Final answer:
Economic competition among European nations led to colonial conflicts as they competed for colonial possessions to accrue wealth and resources, often resulting in military conflicts and resistance from colonized peoples.
Step-by-step explanation:
Economic Competition and Colonial Conflicts
Economic competition among European nations led to colonial conflicts as nations sought to expand their wealth and power through colonization. This competition was fueled by the profits that could be gleaned from colonies in the form of raw materials, markets for finished goods, and exploitation of native labor. The drive for economic gain often escalated into military conflicts and diplomatic tensions as nations sought to protect and expand their interests.
In the nineteenth century, nationalism and the growth of industrial capitalism motivated European powers to establish colonies, protectorates, and spheres of influence in order to secure access to valuable raw materials and agricultural potential. For instance, the Berlin Conference of 1884-1885 carved up Africa into territories controlled by European powers, illustrating how negotiations could lay the groundwork for later conflicts.
Trade wars and military conflicts, such as those between England and the Netherlands or England and France, often arose from these economic rivalries. Furthermore, while colonialism was driven by economic motives, the cost of maintaining empire often outweighed the profits, leading to tension not only between European nations, but also between the colonizing and colonized peoples, resulting in resistance and, occasionally, the rise of new independent nations.