Imperialism in Retrospect

Abstract

Think of a map of the world as it was at the start of the twentieth century. European empires spanned the globe, sprawling across Africa and Asia. In the Americas and Australasia, whole populations had been displaced by European migrants. Of the world’s main population centers, only China and Japan remained outside European rule, and they were both profoundly shaken by contact with Europe. Now jump forward to the present. European empires have vanished, bar a few trivial remnants, but the world is still profoundly marked by their effects. Jump back to the eighteenth century, and Europe and Asia look almost like equals — Adam Smith used China as an example of a highly developed country, though he knew that all was not well with the Chinese economy. Go back further, to the fifteenth century, and Europeans were not even aware of the existence of the Americas. On a long time scale, the rise of European imperialism and its sudden collapse are among the most striking features of world history, as well as being among the most important factors shaping the world we live in.