On the question of the imperial rivalry (based on materials of British exhibitions at the last third of the XIX – early XX centuries)

Abstract

In the practice of British imperial propaganda, international and colonial exhibitions occupied a prominent place, which made it possible to demonstrate the prosperity and unity of the vast possessions of the metropolis. The 1886 Exhibition was the first event of its kind and left behind a huge amount of sources which made it possible not only to present exhibition sites, but to draw conclusions about the theory and practice of British imperial building. The last third of the 19th century is characterized by the intensification of colonial rivalry between the great powers, which was expressed not only in trade, economic and military, but also in ideological confrontation. In this regard, it is interesting to analyze what assessment was given in the context of the exhibitions to «other colonialists» and by what parameters British imperial practices were compared with the policies of the competing powers. The article concludes that colonial exhibitions were indeed based on opposition, but it was not an opposition between Britain and other modern empires, but an opposition between the past and present of the British possessions themselves. In the past there was savagery and barbarism by the «uncivilized» natives or oppression by «bad» colonizers such as the French and Dutch. In the present, everything testified to progress, prosperity and peace within the British family.International exhibitions have always been an effective way to establish cooperation and have not been a method of demonstrating conflicts. The experience of the 1908 exhibition clearly demonstrated the peaceful potential of such projects.