What's paradoxical about British free trade in 20th century partitioning of Africa?
score:4
Regardless of the time period, though I believe that the question refers to the 20th, not the 12th Century, what is paradoxical about Britain's advocacy of free trade is the very existence of the British Empire. While by the 20th Century economics had shifted away from mercantilism in favor of capitalism, those running the empire still treated their overseas colonies in the same manner as they had in the late 16th Century under the rule of Elizabeth I.
In an empire, colonies are permitted to be established largely for the purpose of economic exploitation by the parent nation. The parent nation determines for the colonies what they will focus on producing, be it cotton, indigo, sugar, etc. The colonies are largely restricted from doing business outside the empire without the express permission of the government.
Therefore when Britain would advocate for free trade, only those with imperial permission could take advantage of opportunities for trade with foreign groups. Unfortunately, this often meant those in the dominant social and/or ethnic group, such as Englishmen/Scots/Welsh/Protestant Northern Irelanders in the UK, or whites in South Africa, India, Australia, New Zealand, etc. With such restrictions on their colonies, free trade in the Empire on the whole did not exist. Thus, their advocacy for free trade was both ironic and paradoxical.
Upvote:2
Wikipedia, which the question quotes, is of course not guaranteed flawless.
Africa was actually mostly partitioned in the late nineteenth century, not the twentieth. There was though some adjustment of colonial boundaries partly in Britain's favour, at the expense of Germany, after the First World War.
I do not think there was necessarily any contradiction between this and Britain's then policy of free trade.
Things did change in 1931 in response to the Depression and resort of other countries to protective tariffs. Britain then abandoned its long-standing policy of free trade to impose a 10% tariff (customs duty) on imports from outside the British Empire.
From then on this to some extent skewed colonial markets in favour of British manufacturers as people living in British colonies had to pay a 10% higher price if they preferred to buy say German or Japanese manufactured goods compared to British ones.
This was to some extent to the colonies' disadvantage. However, not entirely so; it also meant that the colonies gained the same price advantage selling their produce within Britain and the British Empire, as any competitors from outside the Empire had a 10% tariff slapped on their produce.
Upvote:3
In partitioning Africa with France, Belgium, Germany, and others, Britain basically subdivided the Continent into "national" spheres of influence. These were colonies that were not always allowed to engage in "free trade" with other nations, and such rights as they had could be revoked at any time. This was "paradoxically" inconsistent with a free trade stance.
These Europeans wanted to subdivide China in similar spheres of influence, except that they were thwarted by America's Open Door Policy.
More post
- 📝 When did blade fuller appear?
- 📝 What language is this and what does it say?
- 📝 What treatment did Allied Jewish POWs get when captured by the Germans?
- 📝 What became of the French Revolutionary Religion and Calendar?
- 📝 Is it true that Germans in World War 2 did not suffer punishment for refusing genocidal orders?
- 📝 Name of a small state west of the Xiongnu and south of Wusun c. 50 A.D
- 📝 Why were the ship names "Scharnhorst" and "Gneisenau" used together?
- 📝 What happened to the Heart of Atlanta motel after the ruling of Heart of Atlanta v. United States?
- 📝 Have the Pyramid Texts been translated into German?
- 📝 The US and Soviet Soldiers story related to Normandy
- 📝 Did the Germans try to "Pearl Harbor" Russia's Black Sea fleet?
- 📝 What was the societal structure of Celtic culture in the Hallstatt period?
- 📝 Japan is known for being isolationist, so what cultivated its history of interventionism in the 20th century?
- 📝 Difference between acts of "merit" and acts of "valor" in military decorations? (e.g. V device)
- 📝 Why does this statue have five legs?
- 📝 How were Aksumite ships constructed?
- 📝 Did China colonize any countries?
- 📝 How unusual was an unanswered naval salute of 150 guns?
- 📝 Did Heinrich Schliemann discover Troy?
- 📝 How accurate is Nietzsche's account of the birth of tragedy?
- 📝 How severe was the 1943 Bengal Famine?
- 📝 How much would votes sell for in early America?
- 📝 Why didn't Indonesians/Indian Ocean traders bring marsupials to Asia and placental mammals to Australia/New Guinea?
- 📝 Is 'quartodecimo omnium sanctorum' the same as 'Nov XIV' on this Latin grave inscription?
- 📝 Was Laz near Pribram at any time situated in the Sudetenland?
- 📝 Why was A.K.Gastev purged in 1939?
- 📝 Why was North and South America less developed than other parts of the world?
- 📝 Why didn't SW Virginia join West Virginia?
- 📝 Were bicycles widespread in the Soviet Union?
- 📝 How did people first discover that food is food?
Source: stackoverflow.com
Search Posts
Related post
- 📝 What's paradoxical about British free trade in 20th century partitioning of Africa?
- 📝 What did people in 13th century England know about Greek mythology?
- 📝 Why was PTSD not written about as much before the 20th century?
- 📝 Was the British Army a millionaire factory in the early 20th century?
- 📝 What did the top minds of the late 17th century have to say about Salem witch trials?
- 📝 Can someone help explain this floor plan of a mid 20th century apartment?
- 📝 In 19th century India, pre and post Raj, did any private British citizens actually own land in India?
- 📝 What did it mean to be a Grecian in late-18th Century British schools?
- 📝 How was the linen weaving trade learnt in 18th century Scotland?
- 📝 Is the steel pan the only acoustic musical instrument to be invented in the 20th century and used widely around the world?
- 📝 Did 20th century militaries have their own fire-fighter units?
- 📝 Who are the 20th century painters on this t-shirt?
- 📝 What's the reason behind the 17th century tradition of British monarchs being depicted on coins facing in the opposite direction to their predecessor?
- 📝 Were iconic structures intentionally destroyed in 20th century wars?
- 📝 How did people 'park' their horse and buggy in early 20th century cities? How was theft prevented?
- 📝 Why did Spain trade Florida to the British in exchange for Havana?
- 📝 What did Central America export in the early 20th century other than coffee and bananas?
- 📝 When did people start saying about the US that "it's a free country"?
- 📝 Contracted Trade in the 18th century
- 📝 Was it widespread during the 17th and 18th Century for British country people to be evicted and replaced with more profitable agriculture?
- 📝 What were the 20th century historical disputes?
- 📝 How come the British did not notify the Poles about the Molotov-Ribbentrop secret protocol?
- 📝 What did "Dr." after a person's or a business's name mean around the turn of the 20th century in the USA?
- 📝 How were precise hand drawn illustrations copied between the 16th and 20th century in Europe?
- 📝 What can these photos say about my father's service for the British in WWII?
- 📝 What is this 19th century British army uniform?
- 📝 Are there any good records about the alleged 17th Century bucaneer Vincenzo Alessandri?
- 📝 Street Team Games played by boys in Balkans of early 20th Century
- 📝 Refugee crises before 20th century
- 📝 Early 20th century naval communication