At the end of the nineteenth century, the leaders of European nations were eager to expand their empires for economic gains, and the British were no exception. In "Confession of Faith," great imperialist and wealthy diamond mine owner Cecil Rhodes asserts his opinion of Britain's right to conquer land in the world, and the importance of participation by the British citizens. Rhodes's writing exudes the beliefs of the time that imperialism is the key to political and economic power and shows how British nationalism led to the expansion of its territories.
             To understand his point of view, it is important to understand Rhodes's background. An ill child who arrived in South Africa to improve his health, Rhodes later "founded the white-dominated state of Rhodesia (Rhodes, 227)," now known as Zimbabwe. He made his fortunes in the De Beers diamond mines of South Africa, owning almost all of them by 1891. Rhodes was greatly involved in politics in South Africa, with the founding of Rhodesia, and also as the prime minister of Cape Colony. In order to get people from other countries to understand his love for Britain, he established the Rhodes scholarships which send German and American students to England to study. Rhodes made it his life goal to be of service to his nation, more specifically, to gain as much territory for Britain as possible.
             Rhodes shows a strong sense of nationalism, saying that the British are "the finest race in the world and that the more of the world we inhabit the better it is for the human race (Rhodes, 227)." He believed that the world would be better off if it were under British rule. He says that "the absorption of the greater portion of the world under our rule simply means the end of all wars (Rhodes, 227)," adding that the Russian-Turkish war would not have occurred under British influence because they would not have given money...