Paper Summary:

The paper considers three key events in European imperialism, in order to prove that tensions in Europe resulted in the rush for land in other continents. The paper looks at Britain's aggressive actions in the 1860s, the French expansion in the 1870s and Britain's war with Ireland, 1916 until today. The paper shows how these European conflicts first forced the countries into colonies, then into territorial fights over the colonies, and finally, forced them to withdraw from these lands when wars in Europe crippled their economic and diplomatic might.

From the Paper:

"The Prussian minister, Bismarck, was completing his mission of a German empire, united under Prussia. Between 1860 and 1870, Bismarck waged war upon first Denmark, capturing significant duchies, then Austria, defeating the powerful country in seven weeks during 1866, and finally, while fighting a war with France, absorbing the southern German states into his empire, along with the French territory Alsace-Lorraine. Within only one decade, Bismarck had taken Prussia from one of a number of German states, to a powerful empire complete with lands taken from other countries. Britain had been forced to watch from the sidelines, leaving her with lost diplomatic influence."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Betts, Raymond F Europe in Retrospect: A Brief History of the Past Two Hundred Years Britannia, 2000.
• Blake, Robert The Decline of Power 1915-1964 Paladin 1986.
• Crankshaw, Edward The Fall of the House of Habsburg Cardinal 1974
• James, Lawrence The Rise and Fall of the British Empire Abacus, 1997
• Porter, Bernard The Lion's Share: A Short History of British Imperialism 1850-1983Longman, 1984

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