The New Imperialism & The Scramble

For Africa

The “New” Imperialism• The late 1800s marked

an aggressive new era of European expansion into Africa, Asia, and the Pacific

• Causes:– Economics– Politics– Humanitarianism– Social Darwinism

Why Was Europe Interested in Colonization?

Economic Causes• European nations

needed new sources of natural resources to fuel industrial growth

• European businesses needed new markets in which to sell manufactured goods due to overproduction

Political Causes• European nations needed

new naval and military bases around the world from which to protect their economic interests

• In order to maintain Europe’s “balance of power,” if one country began colonizing in Africa or Asia, then all of the others had to do so as well, or risk losing power

Humanitarian Causes• Many Europeans felt

they had a duty to help spread Christianity to non-Christian areas

• Others believed that they had a duty to provide Western advances (esp. medical care and education) to “disadvantaged” areas

Social Darwinism Causes• A sense of racial superiority

was growing amongst white Europeans (the idea that whites are somehow “more fit” than non-whites)

• Europeans felt that they carried “The White Man’s Burden,” or the responsibility to govern non-whites who could not properly govern themselves

Why Were Europeans Able to Colonize?

Weakening Asian Empires• The Ottoman Empire, which

had dominated North Africa and the Middle East

• The Mughal Empire, which had controlled most of India

• The Qing Empire, which had ruled China and Southeast Asia

• All were in simultaneous decline, opening the door to European expansion

Depopulation of Africa• Over 300 years of

exporting African slaves to the Americas had left the African continent was a seriously reduced population

• Additionally, the slave trade had pitted the African nations against each other, leaving them in a weakened state

European Industrialization• Medical advances now

protected Europeans from African and Asian tropical diseases

• Military advances, such as machine guns, repeating rifles, and steam-powered warships gave European armies a huge advantage

What Forms Did European Colonization Take?

Colonies• Direct rule of a territory

by a foreign governor who is supported by military force

• In colonies, locals get little or no say in how they are governed

• Example: nearly all of Africa was made into colonies in the late 1800s

Protectorates• Traditional local rulers are

left in place, but they take their orders from a foreign power

• In protectorates, locals keep control over domestic affairs, but have no say in foreign policy

• Example: India was left under the rule of the rajahs, but they were forced to answer to the British crown

Spheres of Influence• Locals remain politically

independent, but all trade is controlled by a foreign power

• In a sphere of influence, locals still control their government, but not the economy

• Examples: Persia and China would remain politically independent, but would become economically dependent on Europeans

What Did Colonization Look Like in Africa?

European ColonizationAfrica Around 1840 Africa By 1914

Africa in Early 1800s• GENERALLY tended to

be:– Muslim (especially north

of the Equator, with the notable exception of Ethiopia)

– Strongly tribal in structure, with tribal loyalties being built more around language than around geography

Repatriated Slaves• In 1787, Freetown (Sierra

Leone) was established as a home for freed slaves from British colonies who wanted to return to Africa

• In 1822, the U.S. copied the British example and established Liberia to serve the same purpose

European Exploration• In search of adventure,

knowledge, and natural resources, Europeans began to venture into Africa’s interior

• Explorers were soon followed by Christian missionaries, who built isolated schools, churches, and hospitals and began to urge Africans to abandon their “evil” and “heathen” ways in favor of the more “civilized” Western lifestyle

Mungo Park• 1771 – 1806• Explored the Niger River• On his first expedition, he

traveled alone and mapped the entire river

• On his second expedition, he had a team of 46 men, but they all died from disease, accidents, or hostile native tribes

Richard Francis Burton• 1821 – 1890• Spoke 29 languages fluently• Traveled in Arabia, India, &

Africa, often learning more by pretending to be a local

• “Discovered” Lake Tanganyika and Lake Victoria in East Africa

• First to translate The 1001 Arabian Nights & The Kama Sutra into English

• First non-Muslim to go on hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca)

Dr. David Livingstone• 1813 – 1883• Explorer/missionary• “Discovered” Victoria

Falls• First European to cross

Africa from the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean

• Despite over twenty years as a missionary in Africa, Livingston converted only one African to Christianity

Belgium Starts the “Scramble”• In the 1870s, Belgium’s King

Leopold sent emissaries to establish trade with native Africans in the Congo.

• Leopold used this trade agreement to claim the Congo as his personal property and enslave the local population

• Details of the atrocities committed by the Belgians against the natives caused a scandal in Europe

The Berlin Conference (1884)• European nations initially

met to discuss the Belgians’ occupation of the Congo

• Eventually, however, the Conference set the ground rules for any European state wishing to set up colonies in Africa, with the main interest being in preventing any fighting between European nations over African colonies

“The Scramble For Africa”• Once the rules for

colonization were set, it became a race to see which nations could claim which portions of Africa first

• Belgium, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, and Spain carved up Africa between them, leaving only two independent African states (Liberia and Ethiopia) by the start of WWI

Ethiopia Escapes• Liberia enjoyed protection from the

U.S., so no European states attempted colonization

• Ethiopia avoided European colonization by “Westernizing”

• Ethiopian emperor Menelik II imported modern military equipment and hired Westerners to train his military

• He also hired Europeans to modernize Ethiopia’s transportation & education systems

• All of this was easier for Ethiopia because they already practiced a Western religion - Christianity

Menelik II• 1844 – 1913• Emperor of Ethiopia• Claimed descent from King

Solomon (from the Bible) & The Queen of Sheba

• In 1896, at the Battle of Adowa, Menelik repelled an Italian invasion aimed at taking control of Ethiopia as a colony

Battle of Adowa

Case Study: South Africa

The Boers• Dutch settlers established a

colony in South Africa in 1652• Built Cape Town to serve as the

capital of this colony• Enslaved many Africans to work

Dutch farms in South Africa• When the British took over South

Africa, many Boers moved north to escape English laws, bringing them into conflict with the Zulu

• The Boers spent many years warring with the Zulu during the mid and late 1800s

The Zulu• African tribal group that

migrated into South Africa in 1500s

• Fierce warriors who were highly regimented and organized

• Greatest leader was Shaka, who built a large kingdom in the early 1800s

Zulu Wars• Battles with the Boers

continued into the late 1800s, but never truly threatened Zulu sovereignty.

• The Zulu also clashed with the British, who had expanded their control over southern Africa

• The Zulu were eventually defeated by the technology and vast resources at the command of the British troops, but the Zulu tribe remains a political force in South Africa even today

Cecil Rhodes• 1853 – 1902• Businessman and politician who

was instrumental in assuring British dominance of southern Africa.

• Founded the De Beers Mining Company, eventually controlling 90% of the world’s diamond production.

• After becoming prime minister of the Cape Colony (now South Africa) in 1890, he used his influence to strengthen British control over the region.

• A strong believer in Social Darwinism, felt white Britons were “the finest race in the world”

Cape to Cairo Railway• Cecil Rhodes’s master plan was to

create a railroad line that would link British colonial interests in Africa from Egypt in the north to the Cape Colony in the south

• While much of the railway was built, it was never fully completed, due in large part to opposition from rival European powers and the Boers (who fought two wars against the British in Africa), and the expense of building such a long rail line across rugged terrain

• Had the line been completed, it would have served as a major economic stimulus, but would also have tied Africa more closely to the British

European ColonizationAfrica Around 1840 Africa By 1914

Effects of Imperialism• European nations carved Africa up with no

regard for traditional tribal boundaries.• Modern African nations often contain several

different tribes that harbor ill feelings towards one another.

• Africa still suffers from this “tribalism” (feelings of loyalty to individual tribes), which is the root cause of many civil wars and genocide campaigns in modern Africa.

Modern AfricaEthnic Map Political Map