Final answer:
The statement refers to imperialism, where technological advancements in the nineteenth century allowed European nations to extend their dominance globally, justified by ideologies like Social Darwinism and ethnocentrism.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a nation possesses a large, technologically precise and sophisticated hammer, everything looks like a very convenient, easily fixed nail. This statement is most closely related to the concept of imperialism. Technology played a crucial role in the new imperialism, with advances enabling European countries to extend their control over much of the world during the nineteenth century. These technological innovations, such as better communication, the steamboat, the Maxim gun, and medical advances, made dominance possible and were often perceived as evidence of cultural superiority.
The belief in the moral justification for an empire's dominance can be linked to ideologies such as Social Darwinism and ethnocentrism. These ideologies fueled the motivation for countries to expand their territories through imperialism, which culminated in the period before World War I when European powers controlled over 80% of the globe. Nationalism also played its part in this process, as it both unified countries internally and created hostilities towards others.