While the term military adventurism has been used in recent years to refer to some of the foreign wars pursued by the United States, especially in the Middle East, it is a concept which has been a part of history for years. It refers to the way in which global powers conduct imperialist wars, with little regard for international law, to further their own ambitions. These ambitions are often related to wealth acquisition from military adventures, whether that be grabbing resources, or helping to benefit the defence industry.
Despite its close association with the USA, the term could be applied to a host of other nations, possibly dating back to ancient times. The US may have been involved in bloody wars in Iraq and Afghanistan recently, but similar conflicts were being manufactured by the world's imperial powers in the late 19th century. France, Italy, Germany, Great Britain and others could all, with some justification, be accused of military adventurism during this era.
One continent in particular suffered from the ravages of this kind of imperial adventuring by colonial powers, and that was Africa. Between the years 1881 and 1914, when the First World War began, the continent had been split between various European powers, with little regard or thought for the native peoples. This period of imperialist history is often referred to as the 'Scramble for Africa'.
France already controlled large chunks of Africa by the 1890s, and Great Britain controlled even more of it, but German activity began to grow after 1890, when Chancellor Bismarck resigned. Kaiser Wilhelm II's influence on German policy from that point helped to foster a doctrine known as 'Weltpolitik'. This doctrine maintained that acquiring an overseas empire was vital to Germany's growth as a nation.
Another nation who tried to join the scramble for Africa in the 1890s was Italy, a new nation determined to establish its credentials as a world power. Embarrassingly, the Italian invasion of Ethiopia, which occurred in 1895 to 1896, ended in defeat for the Italians. This meant that Ethiopia was the only African state to retain its independence at this time.
The drive for more Italian colonies was not halted by that embarrassing setback though, and the young nation did manage to secure control of Somaliland and Eritrea, both also in east Africa, by 1890. They conquered what is now Libya in 1911, after a war with the Ottoman Empire, now known as Turkey.
Another shameful piece of colonial adventuring occurred in the Congo. In this case, though, it was a monarch acting separately from his nation who was to blame for some of the worst outrages of the period. King Leopold II of Belgium used inhuman methods to rule Congo Free State as a personal fiefdom, but his crimes were discovered, and by 1908 control of the Congo had passed to the Belgian state.
Military adventurism is therefore not a new concept at all. It occurred on many occasions in the late 19th century, and in eras before that too, dating back a long time. Many would argue that global politics today is still shaped to a distressing extent by the concept.
Despite its close association with the USA, the term could be applied to a host of other nations, possibly dating back to ancient times. The US may have been involved in bloody wars in Iraq and Afghanistan recently, but similar conflicts were being manufactured by the world's imperial powers in the late 19th century. France, Italy, Germany, Great Britain and others could all, with some justification, be accused of military adventurism during this era.
One continent in particular suffered from the ravages of this kind of imperial adventuring by colonial powers, and that was Africa. Between the years 1881 and 1914, when the First World War began, the continent had been split between various European powers, with little regard or thought for the native peoples. This period of imperialist history is often referred to as the 'Scramble for Africa'.
France already controlled large chunks of Africa by the 1890s, and Great Britain controlled even more of it, but German activity began to grow after 1890, when Chancellor Bismarck resigned. Kaiser Wilhelm II's influence on German policy from that point helped to foster a doctrine known as 'Weltpolitik'. This doctrine maintained that acquiring an overseas empire was vital to Germany's growth as a nation.
Another nation who tried to join the scramble for Africa in the 1890s was Italy, a new nation determined to establish its credentials as a world power. Embarrassingly, the Italian invasion of Ethiopia, which occurred in 1895 to 1896, ended in defeat for the Italians. This meant that Ethiopia was the only African state to retain its independence at this time.
The drive for more Italian colonies was not halted by that embarrassing setback though, and the young nation did manage to secure control of Somaliland and Eritrea, both also in east Africa, by 1890. They conquered what is now Libya in 1911, after a war with the Ottoman Empire, now known as Turkey.
Another shameful piece of colonial adventuring occurred in the Congo. In this case, though, it was a monarch acting separately from his nation who was to blame for some of the worst outrages of the period. King Leopold II of Belgium used inhuman methods to rule Congo Free State as a personal fiefdom, but his crimes were discovered, and by 1908 control of the Congo had passed to the Belgian state.
Military adventurism is therefore not a new concept at all. It occurred on many occasions in the late 19th century, and in eras before that too, dating back a long time. Many would argue that global politics today is still shaped to a distressing extent by the concept.
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