After a period of industrial spike in Europe, most Europeans now had access to a vast amount of technological advantages. For example, not just factory machinery, but militaristic weapons and artillery. (Cannons and machine guns) As Winston Churchill once wrote, the use of these advancements in an effort to subdue all underdeveloped and what they would consider primitive masses, was a good exercise of rights. Many imperialists believed that they could conquer any area by force because they had the opportunity to, and they did not realize how unethical the actions truly were. This would be considered ethnocentric or ethnocentrism, which is possessing a sense of cultural superiority as you may know from global history. I hope that helps!
