Final answer:
The justifications used by Europeans for imperialism were primarily motivated by economic gain and access to resources. They believed in their cultural and racial superiority, which justified their dominance. Europeans sought to acquire colonies to access cheap raw materials and expand their markets.
Step-by-step explanation:
The justifications used by Europeans for Imperialism were primarily motivated by economic interests. European powers sought to acquire colonies in order to access cheap raw materials for their factories and to expand their markets to sell finished goods. They believed that their actions would bring improvements to the lives of the people in the colonies, but their means often involved brutalizing and exploiting native populations.
Europeans had developed superior weapons during the Industrial Revolution, which made it easier for them to conquer people in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. The Industrial Revolution also led to the emergence of ideologies like Social Darwinism and the obsession with race, which justified European dominance as morally necessary.
Overall, the primary justifications used by Europeans for imperialism were economic gain, access to resources, and the belief in their cultural and racial superiority.