a) To maintain their independence, Siamese rulers skillfully maneuvered British interests again French interests 2. The British & French finally agreed that an independent Siam was a useful buffer state between their possessions a) A buffer state, located between hostile powers, is a small country that serves to decrease the possiblity of conflict betweeb themTHE DUTCH EAST INDIES A. The Dutch East India Company, formed in 1602 to protect Dutch trading interests in the Indian Ocean, succeeded for many years 1. By the late 1700s, however, it had become corrupt & inefficient 2. In 1799 the govt of the Netherlands revoked the company's charter & took over the administration of the Netherlands East Indies 3. By the late 1800s, several revolts convinced the govt of the Netherlands to make basic reforms in the administration of its richest imperial possessionINTEREST IN THE PACIFIC ISLANDS A. Only a few of the islands & island groups in the Pacific were economically attractive to imperialist powers 1. Europeans were at first interested in acquiring valuable raw materials, such as sandalwood or pearl shell, from the islands a) Some of the areas had fertile soil that could support rich plantations b) other islands had minerals to be mined B. Imperialism in most of the Pacific Islands, however, was based on another motive--- the need for coaling stations & naval bases 1. B/c the imperialist powers competed in the Pacific, as elsewhere, none was willing to trust the others for its coal supplies & naval repairs a) Each of the powers therefore sought out its own Pacific islands 2. By 1900 imperialist nations controlled almost all the islandsTHE SAMOA ISLANDS A. In the late 1800s, a serious rivalry over territory in the Pacific involved the Samoa Islands 1. Here the US played a major role a) American interests in the area had been developing for a number of years b) During the 1870s Americans gained the right to use the h...
