Sat, October 21, 2017 at 1:31 pm GMT
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ESTABLISHMENT OF COLONIALISM
Scramble for and Partition of Africa
The Meaning of Scramble for and Partition of Africa
Explain the meaning of scramble for and partition of Africa
Background
Colonialism: Colonialism is a system by which weaker country is dominated by the powerful country economically, socially and politically. The colonization of the African continent was an important stage in the development of capitalism where the demands of capitalism become more advanced. It was also the process of exploiting non capitalist world. For this matter capitalism has passed various stages such as mercantile capitalism between 1400 and 1750 which was characterized by state formation in Western Europe, bullionism, militarism, national rivalry and expansionism. During mercantilism, capital was accumulated through plunder, pillage, piracy and banditry. Another was industrial capitalism which began around 18th c.AD. This created new demand for market, raw materials, areas for investment and cheap labour. This stage has the following characteristics; demanded minimal role of the state in the economy, had small and very competitive industrial enterprises and competitive industrial capitalism was unable to control trade directly in the early colonial or informal territories thus the essence of free trade ideology. The last one was monopoly capitalism which was characterized by the following features. Dominance of monopolies in the form of cartels, syndicates, trust and concerns, merging of bank capitals and industrial to form industrial, the dominance of export capital is distinguished from export of commodities, the formation of international monopolistic associations, which divided the world among themselves and division of world among the great capitalist powers which was achieved through the partition of Africa.
(a) SCAMBLE FOR AND PARTITION OF AFRICA
The scramble for Africa: A competition among European powers to obtaining colonies. It was a sudden rush or competes with others so as to acquire or do something. Therefore the scramble for Africa refers to struggle to acquire different parts of African continents
Partition: This was a process of dividing colonies to their respective colonial masters. This acts as a solution for the scramble of Africa.
Periodization: Scramble for Africa started more in 1870s while involving different European countries.
The Causes of the Scramble for Africa leading to the Partition
Assess the causes of the scramble for Africa leading to the partition
“Scramble” for and partition of Africa was a result of several factors, some of which included:
1. National balance of power: Before 1870 France and Great Britain were the stable power in Europe. By 1870/1871German defeated France and she took the Lorraine and Alsace province which produce minerals such as coal and iron but she still feared the French revenge. By 1877 and 1888 Russo-Turkish war also affected Europe. After this war it was impossible for the expansion in Europe. Due to this situation the scramble and partition of Africa was inevitable since it has the plenty of land and polite people.
2. Prestige (pride) of the nations: The number of colonies controlled by the colonial master/nation was the measure of wealth of a nation. So African continent was scrambled like a ball by the plays to reach this prestige
3. Industrial Revolution led to the demand of raw materials from Africa. These led to the competition among the European nations to obtain many colonies as possible in Africa. The first developed in Industries was the Britain which later spread to the other part of Europe such as French, Germany, Belgium and Italy.
4. American independence; After British being kicked out of the America, Britain lost more markets and cheap sources of raw materials. This led to British to turn their attention to Africa as an alternative market for their goods and cheap source of labour and materials for their industries.
5. Humanitarian reasons; European humanitarian advocated the abolition of slave trade since this undermined human dignity. Through effective occupation of Africa, humanitarians such as William Wilberforce and Grandville Sharp were able to establish centres for freed slaves in Liberia and Sierra Leone. They demanded the abolition of slave trade because it was against human rights.
6. Strategic reasons; It was argued that the colonization of Uganda, Kenya and Egyptians was a means of safeguarding the water of River Nile and to protect the Suez canal which is the short cut to Europe. The British and Dutch also control South Africa because they wanted to exploit gold and diamond since they were discovered in 1867 and 1885.
7. Population growth in Europe; In the 19th c Europe population grew steadily from about 190 million to about 420 million. This led to the need of new land for reducing the surplus population. Britain had earlier responded to this situation by settling some of her people in Australia, New Zealand, the USA, Canada and South Africa.
8. Darwinism theory and Monroe doctrine; According to the Darwin theory weak were to be ruled by strongest race. This is called the survival for the fittest, the strongest race were the Europeans while Africa was weak and therefore colonization. Monroe alarmed British not to pip her nose to USA. When they do so they will be in trouble. The option for the British was to go to Africa without any fear.
Explain why some areas in Africa experienced more intensive scramble than others
Specific areas that experienced intensive scramble
Egypt was scrambled because of the Suez Canal and the River Nile built by French engineers and it was opened in 1869 at the cost of 4m pounds by the British and the French government.
Collective reasons were;
A shorter route to British investments in India and Far East
It improve revenue to British colonial government as all European users paid taxes
The waters of river Nile was used in irrigation in Egypt and Sudan in colonial cotton plantations
Congo basin; In Congo the powers involved were France, Belgium, Portugal and Britain. French claims over the Congo basin. These claims were supported by the treaties signed between the local rulers and De brazza. Belgium claims were supported by treaties signed by Henry Morton Stanley and Portuguese were claiming over the Congo Basin.
Niger Delta; Britain, France and German were involved. They wanted to acquire the Niger delta to use the water for navigation and irrigation activities.
East Africa; The scramble was between German and Britain. The British wanted to control the source of River Nile to the end. They all interested in the fertile soil and good climate e.g. the interlocustrine zone, Kilimanjaro etc.
Central Africa; Zimbabwe, Malawi and Zambia were the battle ground for Portuguese and British. They jointly formed the British southern African company under Cecil Rhodes. The reasons for the scramble were the fertile soil of shire highlands in Malawi, the Matebele and the Shona region and the mineral potentialities.
South Africa. In this region the power involved included France, Portugal, Belgium, Italy and British. The conflict was due to British interest to control from Cape Town in South Africa to Cairo in Egypt
Generalized reasons for the intensification of scramble in some areas were;
1) Accessibility to the interior; Rivers like Congo, Niger and Nile were economically important. These areas attracted many imperialist powers e.g. Congo River was accessible to the interior were there was mineral and agricultural good. French employed De brazza to sign various treaties with local rulers while king Leopold represent the interest of the Belgium. In Niger the treaties were signed between France and African rulers of Mandingo Empire, Tukolor Empire and Dahomey between 1880 and 1880. British also signed some treaties in Gold Coast the present day Ghana.
2) Agricultural potentialities; In order to get raw materials many European intended to occupy many fertile lands for agriculture e.g. Ndebele land, River Niger, Congo basin, Nile Valley, Shire of Malawi and Kenyan highlands.
3) Strategic areas; Egypt was a very potential area for both economic and strategic purpose. The areas become so potential after the opening of Suez Canal in 1869. Britain and France were the key power. There was rivalry between Egypt and the British in 1882 called Mahdist Uprising were by the Egypt were defeated and colonized by the British.
4) High population; These areas were scrambled because the population will provide a quick market and supply of labour e.g. Senegal, Sahelian and Savanna regions, Nigeria, Togo, Gold Coast and Cameroon.
5) Mineral potential areas; The countries like Angola and Nigeria were scrambled due rich minerals such as gold diamond and copper.
The Impact of the Scramble for and Partition of Africa
1) Led to the disintegrations of the pre existing African political Organization such as Dahomey, Asante in West Africa and Buganda in East Africa
2) Gave room to the establishment of colonial rule in Africa; This went hand in hand with the introduction of western culture through languages, education and religious activities. Africans who acquired Western culture were brainwashed to the extent that they appreciated the whites.
3) Intensive exploitation; The whites exploited African economy where by “Africans produced goods that she could not consume and consume what she could not produce” For this matter African exported raw materials while in turn the Europeans brought back industrial manufactured goods.
4) Destruction of traditional African subsistence economy; Africans were forced to produce cash crops that had no economic value to them. Others worked in mines for the benefit of the European powers e.g. The people of the Southern Tanganyika were forced by the German to produce cotton instead of food crops between 1902 and 1907. This led to the hunger and starvation.
5) Increase activities of the European missionaries; The European powers opened up churches with preach about the civilization of African people. They signed some treaties which undervalue our culture and dignity. This was done on the umbrella of abolition of slave trade.
6. Creation of future and endless problems of the African continents; The setting up of African boundaries by the Europeans have divided some African communities in to different states and they have contributed to inter-boundary conflicts in the continent e.g. Nigeria, Ruanda and Burundi.
7) Resistance among the African communities against colonial domination; Many Africans died during the wars of resistance. For example Samori Toure led the Mandinka against French in West Africa, Nandi resisted British in Kenya and Hehe resisted German just few to mention.
8) Establishment of infrastructure; Colonial government established roads and railways to connect the potential areas to them. This facilitated the exploitation and administration of African continents
(b) THE BERLIN CONFERENCE (1884-85)
The Berlin conference was a meeting held in Berlin that was called by Chancellor Otto Von Bismarck of Germany in 1884-1885 or Berlin conference was the meeting of the European power which was held in Berlin the capital city of Germany from November 1884 to February1885 at the invitation of Otto Von Bismarck. 14 European countries were represented at this conference. USA and Denmark attended the conference as an observers. Members in this meeting drew out a map of Africa ready for partition (drawing out colonial master’s borders, marking their respective colonies (African States) that they would colonize).
The Events Leading to the Berlin Conference (1884/85
The following were the events led to the Berlin conference.
1) The imperialist activities; Imperialist activities in Africa brought about a need of peaceful division of Africa. For example the misunderstanding between British and France in Egypt led to the war at Fashoda. There was also tension in South Africa between the British and the Boers.
In West Africa the situation was the same e.g. In Niger River the French occupied the upper region where as the British occupied the lower region. In Congo basin the powers like Belgium Portuguese, French and German all demonstrated their interest. Therefore the conference was convened to avoid the rivalry in Africa.
2) Industrial revolution forced European powers to demand expansion of their territories to Africa continents.
Summary of the events
To solve the Congo and Niger problems
Need of Bismarck to diverge France interest from France to Africa,
To develop Africa for imperialism
To discuss views from different European nations on how to abolish the slave trade in the African territories.
The Resolutions of the Berlin Conference
Evaluate the resolutions of the Berlin conference
Representatives at the Berlin conference agreed on the following principles: (these principles were to be followed by all colonial masters).
1. To abolish slave trade in their colonies; All and any elements of slave trade in their respective colonies should be made illegal activity and had to bind themselves to improve the conditions of African moral and material being as well as total suppression of slave trade or any European signatory powers who claim an area in Africa should abolish slave trade wherever it was conducted.
2. They agreed to send a lot of missionaries, traders and explorers on their respective colonies and therefore should be protected from local attacks and allowed to have direct access to the interior of Africa so as to conduct various activities of civilization.
3. They were required to stop or to make an end of resistances that occurred between Africans and colonial government such resistances were Nandi, Chagga, Chimurenga, Hehe, Asante, Bwana Heri, Saadan etc,
4. They were required to have effective control of their colonies e.g. by building/constructing social services such as education centers, health services, and water services.
5. Colonial masters were required to notify others on the possession of colonies. The aim of the principles of notification was to avoid two powers from processing one colony.
6. They agreed to have free navigation on the navigable rivers like Congo, Niger etc. (In order to solve the conflict between the European Countries).
7. They were required to open up economic activities on their respective colonies (establishment of colonial economy e.g. agriculture, trading and industries
8.
OR
1. Principle of notification; Each power which claimed any part of African territory was required to inform the other European power that had signed the treaty in order to avoid crushes among themselves.
2. Principle of effective occupation or control; European powers which claimed any part of Africa would be recognized by the other power if it was effectively occupied by such European powers lie under this clause. The claimants were supposed to develop their areas through their missionaries, trading companies and explorers and by starting economic activities.
3. King Leopold was allowed to rule Congo; But the Congo River was left free zone for all nations. In this case the basin was in international highway.
4. Freedom of navigation; the conference declared that, Congo River, Niger River and other big Rivers as a free for international navigation i.e. Niger River under the authority of Britain and the Congo River under authority of Belgium.
5. Abolition of slave trade; Each European power which attended the meeting had to abolish slave trade in African territory and should further extend its sphere of influence from the coastal regions to the internal land and draw political boundaries.
The Berlin conference involved division of colonies to the imperial trading companies’ e.g.
• BEACO - Kenya
• BSACO - South Africa, S. Rhodesia, N. Rhodesia
• GEACO - Tanganyika, Rwanda and Burundi
Others involved:
• Germany - Cameroon, Togo
• France - Congo, Kinshasa, Tunisia, Morocco, Senegal etc.
• Belgium - Congo Brazzaville
• Portugal - Angola and Mozambique
There were two steps of dividing Africa.
a) Anglo German agreement of 1886; The Western boundaries was not drawn between Kenya and Tanganyika. Competition of Uganda was high due to soil fertility, high population and being the source of River Nile. British feared German to control Uganda. There was treaty signed by the Kabaka Mwanga and the Nabongo Sekwanga Mumia in Western Kenya. Therefore the rivalry between them led to another agreement.
b) The Anglo Germany agreement or Heligoland treaty 1890. Germany recognized Uganda and Kenya as British sphere of influence. Germany recognized Zanzibar as the British protectorate and the rest of the sultan’s dominion. German lost the Witu which became under British possession in Kenya. In compensation for Witu, Germany was given Heligoland an Island off the coast of Germany in the North Sea to use it as a military base. German continued to rule Tanganyika and she acquired coastal strip from the sultan of Zanzibar by buying the areas as compensation to the sultan for possession, then the German controlled ports of Tanga, Bagamoyo, Dar es Salaam, Kilwa and Mikindani and other parts of Tanganyika. The western boundaries between Tanganyika, Uganda and Kenya were defined .Uganda become British protectorate.
The Significance of the Berlin Conference to Africa
1) The Berlin conference abolished slave trade; Colonial agents were sent to Africa to campaign against slavery and slave trade. This went hand in hand with the introduction of legitimate trade. Through this legitimate trade cheap European goods were exchanged with African raw materials like cotton, coffee, sisal, palm oil and groundnuts.
NB Legitimate trade was the trade in natural commodities i.e. European manufactured goods with African raw materials.
2) Division of some African ethnic groups; This denied the natural boundaries that had existed for example Makonde in Tanzania, and Mozambique, Maasai and Luo in East Africa, Ewe in Ghana and Gambia.
3) Suffering of African people; This happened during the penetration of the colonial rule in Africa. Those who tried to resist were crushed to death e.g. during the Samouri Toure resistance the Mandinka were killed, the same applied to majimaji resistance.
4) Conference opened the interior of Africa for colonization; All important areas in the interior were opened and colonized by the colonial powers. The European established various activities in the interior of Africa basing on the resources available in particular territory.
5) The conference solved the issue of Congo crisis; Which would have resulted in to European war. Many European powers were competing to get some areas in Congo. This may led to the conflicts of two powers in one area.
6) The conference set up chain of problem for the future generation of Africa; The map of Africa which was introduced during colonial rule divided the people who are in one group into different group. This led to the conflicts with themselves
