The great ‘Scramble for Africa’ of the late 19th and early 20th century has always been regarded as perhaps one of the most unique and extraordinary expansionist endeavors in all of human history. Indeed, as of the late 1870’s, only 10% of African territory was under European control; however, by 1910 European nations had added almost 10 million square miles of “the Dark Continent” to their collective empires, leaving only Liberia and Abyssinia independent (see Image 1 of the Appendix). Of the rivalling European Empires, Great Britain was arguably the most powerful. Her African empire would eventually stretch from South Africa to Egypt, up through a series of colonies in Eastern Africa which were only interrupted by German acquisition of East …show more content…
This quote, in essence, sums up British foreign policy in Africa from 1881-1914 and is certainly a basis for argument that British imperialism in Africa lead it to join the First World War on the side of the Allied Powers in 1914.
Leading up to World War One in 1914, European imperialism had reached heights unthought of in years prior. An industrial-capitalist economy had been established on the world scale, culminating in the opening the Suez Canal on November 17, 1869 by the Egyptian government with French financial support. The opening of the Suez canal meant that shipping between East and West could avoid the journey around Africa’s Cape of Good Hope, and this in turn completely overturned traditional trade powers in the region in favour of France. The British Cape Colony of South Africa had formerly been the great hub of all trade power in Africa and the Indian Ocean, and thus British economic interests in the area were severely damaged by the opening of the canal. The British empire had been trifled with, and their response to the Suez Canal would be one that would foreshadow many of their dealings in Africa. In 1875, Ismail Pasha, the ruler of Egypt, filed for bankruptcy due to his
British Imperialism in China and Africa The treatment of the Chinese by the British, during the takeover of their country, was just like that of the Africans. The British took over the land and the government, took advantage of the people and exploited them for their resources. The English accomplished these things differently in each situation, but each time, the results were the same. One of the most important aspects of imperialism is the takeover of government.
Europe, in the late 1800’s, was starting a land grab on the African continent. Around 1878, most of Africa was unexplored, but by 1914, most of Africa, with the lucky exception of Liberia and Ethiopia, was carved up between European powers. There were countless motivations that spurred the European powers to carve Africa, like economic, political, and socio–cultural, and there were countless attitudes towards this expansion into Africa, some of approval and some of condemnation. Europe in this period was a world of competing countries. Britain had a global empire to lead, France had competition with Britain for wealth and so did other nations like Germany and Russia.
Conquest and colonization has always played a role in the history of European powers. Throughout the centuries many different European empires have attempted to make their mark on multiple different continents. Some have found success, while others have failed. One case in particular, in which European nations could not quite find stability, was in North America. Factors such as the American Revolution, U.S. westward expansion, and the Monroe Doctrine pushed European nations out of North America. Afterwards, the late 19th century marked the beginning of New Imperialism. As New Imperialism began, Africa became important to European nations in their “Scramble for Africa”.
Nationalistic ideas made European countries want to take action in the colonization of Africa. In Document B, the English John Ruskin says, “…seizing every piece of fruitful waste ground she can set her foot on, and there teaching these her colonists … that their first aim is to be to advance the power of England by land and by sea.” This quote shows how the Europeans were proud of their countries and wanted to spread their territories in order to be the best. It can be seen in Document A how the Europeans had already colonized a lot of Africa by the 20th century, with seven countries holding territories by 1914. The idea of nationalism helped push European countries into colonizing Africa, which led to more land for resources and ultimately helped Europe economically.
Throughout the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century, almost every country in Africa was imperialized by other countries in Europe. To imperialize is to conquer another country, whether it be in the means of politics, economics and/or culture, and control that land. The aftermath for the imperialized country was either beneficial or harmful. The amount of African countries that a European country imperialized varied. Great Britain imperialized fifteen countries in Africa, including Egypt in 1882, Sierra Leone in 1808, and the Union of South Africa in 1910. Although Great Britain’s reasons to imperialize were selfish, Britain helped each country progress afterwards.
...onomic interests that had motivated colonisation in Africa can be seen in the economic statistics. They do demonstrate a vast increase in British overseas investment, for example, it was “£144 million in 1862 to £1,698 million in 1893” . Nevertheless, Fieldhouse does recognize that there is no clear distinction about where British overseas investment was financed as the “largest proportion” went to the “settlement colonies” , for example Latin America and the USA – not African colonies. What implications does this have for European imperialism?
With Europe in control, “the policies of the governing powers redirected all African trade to the international export market. Thus today, there is little in the way of inter-African trade, and the pattern of economic dependence continues.” Europeans exported most of the resources in Africa cheaply and sold them costly, which benefited them, but many Africans worked overtime and were not treated with care.
The "DBQ Project" What Is the Driving Force Behind European Imperialism in Africa? (2012): 257. pp. 177-177. Print.
The driving force behind European imperialism in Africa steamed from manly three different sources. Such as imports and exports, technology and imperialism and national pride. By 1800s Africa was under full assault as European nations competed with one another for complete control of the continent. This essay will fully explain what the three primary driving forces behind European imperialism in Africa were.
During Imperialistic times South Africa was a region of great resources that was greatly disputed over (Ellis). Europe’s main goal during these times was to compete against each other and played a “game” of which country can imperialize more African countries than the other. Imperialism was a curse to South Africa, because many wars, laws, and deaths were not necessary and would not have happened if South Africa were not imperialized.
Nevertheless, Europe had still not entered into the scene, maintaining the balanced east versus west arrangement. Fear of the diseases, unsavory climate, shallow rivers and impassible swamps all deterred Europe from colonizing Africa (Ransford, 8). However, beginning in the late nineteenth century, the deterrence was outweighed by the pressures of European Imperialism, and many Europeans fled to the African front.
When the Europeans arrived in Africa, many would of thought that imperialism wasn?t fied because the Europeans were enslaving the Africans. As stated in David Diop's An Anthology of West African Verse, "And in the Conqueror's voice said, 'Boy! A chair, a napkin, a drink.'" Stated blatantly, the "conqueror" is a European, and he is commanding an African to serve him. Forcing Africans into slavery certainly doesn?t justify European imperialism in Africa, however, there are many reasons as to why imperialism actually was justified.
“The sun never sets on the British Empire,” Great Britain often bragged. By 1914, about 85% of the earth’s surface was colonized by Europe. Between 1884 and 1885, The Berlin Conference took place to carve up the African continent (Background Essay). Europeans saw high potential in Africa and thought the continent was empty, even though it was not. It was roughly “untouched” and they thought they could do anything they wanted (Doc.1). Great Britain’s colonization in Kenya affected the country’s religion and culture, education, and government.
Throughout history, imperialism has led countries to extend their rule over weaker countries and then colonized those countries to expand their own power. Imperialism allows the ruling countries to use the weaker countries for their resources. Colonizing other countries would then lead to growth and a better reputation for the dominating country. There are many examples of imperialism throughout European history. When many European countries “scrambled” for Africa, it seemed as though Africa had no say in anything. During the 19th century, Europe found a way to use Africa for their own growth and power. Using Africa for their resources, the Europeans colonized Africa without a second thought. European imperialism in Africa had a negative impact because of social disarray, cultural loss, and death it caused.
The New Imperialism and the Scramble for Africa 1880-1914. Jeff Taylor, n.d. Web. 19 Mar. 2014.