Imperialism

For other uses, see Imperialism (disambiguation).

Illustration representing Cecil Rhodes' plan of building railways across Africa, connecting Cape Town and Cairo, aimed at extending the British Empire[1]
Portrait of a French soldier planting a French military standard on Madagascar during the Franco-Hova Wars.
Borders of Greater Germanic Reich envisaged in the Nazi-era propaganda map "Das Grossdeutschland in der Zukunft" (1943). The map depicts occupied Eastern Europe as a settler-colonial territory of Nazi Germany.[2]

Imperialism is maintaining or extending power over foreign nations, particularly through expansionism, employing both hard power (military and economic power) and soft power (diplomatic power and cultural imperialism). Imperialism focuses on establishing or maintaining hegemony and a more or less formal empire.[3][4][5] While related to the concepts of colonialism, imperialism is a distinct concept that can apply to other forms of expansion and many forms of government.[6]

  1. ^ S. Gertrude Millin, Rhodes, London: 1933, p. 138
  2. ^ "Kartenskizze eines zukünftigen Europa unter deutscher Herrschaft" [Sketch map of a future Europe under German rule]. Deutsches Historisches Museum. Archived from the original on 14 June 2017.
  3. ^ "Imperialism". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 20 March 2023. state policy, practice, or advocacy of extending power and dominion, especially by direct territorial acquisition or by gaining political and economic control of other areas. Because it always involves the use of power, whether military or economic or some subtler form, imperialism has often been considered morally reprehensible, and the term is frequently employed in international propaganda to denounce and discredit an opponent's foreign policy.
  4. ^ "imperialism". Retrieved 22 February 2019. ... the policy of extending the rule or authority of an empire or nation over foreign countries, or of acquiring and holding colonies and dependencies ...
  5. ^ Ashcroft, Bill; Griffiths, Gareth; Tiffin, Helen; Ashcroft, Bill (2007). Post-colonial studies : the key concepts. London: Routledge. p. 111. ISBN 978-0-203-93347-3. OCLC 244320058. In its most general sense, imperialism refers to the formation of an empire, and, as such, has been an aspect of all periods of history in which one nation has extended its domination over one or several neighbouring nations.
  6. ^ "Imperialism | Definition, History, Examples, & Facts | Britannica". Britannica.com. 4 July 2023. Retrieved 25 August 2023.