a new era of european expansion. the scramble for africa the berlin conference 1884-85
TRANSCRIPT
Dr. David Livingstone (1813-73)
• Encouraged the involvement of Europeans in bringing the light to Africans
• Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
• British • Missionary work
George Gordie (1846-1925)
• British• Est. The National
African Company• Est. Br. Colonial rule
in Nigeria.
Henry Morton Stanley (1841-1904)
• Correspondent for New York Herald
• Wrote about Africa• Caught attention of
King Leopold III of Belgium
• Congo River source.• “Dr. Livingstone I
presume.”
Case Studies in Case Studies in Imperialism and Self-Imperialism and Self-
DeterminationDetermination
North Africa
A place of conflict between major powers then…and today:
• France and Great Britain:• Started in 1801 – Napoleon I• Some foreigners ended up fighting with and
against the French. • One of whom becomes a great leader in
Egyptian modern history:• Muhammad Ali (1769-1849)• Born in today’s Albania
Muhammad Ali’s Reign (1805-49)
• Modernizer and Father of Modern Egypt.• Agriculture: cotton – cash crop.• Military• Education• Government: bureaucracy
• Expanded into Sudan.• His rule is significant: One example of
Islamic response to western encroachment.
Said’s Reign (1849-1863)
• Suez canal “lifeline of British Empire”• Built by Universal Suez Ship Canal Company
(French) • Ferdinand de Lesseps• 1859-69• 1.5 million Egyptians work on it• 125 thousand died…cholera
How it kills:
• Enterotoxins cause diarrhea.
• Massive fluid loss (20 liters) – shock – death.
• 24-36 hours• Treatment:
rehydration, electrolytes, anti-biotics.
Ismael’s Reign (1863-79)• Took advantage of high
cotton prices due to US Civil War (1861-65)
• War ends; price of cotton drops – Egypt goes nearly bankrupt.
• Ismael sells his shares in the Suez canal to British; avoids bankruptcy.
• Br. influence as a result.
• He taxed to death the fellahin
• Employs a British mercenary, Charles “China” Gordon.
• His adventures:• Advancing into Sudan• Siege of Khartoum by
Mahdists (1885)• Four Feathers (film)
Fashoda Incident (1898)
• French and British soldiers meet face to face and nearly start a war.
• Diplomacy prevailed.• Significance: the race
for colonies creates tension.
Significance of this case study?
• Est. European influence• Shows self-determination in Egyptians, but
economic mismanagement leads to foreign influence
• Suez Canal: strategic importance.
French Expansion
• Into Algiers (Algeria), Tunis (Tunisia), and Morocco.
• At first not interested, till…• British in Egypt• Settled in areas along the Mediterranean
coast.
Italian Expansion
• North Africa: Libya.• Horn of Africa:
• Somalia
• Ethiopia (attempted)• Menelik II
• Played one European against another
Crisis in Morocco: The First Moroccan Crisis (a.k.a. Tangier Crisis) 1905• Kaiser Wilhelm II
supported Moroccan independence.
• Results: Puts Br. and Fr. together as allies.
• N.B. The Second Moroccan Crisis 1911 (Agadir)
The African Slave Trade(Ended by British in 1807)
• By Africans:• Slaves become
integrated into the society.
• Stay in Africa.
• By Non-Africans:• Become chattel.
• Removed from Africa.
King Leopold III of Belgium
• “Christianity, commerce, scientific exploration, and an end to slavery.”
• International Geographic Congress on Central Africa (offices in Brussels and Paris)
Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza (1852-1905)
• French explorer and adventurer • City of Brazzaville named after
him.• Represented France’s interests
in the International Geographic Congress on Central Africa.
French and English Conflict
1. Over Egypt: British win.
2. Over Niger Trade (palm oil): French by leveraging British interests with loans for restoration of Alexandria.
Berlin Conference (1885)
• Fourteen European nations attended and the USA.
• No African leaders were there.• European nations settled their claims to
Africa.• But…
Zulu
• Bantu speaking• Shaka expanded their
empire south.• Forced Africans
further north and east.Shaka Zulu(1787-1829)
Afrikaners (Boers)
• Originally from Holland.• Britain took over in the early part of 19th
century.
• “The Great Trek” 1830s.• Thus est. Orange Free State and
Transvaal.
Invasion of Zululand by British
• King Cetawayo of Zulus versus British
• Battle of Isandlwana 1877
• Greatest loss of a modern army against a primitive one.
The Boer War 1899-1902
• The Boers est. Transvaal• Gold is discovered (1888).• Cape to Cairo (Cecile Rhodes) • British attempt to annex.• Rebellion• 55,000 Boers versus 450,000 British plus
Canadians and Australians
How was Britain victorious against the Boers?
• Brutal: Scorched earth policy• Use of technology, esp.. machine
gun.• Concentration camps• Size of force.
East African States
• Mirambo• Leader of Nyamezi • Controlled access to Arab slave traders• Tanzania
African Resistance
• Shana & Matabele fought against British (in Rhodesia or today’s Zimbabwe)
• Uhehe against Germans.• Africans lost:
• Lack of unity• Modern weapons• Rinderpest (viral infection of cattle)
Direct Rule
• Total direction by European leadership• Paternalistic• Assimilation (esp. by French):
• Via education
Indirect Rule
• Just the British…enlightened or what?• British governor, but some local leadership.• Br. did not have the man power for direct.
The Economics of Imperialism
• Goal: Self-sufficiency.• Pay its own expenses
• Exploit resources:• Infrastructure designed with this in mind.
• Tax Africans (cash only, please)
Legacy of Colonization in Africa
• Rivalries amongst imperial powers.• Exploitation of African rivalries by
Europeans prevents pan-African resistance.• Loss of culture (see Industrial Revolution)• Educated Africans lead independence
movements in second half of 20th cent.• Colonial economies are today third world
nations.