MEPX
Chapter 3 of 10All chapters
  1. 1The age of revolutions
  2. 2Industrial society
  3. 3Empire and nationalism
  4. 4The First World War
  5. 5Between the wars
  6. 6The Second World War
  7. 7Building a new order
  8. 8The Cold War
  9. 9Decolonisation and civil rights
  10. 10Since 1991

Chapter 3 of 10

Empire and nationalism

1850 to 1914.

The scramble

European powers partitioned Africa and much of Asia within a few decades, justified by ideologies of racial superiority and driven by resources and rivalry.

  • Borders drawn then still shape conflicts today.
  • Resistance was continuous, and is often left out of older accounts.

Nation states

Germany and Italy unified, while multi-ethnic empires such as Austria-Hungary and the Ottomans faced nationalist pressures that would help break them apart.