History form 3: Scramble for and partition of Africa
Even before the 19th century or 1800 AD, Africa and its interior were not known to the outside World. The interior of the African continent was exposed to the European World after the work of explorers, traders and missionaries. Europeans took interest in Africa’s strategic areas with fertile land, minerals, navigable rivers and many more areas that they could easily exploit. Reports of the existence of snow-capped mountains in the interior of Africa and the inhuman slave trade activities also attracted great interest in the continent.
By the 1880’s, many European capitalist nations rushed and grabbed parts of the African continent claiming that they were their areas of influence. Scramble is the act of rushing and grabbing parts of Africa’s land and occupying them to the extent of nearly fighting among the each other. Partition is the act of dividing a large area into small parts or portions. So, partition of Africa meant dividing the continent among the imperialist powers.
European capitalist powers partitioned the African continent among themselves during the Berlin Conference of 1884 to 1885 under the chairmanship of the German Chancellor Otto Von Bismarck, without involving the Africans.
Causes of the Scramble for and Partition of Africa
The scramble for and partition of Africa which occurred in the 1880s was due to economic, political and social factors that faced most of the European nations at that time such as:
1. Development of capitalism on Europe from industries to monopoly stage in 1870’s this created the demand of, New markets, More raw materials, Area to invest their capital, Cheap labour, Area to dump unemployed white men
2. National prestige
The possession of colonies was considered as a symbol of greatness and respect. For example Germany and Italy struggled for colonies with the aim of acquiring national prestige.
3. Balance of power
The balance of power was disrupted by Franco- Prussian war of 1870-1871 [was between France and Germany]. Germany rose to power after defeating France and seizing her provinces like Alsace for production of coal and Lorraine for iron. There after France began to scramble for colonies in order to regain its power and compensate for the lost provinces.
4. The growth of European nationalism especially in Germany and Italy in 1870-1871
This was union of various small European states which were ruled by princes into bigger empires. In Germany the unification was made under OTTO VON BISMARK while in Italy was created by VICTOR EMANNUEL. This unification made their countries to praise their culture and declared a mission to civilize other cultures hence Germany and Italy rushed to scramble for colonies in Africa.
5. Strategic importance of some areas in the African continent, such as :-
Egypt
Was scrambled for by British and France because of the use of the Suez Canal as a short cut and getaway to the British colony of India and the Indian Ocean where France monopolized sugar production.
South Africa
Because the British and the Dutch exploit Gold and Diamonds.
The Congo basin
Scramble for by Belgium, France and also Portugal because of minerals like Gold and Copper. Navigable Rivers, Fertile soil for production of rubber and High population for creation of market labor
Niger Valley
European powers, French, British and German scrambled for because of navigation, agriculture and high population.
6. Balance of power
before 1870 there were stable powers for these European nations especially France and Britain but the balance of power destructed or disturbed by the Franco-Purssian war of 1870-71 when Germany defeated France and took Alsaceand Lorraine. So through that Germany became stronger instead of France which immediately began to scramble for colonies in order to regain its power compensate for the lost provinces.
Other reasons:
7. Berlin conference; this conference stimulated the scramble for because each power exerted a colony proportionally.
8. Role played by missionaries, explores and traders.
9. Claims to stop slave trade and spread.
10. Humanitarian reason, this has been given by European nation’s historians that, they scrambled for the African continent in order to civilize African societies.
Reasons for some Areas in Africa to Experience more Intensive Scramble than others
Through this shows that there were different areas which were scrambled for by European powers, the reasons for some areas in Africa to experience more intensive scramble than others are as follows:
1. Fertile land
These areas which seemed to have a fertile land like Zimbabwe and some parts of Kenya like the kikuyu highlands experienced more intensive scramble than other areas.
2. Minerals
Minerals also made some areas in Africa to experience more intensive scramble than others; For example South Africa, this region was scrambled by the Dutch(Boers) and the British. The Dutch landed at the cape under the Dutch East India Company in 1962. In 1795 the British conquered the Dutch East India Company at the Cape. After a while the Dutch-Boers migrated Northwards during the Great Boers Trek. Eventually they settled in the Orange Free State and Transvaal. The Orange Free State had diamonds which was discovered in 1867 while Transvaal’s gold was discovered in 1885.
3. Navigable water
Example Suez Canal and Congo Basin are some areas which experienced more intensive scramble. For example the Congo Basin was scrambled for by Belgium, Britain, France and Portugal. And Suez Canal was scrambled for by both the British and the French.
4. Large population
These areas which were having large population also experienced more intensive scramble example Congo basin had high population for markets. Therefore the Europeans only scrambled for areas with those characteristics mentioned above. And these areas which were scrambled and eventually partitioned by the Europeans, had economic importance to the European powers.
The Impact of the Scramble for and Partition of Africa
The partition of East Africa become complete in 1890 after the Anglo German Agreement of 1890. Therefore, the partition of East Africa brought the following effects.
1. It necessitated the calling of the Berlin conference; this shows that after the scramble for and partition it was calling for the Berlin conference which was led by the Germany counselor Bismarck so as to make sure that they divide the African continent peacefully.
2. Led to the occurrence of the 1st world war of 1914 because some imperialist nations, the Germany were not satisfied with the number of colonies they had this caused conflicts among the imperialist nations hence occurrence of both the 1 st and 2 nd world war.
3. Dar-es- Salaam and Mombasa became as importation main parts for both British and Germans. However Dar-es-Salaam who custom Head house of German.
4. From 1890 respectively Zanzibar and Uganda become the British protectorates
5. German took Tanganyika with its base in Dar-es-Salaam.
6. These treaties culminated in the prelude to Colonialism.
7. Led to the exploitation of natural resources in East Africa.
8. Intensive oppresion and harrassment in East Africa by British and Germans.
5. Germany took Tanganyika with its base in Dar es salaam.
6. These treaties culminated in the prelude of colonialism.
7. Led to the exploitation of natural resources in East Africa. 8. Intensive oppression and harassment in East Africa by British and Germans