The Age Of Empire Summary

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In 1987, Eric Hobsbawn, a recognized British Historian, published a book known as The Age of Empire: 1875 – 1914. This book was written in order to display world history four decades preceding World War I. One of the major topics included in the book involved the world domination of the European empires and how their rivalries led to the beginning of World War I. However, the United States did have a strong role in this domination and were considered an empire of their own. Not only were they known as an empire, but due to the war with Spain, they were also considered a world power.
In The Age of Empire: 1875-1914, Hobsbawn mentions the idea of an “empire” quite often. At this time Europe was considered a main empire. But what makes a country an empire? According to Hobsbawn, a country is labeled as an empire depending on their military power, culture, economy, and how much colonial possession the country has acquired. For a country to be considered dominant they must contain a strong military force. Having military supremacy is a key characteristic to be considered an empire. Without a forceful military, there is no physical power behind a country due to a lack of imperialism. Having a stable and efficient economy is another factor that contributes to a country becoming an empire. An economy that is developed based off of its capitalist’s center is most likely to become a chain …show more content…

This book exhibits how an empire is formed and informs readers about how the United States became a world power. It shows the tension between other powerful empires. Being known as an empire is very beneficial in gaining power in order to get what is wanted and what is needed. These empires are formed by sustaining a healthy culture, economy, and military. The Age of Empire: 1875-1914 also intensely discusses the role of the United States and how it became an

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