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Spanish Colonialization

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Bedeutung des Spanischen Kolonialismus
Im Oktober des Jahres 1492 erreichten drei Karavellen unter spanischer Flagge - die Santa Maria, die Pinta und die Nina - unter dem Kommando des Genuesers Christoph Kolumbus die Insel Guanahani (Bahamas). Während der Kapitän im Glauben war, über den Westweg nach Indien gelangt zu sein, hatte er in Wirklichkeit einen den Europäern unbekannten Kontinent entdeckt: Amerika. Der Genueser konnte das Versprechen halten, das er den Auftraggebern - Ferdinand von Aragón und Isabella von Kastillien - gegeben hatte, indem er das Neuland in Besitz für die Spanier nahm. Das alles klingt aus spanischer Sicht nach einem Helden. Doch ist er das wirklich? Und was für eine historische Bedeutung hat der dadurch einsetzende Kolonialismus? Während die Spanier im Jahr 1992 das 500-jährige Jubiläum der Entdeckung Amerikas feierten, wurde diese in vielen lateinamerikanischen Staaten (früheren spanischen Kolonien) verflucht. Im Jahre 1998 verurteilte man Christoph Kolumbus in Honduras sogar zum Tode - wegen des größten Völkermordes in der Geschichte . Denn auch die Verbrechen an der indianischen Bevölkerung wiegen schwer.. Warum wird der Kolonialismus gefeiert? Amerika machte Spanien zur reichsten und mächtigsten europäischen Nation des 16. Jahrhunderts. Aus den vier Kolonien Nueva Espana (Mittelamerika, Karibik und Florida), Nueva Granada (Kolumbien, Venezuela und Ecuador), Peru (Peru und Bolivien) und La Plata (Argentinien, Chile, Paraguay und Urugay) kamen zahlreiche bisher unbekannte Güter wie Kartoffeln, Tabak, Kakao, Zuckerrohr, Tomaten und Mais nach Europa. Vor allem die Kartoffel sollte sich als wertvoller Ersatz für Getreide erweisen , wie unter anderem auch Friedrich II. von Preußen bemerkte und so die Nahrungsversorgung seiner Bevölkerung stabilisierte. Nicht nur für den Vatikan war die Bekehrung der indigenen Bevölkerung zum Christentum ein wichtiger Punkt. In der religiösen Gesellschaft jener Zeit galt es so viele Seelen wie möglich vor dem Fegefeuer zu bewahren. Von der Bekehrung profitierten vor allem die Missionare, die sich dadurch nämlich selber von Gott begünstigt glaubten. Angehörige des niederen Adels hatten in Spanien einen sehr eingeschränten Spielraum, so dass auch sie ihr Glück in der neuen Welt suchten. Denn dort konnten sie ihren Ansprüchen freien Lauf lassen und bekamen Grundbesitz, Handelsprivilegien und Schürfrechte. Die Indios gaben dazu günstige Arbeitskräfte ab, da die Kolonialherren sie ganz nach Belieben ausbeuten konnten. Nicht nur Spanien legte Kolonien in der Neuen Welt an. Es folgten weitere Kolonialmächte: England (Kolonien an der Ostküste Kanadas und der USA, auf Jamaika, in Belize und Guayana sowie auf zahlreichen Inseln der Bahamas und der Kleinen Antillen), Frankreich (Kolonien in den heutigen USA und Kanada, auf Haiti und einigen Kleinen Antillen-Inseln, Französisch-Guayana sogar bis heute), Portugal (Brasilien), die Niederlande (Kleine Antillen, Surinam, Neu-Amsterdam - heute New
Geschichte - Frau Rogge Essay - 1 Ron Boger - 04.06.2013

York - und bis heute die Niederländischen Antillen) und Dänemark (die Kleine Antillen-Insel St. Thomas). Von Westen aus siedelten später auch noch die Russen in Alaska. All diese Staaten konnten aus der Neuen Welt einigen Profit schlagen. Zu guter Letzt gab es noch zahlreiche Abenteuer auf der Suche nach Reichtum, die ebenfalls ihr Glück in der Neuen Welt versuchten. Ob als Konquistadoren, die gegen Eingeborene zu Felde zogen und so Reichtum durch Plünderungen erwarteten, oder auch als Piraten oder Freibeuter, um die wertvolle Ladung feindlicher Galeonen zu erbeuten. Die indianischen Völker lebten in der präkolumbianischen Zeit auch nicht in paradiesischen Zuständen, sondern oft unter brutalen Bedingungen. Das AztekenReich hatte z.B. zahlreiche andere Völker unterjocht und ging sehr grausam mit ihnen um, es gab bei ihnen auch Menschenopfer. Da sah so mancher Unterdrückter in den Spaniern auch die Befreier, die es zu unterstützen galt. Warum hätte Kolumbus für viele die Neue Welt besser nicht entdeckt? Während die Europäer also von der Neuen Welt profitierten, brach für die indianischen Völker eine dunkle Zeit an. Auch vor 1492 gab es in Mittel- und Südamerika schon große Zivilsationen. Dazu zählen vor allem die Azteken in Mexiko, die Maya auf der Halbinsel Yucatan und die Inka, deren Reich sich von Ecuador über Peru und Bolvien bis nach Argentinien und Chile, also fast über die gesamten Anden, erstreckte. Dieses Hochkulturen wurden von den Spaniern mehr oder weniger vollkommen zerstört. 1521 eroberte Hernán Cortés die Hauptstadt des Aztekenreiches, Tenochtitlán (heute Mexiko-Stadt), 1533 dessen Neffe, Francisco Pizarro, die Inka-Hauptstadt Cuzco im heutigen Peru. Mit der Zerstörung dieser Völker ist der Nachwelt möglicherweise viel Wissen entgangen, denn in einigen Punkten waren die Präkolumbianer den Europäern voraus, die Maya etwa waren hervorragende Astrologen und -nomen. Auch ihre Heilkunde war sehr fortschrittlich. Das könnte den katholischen Spaniern sicher ein Dorn im Auge gewesen sein, da dies in Europa als Hexerei galt und es dazu noch Menschenopfer gab. Dadurch kam es in der Neuen Welt zu Konflikten mit Anhängern indigener Religionen. Zahlreiche Traditionen und Religionen müssen deshalb verloren gegangen sein, währen andere später mit Christlichen zusammenflossen (wie der Totentag in Mexiko, eine Mischung aus einem aztekischen Fest und dem Totensonntag). So fortschrittlich die Indianer manchmal auch gewesen sein mögen, militärisch waren sie schwach. Trotz großer zahlenmäßiger Überlegenheit waren die Indianer den Konqistadoren meist ausgeliefert. Auch wenn die indigene Bevölkerung als Untertanen der spanischen Krone galten. hatten sie trotzdem kaum mehr Rechte als Sklaven. Sie mussten sehr hart arbeiten und so kam es zu dramatischen Todeszahlen. In zahlreichen lateinamerikanischen Staaten hatte sich damals die indigene Bevölkerung mehr als halbiert.

Geschichte - Frau Rogge

Essay - 2

Ron Boger - 04.06.2013

Fazit Der spanische Kolonialismus ist daher in seiner historischen Betrachtung als besonders bedeutend anzusehen. Aus eurozentrischer Perspektive trug das koloniale Wirtschaftssystem maßgeblich zu der strukturellen Veränderung Europas (im zeitraum vom 16-19. Jahrhundert) auf der Ebene von Wirtschaft, Politik, Gesellschaft, Wissenschaft und Kultur bei. Einen ähnlichen alle Gesellschaftsebenen umfassenden Einfluss hatte der spanische Kolonialismus auch auf Lateinamerika, wenngleich sich dieser viel radikaler und vorallem aus lateinamerikanischer Sicht negativ vollzog. Durch den Eintritt der Spanier in die Neue Welt wurde die kulturelle Entwicklung der indigenen Zivilisationen quasi gestoppt und alle genannten Ebenen zur Durchsetzung der spanischen Interessen in Amerika massiv verändert. Spanien (bzw. Europa als Ganzes) konnte erst durch den Kolonialismus zur Supermacht werden, da man so die wirtschaftliche Abhängigkeit zum Osmanischen Reich ablegen und Ressourcen aus der Neuen Welt importieren konnte. Man muss sich außerdem vor Augen führen, wie das Leben in Europa ohne Entdeckung Amerikas wäre. Es gäbe zahreiche Dinge, die für uns zum alltäglichen Leben gehören, nicht, wie z.B. Kartoffeln. Außerdem wäre die Geschichte komplett anders verlaufen, es gäbe die Supermacht USA nicht. Das hätte ziemlich heftige Auswirkungen auf die Weltkriege und die Zeit danach gehabt, da die Vereinigten Staaten seitdem der Hauptakteur der Weltgeschichte sind.

Geschichte - Frau Rogge

Essay - 3

Ron Boger - 04.06.2013

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