Imperial Consolidation & Liberal Rule 1890-1914 - Attitudes To Empire, Role & Influence Of Individuals Flashcards
(31 cards)
What gave Joseph chamberlain the name ‘a man with a mission’?
He turned down office of both chancellor and Home Secretary in 1895 in order to become Secretary of State for the colonies
Joseph Chamberlain significant moments:
- opposed gladstone’s proposal for Irish independence
- he initiated the Ugandan railway, the annexation of Ashantiland and in 1900 he supervised the the acquisition of the territories of the royal Niger company
- parliamentary enquiry exonerated him of any responsibility for the Jameson raid
- he supported Rhodes ambitions in South Africa
- he presided the success in the second Anglo Boer war
What did Joseph Chamberlain believe in terms of Empire?
- the imperial bonds needed reinforcing if the empire was to be preserved and Britain wanted to remain a ‘world power’
- he believed in a sense of imperial duty - saying that ‘the British race is the greatest governing races’
- he believed in the importance of tariffs on all foreign goods
- he thought that favourable trade between Britain & colonies would reduce unemployment
- he promoted gov investment in less profitable areas of empire
Why did Chamberlain lose some of his glory?
The dragging on of the second Anglo Boer war
When did Chamberlain become PM/resign as colonial secretary?
1902 after Salisbury retired
What was the Tariff Reform League?
It organised the distribution of large numbers of leaflets and played chamberlain’s recorded messages to crowded public meetings
What was a key failure of Chamberlain?
He failed to carry the conservatives with him, split the party and brought about Balfour’s resignation and in 1906 he failed to convince the public who feared the cost of living crisis
What was Rhodes’ role by 1890?
PM of cape colony
What were Cecil Rhodes beliefs?
- he believed British civilisation and control were key to the betterment of the world
- he thought it was the right and duty of Anglo Saxons to dominate Africa and beyond
How did Rhodes try to link the cape to Sudan and Egypt?
He sent settlers and British South Africa company troops to establish fort Salisbury in Ndebele territory in 1890 and violently expanded into territories that were to be know as the ‘Rhodesias’
What was a key Rhodes project to outflank the Boers and Germans?
The railway line north from the cape through beauchanaland, hoping in woukd eventually reach the Nile and so ensure British dominance of all of east Africa
How did rhodes’ ‘Cape to Cairo’ route fail?
It was blocked by German occupation of east Africa from 1891
When did Rhodes resign?
1896
What was Curzon’s role?
Viceroy of india
What did concern over Russian expansion cause Curzon to do?
He created the North West Frontier Province in 1901 and dispatched military expeditions into tibet
What was a key success of curzon’s regarding famine in India?
He reintroduced means tests for famine relief, preventing a million people in the Bombay region from claiming aid during the 1899-1902 famine
What were key success of curzon’s in India?
- he oversaw the construction of a further 6000 miles of railway track
- he founded the cadet corps to give Indian nobles a military role and prospect of officer commission’s believing that loyal Indian elites were crucial to the successes of the Raj
What shows that curzon’s was reluctant to give Indians any responsibility?
At the university of Calcutta, infront of Indian students, he said ‘you cannot do without us’
Failures of curzon:
Partition of Bengal 1905 which forced him to resign
Who was Sir Evelyn baring?
Consul-general in Egypt between 1883 and 1907
What was the ‘granville doctrine’ and why did baring establish it?
The ‘Granville doctrine’ allowed baring to dismiss Egyptian ministers who refused to accept British directives
How did Baring view the Indian army?
He considered them to be ‘untrustworthy’ and so was disbanded and a new army was organised created by the British in india
How did Tewfiq’s death in 1892 challenge baring’s rule?
Tewfiq was succeeded by Abbas Hilimi II who wanted to throw off British rule
What views did Evelyn baring have?
- He had ‘Orientalist’ views, regarding Egypt as being under the grip of Islam which he thought the outdated Arabian customs to be regressive, detrimental to to modern Egypt and inferior to Christianity
- he was particularly concerned with Islamic society’s perceived ‘acceptance’ of slavery, ‘antiquated’ justice system and their ‘subjugation’ of women