Source text (please read only from this text!): https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015002442674&seq=152&q1=windowsMoon’s Iᴍᴘᴇʀɪᴀʟɪsᴍ ᴀɴᴅ Wᴏʀʟᴅ Pᴏʟɪᴛɪᴄs is perhaps the best-known work of the Columbia University professor and political scientist; It was published in 1926 and did not go out-of-print until at least 1940. “What convenient volume,” he asks, exists as a “general account of the greater imperialism of our own times?” A question which was suitably answered by the publication of this sweeping survey of the field.
Written in what would prove to be the gathering twilight of European imperialism, and with the inclination towards reflection that only the aftermath of a great catastrophe like the First World War can evoke, this work spans the globe and follows behind Great Britain, France, Belgium, Italy, Russia, Germany, Japan and the United States as they shaped world politics to their own ends—imposing their will on states, economies and peoples.
Moon writes of his work that, “It can make no claim to finality.” Indeed, this is surely not the last word on the subject. Not in the past. Not even, truly, in the present. And yet, Moon’s work does possess a greater degree of finality then he at the time, perhaps, might have credited.
THIS IS PART TWO OF FOUR.
In this part, Moon starts by briefly covering the Anglo-German contention over East Africa, French designs on the island of Madagascar and Italy’s foray into the Horn of Africa to establish the colony of ‘Somaliland’.
His telling then reaches “a natural sequel… to events which have unfolded themselves in preceding chapters.” The jealous contest over Abyssinia and Sudan. For “nowhere did visions of empire struggle for mastery with a greater intensity of conflict or a more colourful wealth of spectacular incident.”
As Moon tellingly remarks, “Imperialism is rarely active against a formidable foe.” Britain conquered an Egypt riven by civil war in 1882—just in time to be sucked into the budding jihad in Sudan waged in defence of the Arab slave trade and in rejection of khedival rule. The British response to the Mahdists went from feckless to quite feeble. Unwilling to act themselves after a string of embarrassing disasters, Britain sought simply – for a decade-and-a-half – to play Italian ambitions off against French designs.
This precipitated the dramatic events of the First Italo-Abyssinian War, and French largess in training and munitions conferred upon Menelik’s forces helped to tip the scales—toward a decisive Italian defeat.
Moon next profiles Cecil Rhodes and takes us into South Africa. Next into the violence and cunning which abided in Europe’s near abroad, the “smiling and temperate coastlands” of North Africa, where France, Spain, Italy, Germany and Britain squabble over pounds of Ottoman, Algerian and Moroccan flesh.
Finally, this part concludes with a survey of Near Eastern ‘Questions’ and, also, an exploration of the anxiety that Russia’s creeping southward expansion exercised on the British halls of power, and its effects on India’s periphery.
(Summary by Alister)
Target completion date: 2024-08-31
Prooflistening level: Standard
Prospective PLs, please see the Guide for Proof-listeners.
IMPORTANT - soloist, please note: in order to limit the number of languishing projects on our server, we ask that you post an update at least once a month in your project thread, even if you haven't recorded anything. If we don't hear from you for three months, your project may be opened up to a group project if a Book Coordinator is found. Files you have completed will be used in this project. If you haven't recorded anything yet, your project will be removed from the forum (contact any admin to see if it can be re-instated).
Please don't download or listen to files belonging to projects in process unless you are the BC or PL. Our servers are not set up to handle the greater volume of traffic. Please wait until the project has been completed. Thanks!
Magic Window:
BC Admin
========================================
Genres for the project: *Non-fiction/Political Science; *Non-fiction/History/Modern (19th C); *Non-fiction/History/Modern (20th C); *Non-fiction/War & Military
Keywords that describe the book:
========================================
LibriVox recording settings: mono (1 channel), 44100 Hz sample rate, 128 kbps constant bit rate MP3. See the Tech Specs
Intro to recording:
Leave 0.5 to 1 second of silence at the beginning.
For the first section, say:
For the second and subsequent sections, you may use the shortened intro if you wish:"Section (or Chapter) # of Imperialism and World Politics, Part 2 of 4. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit librivox.org." [Optional: "Read by your name."] "Imperialism and World Politics, Part 2 of 4, by Parker Thomas Moon. Section Title."
End of recording:"Section (or Chapter) # of Imperialism and World Politics, Part 2 of 4, by Parker Thomas Moon. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain." [Optional: "Read by your name."] "Section Title."
Say:
If you are recording the final section of the book, add:"End of section (or chapter) #." [Optional, and if not stated in the intro: "Read by your name, city, date."]
Leave 5 seconds of silence at the end."End of Imperialism and World Politics, Part 2 of 4, by Parker Thomas Moon."
Filename: imperialismworldpoliticspart2_##_moon_128kb.mp3 where ## is the section number. (e.g. imperialismworldpoliticspart2_01_moon_128kb.mp3)
Upload to the LibriVox Uploader: https://librivox.org/login/uploader
MC to select: KiltedDragon
Copy and paste the file link generated by the uploader into the relevant Listen URL field in the Section Compiler, enter the duration in the Notes field, and post in this thread to let your PL and MC know that you have uploaded a file. You may also post the file link in the thread.
