• Queen Victoria (Great Britain) – Expanded the British Empire aggressively through colonization, trade monopolies, and military dominance.
• Napoleon III (France) – Used military conquests and economic exploitation to expand French influence in Africa and Southeast Asia.
• King Leopold II (Belgium) – Exploited the Congo for personal wealth, using forced labor and brutal tactics.
• Otto von Bismarck (Germany) – Led German colonial expansion in Africa, using diplomatic and military strategies.
• Benito Mussolini (Italy) – Attempted to expand Italy’s empire through military invasions of Ethiopia and North Africa.
• Emperor Meiji (Japan) – Modernized Japan’s military and economy to expand its empire into Korea and China.
• Theodore Roosevelt (United States) – Advocated for American imperialism, expanding influence in the Caribbean and the Pacific.

Neocolonialism is the indirect control or influence exerted by powerful countries over weaker nations through economic, political, and cultural means rather than direct military occupation.

• United States – Influence through economic policies, multinational corporations, and military bases worldwide.
• China – Expanding its reach via the Belt and Road Initiative, investing in Africa and Asia for economic dominance.
• European Union – Maintains economic and political influence over former colonies through trade agreements and foreign aid.
• Russia – Uses energy dependency and political alliances to exert control over former Soviet states and beyond.
• IMF & World Bank – Criticized for enforcing economic policies that keep developing nations in financial dependence.