What Was Late Nineteenth-Century European Imperialism

It was not by numbers, however, but by dynamism that Europeans dominated the world in 1914. They had an educated, skilled population, a culture that rewarded creative innovation; massive industrial productivity, and a near monopoly of military force. Historians disagree sharply about the causes of the gigantic burst of energy that was late-nineteenth-century European imperialism. Some believe it was primarily cultural: the zeal of missionaries for converts, of engineers for new rivers to bridge, and of soldiers for glory. Others attribute imperialism to economic drives. They point to French occupation of Tunisia in 1881, where French bondholders feared the loss of their assets, and to the British occupation of Egypt in 1882, where European
Never had the movement of people and goods from one country to another been subject to so little government regulation. Before World War I, one could travel anywhere in the world without a passport, could sell products on any continent, or collecting income from foreign investments without referring to any government—provided, of course, one had money.
The wealthiest industrial and commercial tycoons were equal or superior to aristocrats in everything except hereditary title. Traditionally, the possessors of great new fortunes did their best to acquire landed estates, aristocratic manners, and (eventually) even a noble title for their children if not for themselves. Nationalism stirred more hearts in Europe in 1914, including those of many workers, than did socialism. New public school systems, newspapers, and popular culture helped spread the national idea. Typically, the dominant nationality that ran each Western European Great Power used schools, conducted public ceremonies, and obligatory military service to make citizens more homogeneous and more