The Samoan Tangle And Diplomacy Of Great Powers 1871-1900

The Samoan Tangle, which lasted three decades from 1871 to 1900, was one of the major international cases relating to the modern colonization in the Pacific Rim. The three powers, Germany, U.S.A. and Britain, treated it as a significant diplomatic issue in the late 19th century. The dissertation focuses on the history of the tangle, the foreign policies of the three powers in relation to Samoa, and diplomatic relations among them.It was since 1870s that laissez-faire capitalism was being replaced by monopoly capitalism gradually. The course resulted in the three powers' vigorous pursuing of oversea markets. They selected Samoan Islands as their expansionist target in the Pacific, which brought on the Samoan Tangle. It originated from 1830s to 1879. The ten years pre-1879 saw the three powers make clear their colonist interests and write them into a few unequal treaties. The powers entered into confrontation during the second period, 1880-1889, which once led to a war crisis. The Berlin Conference of 1889 and the Final Act settled this down temporarily. The eleven years after 1890 is the last period, which witnessed the collapse of Condominium, the transformation of the powers' foreign policies, the political chaos in the group and another diplomatic crisis among the powers. In December 1899, the group was carved up by Germany and U.S.A., which terminated the Samoan tangle. The tangle is just like a mirror, reflects the development of the three powers' foreign policies and their relations, and the change of international political environment as well.A dual-diplomacy existed in the Samoan tangle. The diplomacy among the powers was equal, and that between the Samoan government and the powers was unequal. With the development of the tangle, Samoa became a semi-colony and then a complete colony. The dissertation places certain emphasis on the colonialist culture, with a view of anti-colonialism. As an important factor causing the islands' smooth colonization, the colonialist culture can be found not only in the colonists' soul, but in the Samoan society and Samoan people's minds as well.It consists of seven parts. The introduction is made up of two halves, the review of the academic history and several theoretical questions on modern colonial expansion. Chapter one deals with the origin of Samoan tangle pre-1879. Chapter two disserts on the diplomatic concert of powers and the end of Samoan autonomy 1880-1884. Chapter three analyzes the foreign disputes among powers and the firstSamoan crisis. Next chapter describes the working of Condominium. The transformation of the powers' foreign policies forms the second part of this chapter. The second Samoan crisis and the partition of the group are examined in the fifth chapter. Conclusion, the last part, summarizes the powers' foreign policies, their diplomatic relations during the Samoan tangle, as well as the viewpoint of the dissertation. You can find scattered contents about colonialist culture and dual-diplomacy in each chapter. The latter is also arranged as the second narrative thread (a hidden one) of the article.