AGE OF IMPERIALISM AFRICA

Prior to 1880, Europeans control little of Africa directly By 1914 only two African nations are still independent Known as the “Scramble for Africa” Scientific advances helped make controlling Africa easier Discovery of the drug quinine which treated malaria Development of the first automatic machine gun gave Europeans a huge military advantage

West Africa Affected by the slave trade, which was declared illegal in 1808 Interest in other forms of trade increased Encouraged by growing trade, European gov’ts pushed for a more permanent presence British set up settlements along the Gold Coast and in Sierra Leone 1874 Britain annexes the west coastal states as the first British colony of Gold Coast Establishes a protectorate over warring groups in Nigeria

France added the huge area of French West Africa Controls the largest part of West Africa Germany gains control of Togo, Cameroon, and German Southwest Africa (Namibia)

North Africa Egypt had been a part of the Ottoman Empire In 1805 Muhammad Ali, an officer in the Ottoman army, seizes power and establishes an independent Egyptian state Suez Canal – built by a French entrepreneur and completed in 1869, it connects the Mediterranean to the Red Sea The British take an active interest in Egypt after the Suez Canal opens because it greatly reduces the time it takes to get to India “Lifeline to India” – want control over canal area Buys Egypt’s share in the Suez Canal

Egypt becomes a British protectorate so that Britain can protect its interest in the Suez Canal Gain control of the Sudan to protect Egypt France 1879 after 150,000 French people settle in Algeria, the gov’t of France claims it 1881 imposes a protectorate over neighboring Tunisia 1912 establishes a protectorate over Morocco Italy joins in the competition for colonies Attempts to take control of Ethiopia in 1896 Invades and are defeated and embarrassed – only European nation defeated by an African state 1911 Italy invades and seizes Turkish Tripoli and renames it Libya

Central Africa David Livingstone arrives in Africa in 1841 and explores it for 30 years Henry Stanley is sent to find him and opens up the Congo to European colonization The Congo divided between Belgium and France The Congo Free State is not ruled by a European country, but is instead claimed by King Leopold II of Belgium Leopold creates a personal fortune by exploiting the Congo Forces his subjects in the Congo to extract rubber from the rubber trees

Millions die due to overwork, disease, and awful treatment The conditions were so bad that there was an international outcry The other European powers made the Belgium gov’t take control over the Congo in 1908

East Africa By 1875 Britain and Germany are chief rivals in East Africa Britain gets British East Africa and Germany gets German East Africa Portugal claims Mozambique

South Africa Boers, or Afrikaners (descendants of the original Dutch settlers) have occupied Cape Town and the surrounding areas since the 1600s Britain seizes these lands from the Dutch during the Napoleonic Wars 1830s the Boers flee northward on the Great Trek and form two independent republics Orange Free State and Transvaal Believe in white superiority Boers, and later the British, frequently battle the Zulu people

The Zulu, led at first by Shaka, battle for 50 years before they are finally defeated by the British By 1880s British policy in South Africa is set by Cecil Rhodes Gold is discovered on Boer lands, but they refuse to grant political rights to foreigners, including the British Cecil gets rich off diamond and gold companies and gains control of a territory north of the Transvaal and names it Rhodesia Starts a war with the Boer gov’t The Boer War 1899-1902 The Boers, although greatly outnumbered, use guerrilla warfare and gain the advantage

The British regroup and begin to destroy Boer farms and put 150,000 Boer women and children into detention camps 26,000 die in the camps The Boers are eventually defeated and their land goes to Britain 1910 Union of South Africa Combines Cape Colony and the Boer republics into a self-governing nation within the British Empire Only white people could vote Apartheid = South African government’s official policy of legalized racial segregation

Berlin Conference Europeans competed aggressively for territories in Africa and to prevent conflict, European leaders met at the Berlin Conference in 1884-1885 Purpose was to divide African territory It was agreed that when a European nation claimed a new African territory it had to notify other European nations and prove it could control the territory Africans were not invited to the conference and Europeans ignored traditional ethnic boundaries Current boundaries in Africa were made by Europeans at the Berlin Conference Long-term consequence is tribal warfare

Colonial Rule Divided among Great Britain, France, Germany, Belgium, Portugal, Italy, and Spain Only two African states remain independent: Ethiopia – defeated the Italians Liberia – homeland created by the U.S. for freed slaves Most Europeans rule their new territories with the least effort and cost possible Many African subjects assimilate European culture