore, the sudden entry of Germany into the colonial arena in the period 1884-5 injected a new element of rivalry and intensified the scramble to claim concessions and territories. Facts conclude that why Germany entered the area of colonisation was because Bismarck was seeking to protect Germany's position in Europe and his increasingly complex alliance system. Also, domestic pressures explain Bismarcks entry into the colonial field. They point out in Germany Reichstag elections were approaching, and that claims to colonial spoils in Africa and Asia were electorally popular. Moreover, Bismarck's alleged concern to minimise the influence in German Ruling circles of the pro British crown Prince Frederick, 'when we started colonial policy, we had to face a long reign by the Crown Prince during which English influence would predominate'. In order to forestall this, Herbert, German Foreign Secretary in 1890 launched a colonial policy which is popular...