5: Attitudes Towards Imperialism in Britain
View of the Before the mid-1800s, the government did no peruse a very active or interventionalist
Empire in the role in the empire. This was partly because of slow communications lack of institutions
first half of 19th to deal with the Empire and from a general lack of commitment to intervention. It was
century the freedom to trade and access markets that most concerned Britain. Successive
governments resisted calls to secure new territories e.g. by withholding charters. Both
Gladstone and Disraeli were against the empire at this point
Changing There was a new interest in Empire, partly as a response to the concern about other
attitudes from European powers and the Long Depression. Other nations were growing stronger
1870 industrially and Britain found greater economic competition. Europe and America
introduced protective tariffs which made it harder for Britain to export there. British
industrialisation generated surplus capital which looked for investments overseas There
was an increase in interest among the working-class and within popular forms of
entertainment and literature
Disraeli Conservative Prime minister in 1868 and between 1874-1880. He maintained a
friendship with Queen Victoria, flattering her with the Empress of India title in 1876, in
the same year he was given the Earldom of Beaconsfield
Disraeli and the He argued that it was the government's duty to reconstruct the Empire and that the
Conservatives' Conservatives were the 'party of the empire' in his 1872 Crystal Palace speech. This was
attitude to partly to win support from the enlarged electorate (1867 reform act). He wanted to
Empire develop the commercial and strategic empire. He bought £4m Suez Canal Shares in
1875. He gave Queen Victoria the title of Empress of India. He tried to secure India by
turning Afghanistan in to a client state - invasion of Afghanistan in 1878 which eventual
victory secure British control over Afghanistan and the secured the north-west frontier.
He supported the Ottoman Empire against the Russian threat. They annexed the Boer
republic of the Transvaal in 1877 and launched was on the Zulu and Pedi tribe in the
hope of creating a confederation of SA. The initial invasion of Zululand proved a
failure, with British troops humiliated at Isandlwana in January 1879 before belatedly
securing victory at Ulundi. His government actually annexed relatively few areas by he
was responsible for the profound long-term alteration in the way the Empire was
viewed. The setbacks in the Afghan and Zulu campaigns contributed to their defeat in
April 1880
Gladstone Leader of the newly formed Libera Party from 1868. It has been argued that he was, at
heart, a domestic politician whose views were anti-imperialist and non-
interventionalist. He had little enthusiasm for colonial expansion. However, he never
tried to disassociate the liberals with the Empire, so the differences weren't as great as
Disraeli made out
Gladstone and Thought Britain should concentrate on developing existing colonies, helping them
the Liberals' towards self-government. He saw the Empire as having the potential for a larger
attitude to community of sovereign states. He saw it largely in economic terms - as a trading
Empire empire. He had to pick up the pieces of the Conservatives in South Africa, the Boers
started the First Boer War, following the British defeat at Majuba Hill in 1881, he refused
to commit further troops, lives of money for British hegemony over SA. During the
Mahdist Rebellion in the Sudan in 1884 he urged the withdrawal of Anglo-Egyptian
troops, believing they were 'struggling rightly to be free'. He intervened in Egypt for the
sake of safe passage to India, protecting economic interests (he had a large personal
investment in Egypt) and European lives, and becasue of public and press pressure.
He broke the links with Turkey and became more involved in Africa. After the Berlin
Conference he became more involved in Africa, leading to the conversion of
Somaliland and Bechuanaland into protectorates. However, the local rulers were left
in power in Bechuanaland which suggested he was reluctant to take on further
management/costs. When Germany claimed New Guinea in 1884, Gladstone resisted
intervention so the Premier of Queensland ordered the occupation of the island's SE
zone to establish British control there. Australia subsequently financed the
development of British New Guinea. He resigned in June 1885 but returned in 1886 and
introduced the Home Rule Bill for Island, confirming his reluctant imperialistic status.
Although the most extensive acquisitions came under Gladstone, they were often the
result of actions of Disraeli. Both reacted to local threats in a way which protect
Britain's key trade routes and strategic interests
The Popular Reporting in the growing popular press saw the value of stories of the exotic, heroism
Press and national one-upmanship. The Times - represented traditional wealthy views and
promoted an imperialist agenda, but circulation declined 1857-1890. The Manchester
View of the Before the mid-1800s, the government did no peruse a very active or interventionalist
Empire in the role in the empire. This was partly because of slow communications lack of institutions
first half of 19th to deal with the Empire and from a general lack of commitment to intervention. It was
century the freedom to trade and access markets that most concerned Britain. Successive
governments resisted calls to secure new territories e.g. by withholding charters. Both
Gladstone and Disraeli were against the empire at this point
Changing There was a new interest in Empire, partly as a response to the concern about other
attitudes from European powers and the Long Depression. Other nations were growing stronger
1870 industrially and Britain found greater economic competition. Europe and America
introduced protective tariffs which made it harder for Britain to export there. British
industrialisation generated surplus capital which looked for investments overseas There
was an increase in interest among the working-class and within popular forms of
entertainment and literature
Disraeli Conservative Prime minister in 1868 and between 1874-1880. He maintained a
friendship with Queen Victoria, flattering her with the Empress of India title in 1876, in
the same year he was given the Earldom of Beaconsfield
Disraeli and the He argued that it was the government's duty to reconstruct the Empire and that the
Conservatives' Conservatives were the 'party of the empire' in his 1872 Crystal Palace speech. This was
attitude to partly to win support from the enlarged electorate (1867 reform act). He wanted to
Empire develop the commercial and strategic empire. He bought £4m Suez Canal Shares in
1875. He gave Queen Victoria the title of Empress of India. He tried to secure India by
turning Afghanistan in to a client state - invasion of Afghanistan in 1878 which eventual
victory secure British control over Afghanistan and the secured the north-west frontier.
He supported the Ottoman Empire against the Russian threat. They annexed the Boer
republic of the Transvaal in 1877 and launched was on the Zulu and Pedi tribe in the
hope of creating a confederation of SA. The initial invasion of Zululand proved a
failure, with British troops humiliated at Isandlwana in January 1879 before belatedly
securing victory at Ulundi. His government actually annexed relatively few areas by he
was responsible for the profound long-term alteration in the way the Empire was
viewed. The setbacks in the Afghan and Zulu campaigns contributed to their defeat in
April 1880
Gladstone Leader of the newly formed Libera Party from 1868. It has been argued that he was, at
heart, a domestic politician whose views were anti-imperialist and non-
interventionalist. He had little enthusiasm for colonial expansion. However, he never
tried to disassociate the liberals with the Empire, so the differences weren't as great as
Disraeli made out
Gladstone and Thought Britain should concentrate on developing existing colonies, helping them
the Liberals' towards self-government. He saw the Empire as having the potential for a larger
attitude to community of sovereign states. He saw it largely in economic terms - as a trading
Empire empire. He had to pick up the pieces of the Conservatives in South Africa, the Boers
started the First Boer War, following the British defeat at Majuba Hill in 1881, he refused
to commit further troops, lives of money for British hegemony over SA. During the
Mahdist Rebellion in the Sudan in 1884 he urged the withdrawal of Anglo-Egyptian
troops, believing they were 'struggling rightly to be free'. He intervened in Egypt for the
sake of safe passage to India, protecting economic interests (he had a large personal
investment in Egypt) and European lives, and becasue of public and press pressure.
He broke the links with Turkey and became more involved in Africa. After the Berlin
Conference he became more involved in Africa, leading to the conversion of
Somaliland and Bechuanaland into protectorates. However, the local rulers were left
in power in Bechuanaland which suggested he was reluctant to take on further
management/costs. When Germany claimed New Guinea in 1884, Gladstone resisted
intervention so the Premier of Queensland ordered the occupation of the island's SE
zone to establish British control there. Australia subsequently financed the
development of British New Guinea. He resigned in June 1885 but returned in 1886 and
introduced the Home Rule Bill for Island, confirming his reluctant imperialistic status.
Although the most extensive acquisitions came under Gladstone, they were often the
result of actions of Disraeli. Both reacted to local threats in a way which protect
Britain's key trade routes and strategic interests
The Popular Reporting in the growing popular press saw the value of stories of the exotic, heroism
Press and national one-upmanship. The Times - represented traditional wealthy views and
promoted an imperialist agenda, but circulation declined 1857-1890. The Manchester
