The Diaspora of British Engineering

Abstract

Imperialism is a complex phenomenon, taking different forms at different times. It flourishes whenever one society seeks to impose itself on another, and it takes advantage of the marked inequalities between societies that enable such an imposition to be effective. There have been two distinct periods when imperialism has been dominant in the modern world: the first occurred during the 16th and 17th centuries, and the second during the late 19th century. The earlier imperialist phase was made possible by Western superiority in marine technology and armaments and was motivated mainly by dynastic ambitions, religious zeal, and the desire for land and wealth, among other objectives. These objectives remained present in 19th-century imperialism, but the outstanding motivation of this period was the belligerent rivalry among a group of Western nations that enjoyed collectively an industrial and technological ascendancy over the rest of the world. By the end of the 19th century, the result of this competition was that all the major landmasses and islands of the world except Antarctica had been parceled out among the Western nations, either for outright occupation or as falling within clearly delineated spheres of influence.