European Imperialism In Europe

Imperialism, defined as a policy of extending a country's power and influence through diplomacy or military force; this represented the ideology behind expansion. This developed into an important factor in the development of early Europe as it forced growth amongst nations and pushed into an era of exploration and discovery. This took place throughout the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Europe and yet the same motivations held true. Early Europeans participated in imperialism to fuel economic growth, fulfill moral obligations, and equalize rivalries. Imperialism held the key to promoting economic growth, as Europe required more places to sell its goods. African and Asian countries required products that Europe had in surplus and with the sale of said products they could extend their power by controlling the economy of multiple countries. At the same time, these countries provided Europe with mass amounts of raw materials for European factories at low costs. Economic expansion also required cheap labor which could be found in the form of slaves in either Africa or the Americas, which required the exertion of military force thus
During this time period land was the equivalent to power, as one country gained land with new riches and opportunity, it held more power than that of its neighbors. In order to equalize this power, other countries using diplomatic and or military tactics, found ways to control more land whether it be “undiscovered” land in the Americas or conquered land in Europe, Africa, and or Asia. With the expansion of physical exploration, Europeans were able to explore new markets for profit, thus helping their economic status. As many European powers expanded their empires at the same time they sometimes competed for the same resources, markets, and trade and therefore had to apply military and/or diplomatic force to showcase their power and maintain specific areas of