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Great Britain and World-Politics, 1878-1911
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Great Britain and World-Politics, 1878-1911
On the whole, it is true to say that up till 1878 the gaze of I European statesmen had been fixed mainly upon affairs in Europe; and that, since that date, it has been fixed to an increasing extent upon affairs in Asia and Africa. What were the causes of this change? Partly, no doubt, it was due to the fact that, for the generation that lived after 1878, there was no European problem that pressed for immediate solution; Italy had attained her nationality, Prussia kid fought out her struggle with Austria and with France, and even the Eastern Question ceased to be explosive. Then, again, in the years previous to 1878 the value of extra-European possessions was hardly realized, Cobden, for instance, the free trader, had looked upon our great Indian Empire with an "eye of despair". The popular view of colonies was expressed by Disraeli, who said in 1852, "these wretched colonies will all be independent in a few years and are like a millstone round our necks"; whilst Bismarck said in 1876, "1 do not want colonies at all. Their only use is to provide: sinecures." But the growing fidelity of the colonies to the British Empire and their increasing prosperity, coupled with the. greater facilities of communication, gradually brought about a revulsion of feeling. Above all, the Kuropean nations began gradually 1o realize the necessity for expansion. They had to find outlets for their growing population, 2 fresh markets for the products of their growing manufactures. Africa and Asia offered the best openings for their enterprise, and the field of rivalry between the various European nations has therefore been transferred from Europe to these two vast continents.
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Chronology
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