1. Imperialism in Africa

2. Why was Africa prime for conquest?
Internal Forces:
Variety of cultures and languages discouraged unity among the Africans
Ethnic strife (tribal wars) over land, water, and trade rights, which also prevented a unified stand ( Europeans learned to play rival groups against each other)
Low level of technology as compared to the Europeans
Availability of land (size of Africa)

4. The European Advantage
External Forces:
Invention of the Maxim Gun (machine gun)
The steam engine allowed Europeans to travel upstream to establish bases of control deeper within the continent
Railroads allowed for faster transportation and communication within a colony, and between the colony & its controlling nation
Europeans had a cure for malaria (Quinine)

5. Maxim Gun

6. European competition for the land and resources of Africa
Scramble for Africa – 1880s
European competition for the land and resources of Africa
Most rapid European expansion took place in Africa
France expansion to interior  competition
Discovery of diamonds (1867) & gold (1886)
Nations were afraid that they would be left out of the race for goods & colonies
Competition threatened war between European nations because it changed the balance of power

7. The Berlin Conference (1884-1885)
Scramble threatened European stability
Bismarck called a meeting of 14 European nations to prevent fighting over pieces of Africa
Set rules for colonizing Africa
A European country could claim land by notifying other countries & being able to show they could control the area they claimed
Africa’s indigenous population was NOT represented at the Conference
African continent was completely divided up by 1885 (except Liberia & Ethiopia)

9. French
British
German
Belgian
Portuguese
Italian
Independent
Spanish

10. Percentage Possessed by Europeans in Africa
5.2%
3.4%
6.8%
35.6%
7.9%
7.9%
32.3%

11. European Drawn Borders Create Problems
The European imperialists created new boundaries for their territories in Africa
Borders were drawn with no regard for the Africans that lived there (ethnically, culturally, linguistically)
This leads to many problems for the newly created African nations

12. Country vs. Ethnic Borders

13. Effects for Africa Arbitrary divisions of African territories
Europeans renamed lakes, rivers and other areas that already had African names for centuries
Western civilization completely different than their own (Europeans’ focus on tech)
“the European is devoted to dead metals… we get our joy out of living creatures” – Herero (SA)

14. Cash Crops & Resources
When Europeans set up colonies in Africa they believed it would be a great market to sell their goods & make profits
But Africans did not want European goods
European businesses developed cash crops – crops that are made directly for sale & profit (ex: peanuts, cocoa)
Africans were forced to grow cash crops, leaving little time to tend to their own food crops  less food
Europeans also took the continent’s rich mineral resources for profit

15. African Resistance
Africans across the continent resisted European attempts to colonize their lands (page 694)

16. CONFLICT: Zulu (1816)
Zulus were highly disciplined and courageous warriors of the southern part of Africa
Fought against the British

17. Unsuccessful Resistance to Imperialism
THE PROBLEM ?
European weapons
Zulu land becomes controlled by the British in 1887

18. CONFLICT: Boer War
The Dutch originally settled in South Africa (1652), took over Africans’ lands & established large farms
BOERS = Dutch for “farmers”
(the Boers later become known as Afrikaners)
Boer Guerrillas  fought against the British in the Boer War

19. Boer War British take over South Africa in the 1800s
The Boers were forced to move north  more Africans displaced
Diamonds & Gold in found in South Africa, so many more countries come for fortune & the Boers struggle to keep control of their areas
1899 Boers vs. British  1902 British win = the Union of South Africa

20. Successful Resistance: Ethiopia
Only African nation to successfully
resist the Europeans
Victory by Emperor Menelik II
Played Italians, French & British against each other
Built up arsenal of modern weapons purchased from France & Russia (which sold weapons to prevent Britain from taking over)
Declared war on Italian forces & defeated them