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Is change a good thing? Traditions should be valued and cherished as they have been passed down from generation to generation with special significance of the origins of the past. However, refusing the need to change and ditch old traditions can lead to being complacent and leaving no room to grow and strive for better. In Roberts, The Penguin History of the Twentieth Century, we explore the idea that imperialism is much more than a mother country and its colonies, but rather a way of changing old traditions. We will explore this idea through the culture, technology, and politics of the United States and the Ottoman Empire in the twentieth century. The once great Ottoman Empire led the world from the fifteenth century until the early twentieth …show more content…
century. They were the definition of imperialism. The Ottoman Empire, led by the Sultan, controlled colonies in many different countries and covered roughly two million miles of land. Although this imperial system was extremely successful in the past it eventually turned into a dying empire. “Ottoman territories and client rulers in Africa had already slipped from the sultan’s effective grasp” (Roberts, 231). This quote shows that the colonies in Africa stopped following the empire. One can conclude that the colonies of the Ottoman Empire were tired of their government and wanted reform, which led to their secession from the Imperial system. Another factor that led to the downfall of the Ottoman was their unwillingness to accept technology, “Persia was a very rural society (there were less than eight miles of railway in the country)” (Roberts, 66). The reader can conclude that with so little railway it must be difficult to transport information and goods. The culture and education of the Ottoman Empire was against the government, “the ulema, provided the main channel for the expression of an often turbulent popular feeling” (Roberts, 66). The ulema were the Muslim teachers and preachers. This makes the point that both the religious people and the educators were unhappy with their current situation under the rule of the sultan. The Ottoman Empire eventually fell behind in modernizing and did not make very far into the twentieth century. The imperial system of the United States was young and innovative. It had a lot to prove to the world. The United States of America was quick to try new inventions and “modernize” their people. “By 1914 she would have the greatest manufacturing output in the world” (Roberts, p. 69). One can conclude that by being a young country without much guidance, America was quick to industrialize. This led to a stronger workforce for U.S. citizens and pushed the idea that everyone could pursue the American Dream. However the culture of America suffered greatly from industrialization. Many citizens, including children, worked in horrible conditions for a low wage. This led to many disputes and riots between factory owners and the working class; an example of this is the triangle shirtwaist factory where many women died in a factory fire. Although many of the citizens were unhappy the government still managed to run successfully, “no sign of revolutionary danger to democracy” (Roberts, 70). The reader can see that the people of America were satisfied with the way their government ran through a form of checks and balances in which not one person had supreme power over all. America thrived in the twentieth century and became one of the worlds strongest imperial systems. Both of the imperial systems described demonstrate the extreme ends of modernization in the twentieth century.
The Ottoman Empire showed that sticking to traditions led to the downfall of the empire while America became one of the world’s strongest forces by being innovative and accepting change. Politics in these two imperial systems were very different; the Ottoman Empire believed in sticking with their hierarchy in which the sultan was the supreme ruler and the United States was a democracy in which the people elected a President. One can see that this allowed the citizens of the U.S. the option to elect someone they believed shared the same values as they did. Technology also played a large factor in the downfall and success of the two imperial systems. The United States was a leader in the field of technology during the twentieth century while the Ottoman Empire was very far behind. Because of the unwillingness to modernize the Ottoman Empire fell. The United States showed their dominance when they were able to put humans on the moon; this was a huge step for the U.S. and showed all other imperial systems that the United States had quickly jumped to the top of the world. Lastly we will examine the culture of the two imperial systems. Both groups had unhappy citizens; “The outcome was discontent, xenophobia, conspiracy and ultimately revolution” “frequently bloody industrial disputes” (Roberts, 233,70). The people of the Ottoman Empire were discontent with the way their …show more content…
government was being run while the people of the United States were mad at the way they were treated by big corporations. One can conclude that although the Ottoman Empire and United States differed in politics and technology they both shared a similar culture in which the people were unhappy. The picture above is of the working women at the triangle shirtwaist factory. In bad working conditions these women were locked in a room so that they were unable to leave and take breaks. The building caught fire and many women were stuck inside and died in the fire. In the picture we see white women wearing conservative clothing with their hair pulled back. This may be because of the strict rules placed on them in order to work. An unknown photographer in New York 1910 took the picture. The picture above can first be analyzed as a high-class person because of their clean groomed face as well as extravagant clothing. It is a photograph of the sultan of Turkey from 1909-1918. The Bain News Service provided the photo. This was during the fall of the Ottoman Empire and the government was still spending money on extravagant photo-shoots. We examined the fall of the Ottoman Empire and the rise of the United States.
This was demonstrated through analyzing the similarities and difference between the two imperial systems. Politics were very different between the two countries because the Ottoman maintained their form of hierarchy while America ran a democracy in which everyone (eventually) has the right to vote. The two also differed greatly in the field of technology; the Ottoman Empire did not use technology while the U.S. made it a priority. Although these two imperial systems were very different we can agree that the citizens of both parties were never fully satisfied. The Ottoman ulema showed displeasure of the people while factory workers in America constantly rebelled in order to receive better working conditions. This raises questions about when would the culture of an imperial system be fully happy or satisfied? Or will there always be a need to change and strive for better for the people of an imperial
system?
The Ottoman Empire was a large empire that lasted for several hundred years. They were primarily Sunni Muslims and they were led by the Sultan. Over time, they had a long decline, mostly because they hadn’t progressed with the times. France and Britain were getting very involved with their affairs in Egypt. By the late 1800’s most of the Ottoman Empire was gone. During World War One (WWI), in 1916, the Arabs helped Great Britain to defeat the Ottoman Empire. In 1918 the Ottomans surrendered and their empire was dissolved. When mandates were established it caused nationalist ro revolt. General Mustafa
There were many purpose to why The united states become an imperial power. There was economic system, social, politic, and army factors. One of this is because that the US had a break down 1893, lack of employment
During the late 1800s and 1900s in various societies, imperialism played a major role. Imperialism consists of a country's domination of an economic and cultural life in another country. Within the 1800s and 1900s, Europe became a large-scale global leader. Europeans set up colonies all over the world, specifically Africa, India, China, and Japan. Imperialism is viewed through two different major points such as the imperialist and colonialist.
Like previous American expansion, American imperialism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries was motivated by desire for new economic gains and improvements. However, the social justification, diplomatic and military approach and geographical aspect of imperialist expansionism varied greatly from previous American growth. Therefore, American expansionism underwent more change in this period than continuity.
Imperialism is when a mother nation takes over another nation and become its colony for political, social, and economical reasons. Imperialism is a progressive force for both the oppressors (mother country) and the oppressed (colony), majorly occurring during the late 19th and early 20th century. It had more negative effects than positive effects due to its domination to other nations.
The United States became an extremely strong military power due to the decisions at this time. Due to the drive of the development of America at the present time, our nation was a dominant power in World War I in 1916. Furthermore, the U.S. has been a dominant world power for years to come all the way to present day. Finally, the imperialist view at the turn of the century was a movement to stabilize the economy, improve trade among other nations, and offer protection to make the lives of Americans better and easier.
Ultimately, European influence played a fundamental role in the shaping of the Ottoman Empire and Egypt during the 18th and early 19th century. It’s influence was most significant through government, economic, and military influence but its effects reverberated throughout society. Western influence was much less significant in Iran, primarily due to the fragmented nature of governorship in the region.
After the civil war, United States took a turn that led them to solidify as the world power. From the late 1800s, as the US began to collect power through Cuba, Hawaii, and the Philippines, debate arose among historians about American imperialism and its behavior. Historians such as William A. Williams, Arthur Schlesinger, and Stephen Kinzer provides their own vision and how America ought to be through ideas centered around economics, power, and racial superiority.
Introduction: The epoch of imperialism cannot be defined simply as a proliferation of inflated egos tied to the hardened opinions of nationalists, but also a multi-faceted global rivalry with roots of philosophies tainted with racism and social Darwinism. The technique of each imperialist was specific to the motivations and desires of each combative, predominantly Western power and subsequently impacted the success of each imperialist and its colonies. Driven by industrialization, Europeans are aware of the urgent need for raw materials and new markets to maintain a constant rate of expansion and wealth. Imperialism became a competition; in general, the European countries led with fervor while the non-Western regions deemed likely to be stepped on.
Prior to the 1900’s, the Ottoman Empire was a major country in Europe, with a vast sense of power that could be seen by all, however as the 1900’s got closer, the Ottoman Empire went into decline and would ultimately lead to their collapse. The Ottoman empire prior to their decline had a huge stake in European Society, due to the fact that they were located at a major trading area that every country in Europe wanted. The ability of having a major geographically advantage lead to the Ottoman having one of the biggest stake in European trade. The Ottoman Empire was a long lasting nation that helped develop European both socially and economically through its lifetime(Quataert Donald Vol 34), making a distinct cultural society that were adapted by almost every country within Europe.
Today, there are virtually no multinational states remaining and one would be hard-pressed to find a government that has remained in place since the pre-World War I era. In that sense, it is highly unlikely that the Ottoman Empire could have survived the tumultuous 20th Century. Nevertheless, it may have had a chance. If not for European intervention, Ottoman reforms may have succeeded. However, even with those reforms, they had to compete with the rise of nationalism, which would have been difficult.
There were two different time periods where Imperialism occurred. The first wave of imperialism, called the 'Old' Imperialism, lasted from around 1500 - 1800. The 'New' Imperialism lasted from around 1870 - 1914. The three main differences that we will discuss today are the differences in economics, politics, and the motive behind all of this.
All throughout history, we see this dichotomy between tradition and modernity. On one hand, we have tradition, the force living perpetually in the past and refusing to change. On the other hand, modernity leaves tradition behind in favor of progress. These two concepts, much like oil and water, dare to divide but coexist as a debatable founding solution. Not only are the themes Western ideas, but they have been present and are found in literature all around the world, from China to Africa.
Thornton, A. P. The Imperial Idea and its Enemies. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1985.
Many reforms and new ideals began to take shape during the decline of the Ottoman Empire.